World Doula Week

I hear it is World Doula Week so of course I am going to take a moment and brag on my Doula! 

Jenni was absolutely a God-send for Barrett's pregnancy and birth journey! After several frustrating OBGYN visits she never faltered in telling me "it's never too late to make your homebirth dreams come true!" and at 30 weeks, that's just what we did! 

During my 22 hour labor, she helped me in so many ways. Talking over the phone during contractions, encouraging me over text and then my first birth team member to arrive when I said "I need you now, contractions are 3-5 minutes apart... Not 10 minutes like I thought!" 

With essential oils providing calming aroma's, peaceful music to fill the air, a gentle touch to help distract through the intense contractions and a relaxed voice to encourage me. Jenni provided that much-needed atmosphere to keep adrenaline at bay and keep the peace heightened. Even through a hose mishap in the living room while filling the birth tub, she never wavered in keeping me focused on the task at hand; birthing this baby peacefully. 

Without Jenni, I know our homebirth would not have been possible. In hindsight, I am beyond grateful for Jenni giving us that gentle push we needed to follow the homebirth calling. We got the exact birth we had been dreaming of. With Ben's death just 5.5 months after Barrett's birth, I'm incredibly thankful we followed our hearts and prepared for a peaceful, calming, empowered birth at home. Ben and I worked together as a team flawlessly throughout my entire pregnancy and our birth team knitted together carefully to provide the atmosphere we needed to pull this off.

Whether you want to homebirth, have a hospital birth, go drug-free, plan to get an epidural, or plan to even get induced or have a c-section. No matter what kind of birth you have, get a doula! Doula's are angels walking this earth to empower women to take charge in their pregnancy and births!

#getaDOULA

Until next time, friends