Testimony Time!
This family means so much to me. I loved having the honor to walk by their side during pregnancy and their birth and as much as possible in the postpartum. Chelsea went from not knowing much about birth to ROCKING her birth plan!! I couldn’t be more proud of her. And James. They’re the best parents to little Rhys Here is her experience in her words:
When my husband and I found out we were having a baby, I felt overwhelmed. I knew nothing about pregnancy, or birth. But Mary helped walk me through every step. She patiently explained the nuisances of birth. As I became more comfortable with the idea of labor, she would help me process through more details. Her support through the entire process helped ease any anxiety I had leading to birth. With her help, I was able to walk into labor and delivery with confidence, and stay true to my desired birth plan. Honestly, our birth was very stressful. Our little guy was born a month early, because he was in extreme distress. Mary remained calm, and supported my husband and I, through a crazy whirlwind of a birth.
When my husband and I were sent to labor and delivery, and we called Mary, she was ready to go! She showed up promptly & even came to the hospital before we thought we would need her (and I'm so glad she followed her doula-intuition because labor moved FAST!)
She helped me process the reality of a birth that looked different than I prepared for, while encouraging me to advocate for myself and our baby. When the drs began tho induce my labor, Mary helped explain the different methods so I could make a fully informed choice.
During labor, she helped me remain calm & embrace every contraction. She would massage tense muscles and suggest positions to ease discomfort. She also encouraged my husband as he supported me. In addition, she kept family in the loop, so I could solely focus on leaning into birth.
When it was time to push, Mary was right there... coaching me through every contraction. And when my son was born, blue and distraught, Mary was able to focus on me while letting my husband focus on our baby.
With Mary's help, I was able to have a naturally induced labor. And I swear all her tips & wisdom, helped my labor progress quickly. She gave me the strength to get through the labor without pain medication. Because she assisted in keeping me calm & focused, I had minimal delivery injuries, and a virtually "pain-free" birth.
Throughout the entire process, which could have been extremely stressful due to our sons distress, Mary was a source of strength, peace, and encouragement. She kept the mood in the labor room upbeat. It was so nice having someone on my team that I could look at and ask "is this normal?" and fully trust their response.
Mary’s help didn’t stop in the labor and delivery room. Our son spent 26 days in the NICU, and Mary supported us throughout that journey as well. She continued to be a resource, and regularly checked-in on our well-being. And I’m confident that if visitors were allowed in the NICU, Mary would have been by our side while we sat with our son.
Every pregnant couple needs Mary in their corner! It is so evident that she genuinely loves supporting pregnant women (and their
partners). And she is a wealth of knowledge.
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Like this author's voice? Check out her book on Motherhood here
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