A Mom Births Again, Shares Her Recommendation of Teresa

"I’ve been trying to find a minute to write to thank you, really thank you. I think that one of the most challenging parts of this birth (maybe THE most challenging part) was preparing for it mentally and spiritually.  The labor of love orientation was the second doula group we visited looking for a doula.  On our first visit to the group[....], David and I both left discouraged.  None of the doulas felt deep enough or truly connected enough to what we knew that birth could be.  Then we came to you guys.  I liked a number of your doulas, but it wasn’t until you spoke that I was sure.  You talked about women being warriors, even lions, I think.  What you said made me cry, and I turned to David and said, “that’s her.”

You really took seriously the trauma I felt I’d been through, and understood it in just the right way.[Although she had given birth unmedicated the first time, she had felt very traumatized by it for a number of reasons.]  You told me I was brave, and you looked me in the eye and said “I won’t let you suffer like that.”  This was what I needed more than anything—to have someone who really got it, in its beauty and in the fact that it may very well have been too much.  This gave me confidence and made me truly feel supported and safe.  Then when you told me to daydream my perfect birth (the day before labor), I came home teary again and told David about what you’d said.  And I started daydreaming—I wanted Noah to come during the day, I wanted to feel and embody the kind of deep moaning that I saw some of the women in the videos do—not moaning out of pain, but like the voice is riding the wave of the contraction—giving vocal form to that powerful force coming over my body.  And, as I started getting excited about the possibility of this good birth, my fear finally started to really fade.  I had thought it had faded already with the birthing class [she took Guina's immersion class just a week or so earlier] and the relaxation tapes [I had loaned her some guided imagery cds to listen to] and all the work I was doing, and in part it really had, but I don’t think it was until our lunch that I felt a real sense of relief—the fear was replaced by a sense of possibility and looking forward rather than back. 

Basically, I wanted to say thank you for this, so so much.  And many, many other things—I can hear your voice telling me to give little grunts at the peak of my contraction to see if I needed to push, which got pushing started.  You suggested that David get in the water with me, which was the very thing I needed…and so, so many other things.

You’re an amazing doula and an amazing woman Teresa.  Thank you so much for everything."

Sarah

07.19.2010