ErICKA's STORY
We love Rebecca!
Why we hired a doula...
I did not have what I would call am easy time birthing my first and second, so when it came time for the 3rd, I knew I wanted it to be different, I wanted to birth naturally, and I knew I needed support. Support I did not get with my previous natural birth.
I wanted an experience, I wanted to be empowered by the process of birth. The birth center helped point me in the right direction. They mentioned a doula, and I thought I wouldn't need one, after all it was my 3rd.
Then it struck me, I couldn't put this all on my husband this time, I don't even know what I'll need let alone expect him to anticipate my needs!
I had already been in contact with Rebecca to speak about encapsulating my placenta, so almost 8 months pregnant, I realized we needed her for the birth. Thank god we decided and thank God she was available. Rebecca was everything I never knew I needed. Our journey through labor and delivery was long, and she never left our side, she never stopped being our cheerleader she kept up an amazing energy level and toughed it out right by our side.
She stayed with us after Elzie arrived, helped take care of me, made me my placenta smoothie (which was amazing )
And waited til she did everything she could do for us before leaving.
Afterward, Rebecca came to us with my placenta capsules and belly binding, both of which I recommend highly!
We know Rebecca truly cares for us, our experience, our journey. We will not have another baby without her!
Lexie's story
Rebecca was absolutely awesome when I delivered my second daughter. She helped my fiance and me learn techniques to help with my contractions, and helped us put our birth plan together. I really wanted to do everything naturally, but at 3 cm my contractions were getting the best of me. She was able to come in after I received the epidural and wasn't judgmental that I got it. She just said "Ok, since we have the epidural, we can try this now!" It was so awesome having her there. My epidural actually ended up wearing off, and I was able to deliver naturally- which was amazing. She and my fiance switched back and forth between holding my hand and putting pressure on my lower back to help with back labor. She was so wonderful and positive. My fiance and I were so so thankful to have her there and as a part of our experience. I also had her do placenta encapsulation- which has worked wonderfully for me with my healing and my baby blues. She rocks!!!
Kate's Story
Rebecca is an amazing doula! She was one of my doulas for the birth of my third child, an early medical induction for cholestasis. She was very thorough and organized during our prenatal visits, which I totally appreciated since I am anything but organized! She made sure that she was very clear on my wishes during the labor and delivery, especially once we knew it would be a hospital induction. She came to the hospital even before they started so that she could be with me for the entire process, as she knew I was nervous and unhappy to be there. I was so grateful for her presence since it took them hours to even begin Pitocin! She laughed and joked with me and kept me from getting overwhelmed with anxiety. She walked me around the hospital for a long time to try and get things going. When things got really tough she had tons of tricks to help me better able to cope with the contractions! She gave me a cotton ball soaked in grapefuit essential oil and it was like a security blanket the entire time. During every contraction I held it to my nose and breathed in the scent to give me energy and help me get through the peak. It was amazing how much it helped. She did hours of counterpressure, and shaking the apples, and helped me change positions, get to the bathroom, held up water to my mouth so I could drink, fed me ice chips, put chapstick on me, and just attended to me so easily and quickly. When it started to get crazy, she sprayed my hair with cool water and rubbed my scalp, which felt so good. When my daughter started coming out unexpectedly she raced to put oil and compresses on my perineum to help ease her rapid descent. I could not have had an epidural-free Pitocin induction without Rebecca's help. I recommend her as a doula to any pregnant woman hoping for a natural birth, or needing support in a hospital or birth center atmosphere!
Rebecca was our doula for the birth of our second child. Our prenatal visits were so thorough and she always came prepared and organized. Unfortunately Rebecca was not present at our son's birth- through no fault of her own! My entire labor only lasted less than 4 hours and he was born 25 minutes after we arrived at the birth center. In all honestly we came close to having him in the car en route to the birth center. During that car ride, I used all of the techniques Rebecca taught me to cope with the pain of the contractions as well as how NOT to push. I'm certain without those techniques, I would have started pushing in the car instead of being able to wait until we arrived at the birth center. We also used Rebecca for placenta services. After our birth, Rebecca made me a placenta smoothie at the birth center. All I had to do was tell her what flavor/ingredients I wanted in the smoothie and she did the rest. I was a little nervous about eating a smoothie with raw placenta in it but it was the best decision ever! It was delicious tasting and I immediately felt an extra boost of energy. I felt so good (physically and emotionally) after the labor and delivery. Rebecca also encapsulated my placenta and delivered the capsules to my home. I took the capsules for 4 weeks. They were truly amazing. I loved the energy I got from them and the way they made me feel positive and excited after the birth. I wish I could keep taking them forever! I would absolutely recommend Rebecca to any expectant mother regardless of where you going to have your baby. Her services were invaluable.
Sara's story
Encapsulating my placenta is one of the best decisions I made with my second pregnancy! With my first, a darling little girl, the first six weeks postpartum were rough. My hormones were definitely out of balance and I felt very anxious about my new responsibility as a mother. Also, after attempting to breast-feed with my daughter and never quite feeling like she was full or getting enough milk; I often resorted to a bottle of formula.
I will admit I was hesitant when Rebecca first talked to me about encapsulating my placenta. I wasn't sure about it and it sounded gross. However, after a little bit of research and conversations with Rebecca, I decided to go for it. I'm so glad I did! Honestly, I can say it truly helped increase my milk supply. My son eats like a champ and I always feel like I'm able to provide. It is the best feeling! To be truthful, I'm not sure if my placenta helped lessen my anxiety or if it was just having had a baby before. Whatever it was, I'll take it! This postpartum time was much more relaxing for me and my family!
Overall this is been a much more pleasant experience than my first delivery. I felt I was able to recover faster and easier from this C-section and breast-feeding has definitely been much more enjoyable. I would highly recommend anyone considering encapsulating their placenta to go for it!
kristie's story
Like a lot of people I thought the idea of placenta encapsulation was a little odd but after doing my own research and talking with Rebecca (who was great at answering any and all of my numerous questions!) I decided I had nothing to lose. I ended up trying out more than just the capsules (salve, tincture, and padsicles!) and I couldn't recommend it more to any expecting mom. I feel my recovery from delivery has been great, my mood has been stable, and my milk supply has been awesome from the start. It is definitely something I will do if/when we decide to have another baby!
Aimee's story
I didn’t realize how challenging and emotionally exhausting the post-partum period and adjustment to having a new baby could be. This was a huge life change that I thought I was better prepared for with my first child. We had a difficult time with nursing, partially because it took a long time for me to build up a good milk supply. I also dealt with a lot of anxiety in the first few months and had a hard time falling asleep in-between night time feedings. It was a difficult and rocky time for me.
I gave birth to my second son in May and asked Rebecca to make me placenta pills. My post-partum time with my second son was a breeze compared to my first time. I can’t say that the placenta pills are the only reason this time around was much easier. There are many factors that were probably at play and we all know that every pregnancy, and therefore, every post-partum period, is different. However, I do feel that the placenta pills have helped! The two greatest benefits that I found were that my milk supply was abundant from the start and that the post-partum bleeding stopped almost over night once I started taking them! Additionally, I slept so much better this time around and dealt with less anxiety. For these reasons alone, I think it was completely worth it!
Rebecca made the whole process painless and efficient. I took my collapsible cooler in my hospital bag and asked the nurses to put the placenta on ice when it was time. The nurses took care of everything for us, no questions (or awkward looks) given. Rebecca came to pick it up at the hospital, went to work preparing it, and brought it straight to my house when the pills were ready. It was completely hassle-free on my end.
Perhaps the effects that I felt this time around were really just a placebo effect. If so, who cares? There was a major difference between this postpartum period and my first, and I am so much happier this time around!
Bethany's STORY
I was blessed to have Rebecca as my doula for the birth of second little boy in September. We had planned for his birth to be a VBAC, but it just wasn't in the cards for me. After having a traumatic emergency C-section with my 1st child, I was scared to death of having a repeat. Rebecca was a god send. She was there from check-in, to the time they wheeled me in to the O.R. and beyond. In pre-op, she helped keep me relaxed in preparation for the procedure. She used wonderful oils and gentle massage to help keep me calm. We chatted and joked around like old friends. And she even took pictures. By the time I was in the O.R., I was super calm and ready for my little one to enter the world. The C-section went so smoothly and after he arrived, Rebecca was there waiting for us. I couldn't imagine a better doula and highly recommend her to anyone! Thank you so much Rebecca!