Kristen Oganowski Doula Profile

We did not decide to hire a Doula until three weeks prior to my due date. This was because I had never heard the word Doula before my Childbirth Class. It was our Childbirth Class Instructor who recommended Kristen. From the first meeting (the only meeting prior to the birth of our son) Kristen was able to establish a comfortable, trusting atmosphere.
The main reason for hiring Kristen was due to my Husband's unpredictable work-schedule. It was uncertain as to whether he would be able to make it to the hospital in time for the birth of our child. Sure enough, Kristen helped me out for the first two hours of my labor in the hospital before my husband arrived. She was fantastic!! She was very calming, gentle, and encouraging. I also wanted to deliver my son naturally with minimal interventions. Again, this was successful due to the support and encouragement of Kristen and my husband. She gave us suggestions along the way when we needed them and left us be when we were doing fine. It was a relief knowing that she was there in time of emotional needs to support us and help us get through this incredible process.
Even after our son was born, Kristen was available for questions and gave wonderful resources and support when breastfeeding was not going well. Kristen is a genuinely caring person who continues to be interested in the development of our son and the well being of our new family. I would definitely hire Kristen again for future births and would recommend her to anyone considering a Doula.
 

 It was not difficult for us to decide to have Kristen help us with the birth of our first child. Upon meeting her, she struck us as being intelligent, calm, and passionate about her job (lifestyle) as a doula. Kristen made my ideal birthing experience possible. After talking to Kristen several times on the day of my delivery, we called her to join us at around midnight. She arrived at the hospital only moments after us, which was amazing because she lived about 40 miles away from us and we lived only two blocks away from the hospital. Kristen was calming, tender, and gentle throughout my labor. Her intuition guided her in knowing exactly when to talk to and touch me. She knew when to be silent and when to talk softly. She knew when to tell my husband what to do and when to tell me herself. She was a fantastic support for my husband who is normally quite hyper and intense. The most memorable part of her participation in my labor was near the end. I was in the bathtub moaning when she stuck her head in the bathroom and said, "Hannah, are you pushing?" at that moment, I realized that I was. She could tell by the pitch of my moan that I was pushing! I myself did not even realize it. Her question gave me the confidence and strength to go to the bed, pull myself up on a squat bar, and have my baby. There is no doubt that I would have gotten an epidural if it were not for the support of Kristen and my husband. Also, my daughter is the most laid back, clam baby that I have ever seen. I cannot help but think that it has to do with my daughter's peaceful arrival into this world, and there is no doubt that Kristen was a big part of the serene environment that Ava came into.

We had a wonderful experience with Kristen and would feel confident recommending her to anyone. She was our doula for our 2nd baby, and we planned an all natural VBAC. She is intellegent and well educated about birth options, and if we had a question she always had an answer for us (or would find out). She was great at providing VBAC and other birth resources. She listened to what we both wanted from our birth experience and was very encouraging. She was unable to attend our birth, simply because there wasn't time! After a very fast 2 hour labor, our all natural VBAC baby was born in the car on the way to the hospital, and my husband caught her! We had already called Kristen several times as we were preparing to leave home for the hospital, and again she was a great comfort. She arrived at the hospital very soon after we arrived by ambulance, and stayed by our side. I had to have some tears repaired after my very fast birth, and Kristen was invaluable. After giving birth naturally, I had no desire to use painkillers for the repair (apart from local anesthetic). Kristen was attentive to my needs and reminded me to use my hypnobabies training/breathing techniques during the repair. It was very comforting to my husband to have her there, as she was a support for both of us. Having a doula also allowed my husband some time to hold our newborn daughter and bond with her, while I had Kristen to hold my hand. It was very comforting to all of us to have Kristen be a part of our experience, and I am thankful that we found her to be our doula.      

Kristen was a fantastic doula! I found her by a google search for doulas in my area. The first thing I saw was her blog, and I instantly knew that we would be a great fit just from her intelligent and witty posts. She was wonderful in each of our prenatal meetings, offering a wealth of resources and ideas.  She kept in close touch with me and was always available, even before I reahed full term. The morning I went into labor I was in contact with her immediately (it was 2am!) and she was there for whatever my husband and I needed. Her help at my birth was priceless. Not only was she wonderful to my husband, reassuring him and giving him tips for things to do for me, but she was a source of great strength to me. She was particularly wonderful when we hit a speedbump of sorts and helped me make a decision that was right for me. She was a voice of reason, a calm peaceful presence, and I am so grateful I met her. She has continued to be a source of strength, support and insight now 4 weeks after my baby's birth, and I can see from her continued contact with past clients that she is sincere in her continued care for other women, whether or not they are still actively needing a "doula". I am very grateful for her friendship and companionship.

Our experience with Kristen was absolutely amazing!  I would highly recommend her to anyone.  Some of the best things about Kristen are that she is knowledgable, friendly, supportive, and non-judgemental.  My husband was very skeptical when I said I wanted a Doula.  From the first meeting Kristen made him feel completely at ease and he was on board after that.  In fact - he hadn't talked much about the birth in general until he met her and she had him talking so much about it that I was almost embarrassed that he would be quiet!  My mom and husband attended the birth and having Kristen their to help guide them in supporting me made them more confident in providing support.  In fact because of her you would never have guessed that my mom and husband had never attended a birth before.  She is simply fabulous and I feel so blessed that I had her at my birth! 

Kristen was fantastic at the birth of our daughter. The whole thing went very fast and had she not recognized the signs that I was getting close to delivery I'm convinced my husband would have delivered our baby!

Her support before, during and after the birth was invaluable. She made me feel more comfortable going into a scary situation (I had gestational diabetes so there was a possibility of a large baby/c-section).

Kristen helped me immensly with pain relief and avoidance of interventions. She was able to help my husband help me as well. She was a professional in every way, but also warm and kind. I feel like I've made a new friend and if I decide to have another baby I will not hesitate to hire her again.

I was very blessed to have Kristen as my doula for my son's birth in April 2009.  My husband is in the military and was deployed for my pregnancy and delivery.  I knew I would need extra support in his absense and once I interviewd Kristen, I knew she would be the one to fill his shoes.  We had a few meetings before my due date and Kristen was always very informative and encouraging.  I expressed my desires to have a natural birth and she supported me every step of the way.  When I was a week overdue and didn't feel like I could go on any longer, Kristen was there for me.  And when I finally did go into labor, she was there as soon as I called on her.  My labor was a very fast and instense one, and I don't know if I would have been able to stay so strong if it were not for Kristen's knowledge and support.  She reminded me of my birth goals and coached me all the way through my labor.  Her ability to convey my wants and needs to the doctors and nursing staff all while keeping me focused on getting through my contractions was invaluable.  Because of her, I was able to achieve the birth experience of my dream!  I gave birth to my 12lb son naturally, and without my husband by my side.  I feel like Kristen was not only my doula, but a true friend in my time of need.  I would HIGHLY recommend her!! :)