Katy is such a fantastic human being! I was so fortunate enough to find her late in my pregnancy and coincidentally she had availability, even though she is usually booked out far in advance. She caught herself right up to speed and we met several times leading up to my delivery so she could have a thorough understanding of preferences leading into my VBA2C. I also appreciated that during our meetings, she was an advocate for informed consent, in addition to the belief in a woman’s innate ability to birth her baby.
The days leading up to my delivery she checked in just the right amount not to stress me out, but also to be available, so I felt supported. Kudos to her because she talked me off the ledge of doing a home induction method during the 41st week. She encouraged me to wait patiently and let my body do its thing.
When the time came, she ended up being an absolutely vital part of my birth team. She went to bat for me and my preferences (decreased continuous fetal monitoring, pushing in all positions and use of the tub if I wanted) during the pushing phase of my delivery, but did it in such a respectful and cordial way that did not create enemies out of the medical team. In fact, a few of the staff told me that they really liked Katy and appreciated her professionalism. My midwife had also said earlier in my pregnancy that if a patient has Katy as their Doula she immediately feels more at ease with the situation. I can honestly say, Katy was a Godsend to me, and was an absolutely critical part of me achieving my VBA2C. I will absolutely hire her for my future births. -JK