Lori Daley Doula Profile

Expecting my first child, I had so many questions and fears about the birthing process.  At first I was unsure whether having a doula was necessary, given that I was planning an all natural birth at the Birth Center.  "What's the reason for another support person? I have a midwife and my husband- that's all I need, right?"  After talking to a few other doulas and learning how her role would play in my child's birth- it was certainly the best decision that we made.  Her values seemed to fit with mine and I was certainly able to connect with her.  She is very warm and caring from the moment you meet her.  Specifically with regards to our birth, Lori guided us through protocols that she was aware of through her experience of the births she attended at the Birth Center, so that we would be prepared to make informed decisions when our baby was ready to be welcomed into the world.  She was on call when we needed her to be, took her time with us at our appointment.  When pressed with making tough decisions, Lori presented us with all of our options based on her knowledge and experience and was extremely supportive in whatever decision my husband and I needed to make- not pressuring us to do what she thought would be best. 

I could not say enough great things about Lori and am so grateful that she was present at the birth of our daughter, Giselle.  I am blessed and extremely thankful that I can say I had the best birth I could have imagined.  Thank you!

 Lori is a wonderful doula!  She helped me considerably during my labor and birth of my first child.  I went into labor on Christmas eve and she came to my house late that night and spent the night and almost all of Christmas day with me for my baby's birth.  She gave me suggestions on ways to cope with the contractions and pains I was experiencing.  If I didn't feel something was working, she offered me other ideas of things to try.  My husband remarked that my behavior and how I was dealing with contractions was like night and day compared to before and after she arrived to help me.  She made sure I stayed hydrated by offering me sips of water or recharge drink in between my contractions.  She has a very soothing manner that helped keep me calm during labor.  It was great to have someone with me who had experienced childbirth before and knew what I was going through.  I cannot recommend her enough!  If I ever have another child, I hope to have her as my doula again!

Lori is amazing! I kept her updated through email and phone calls with all of my progress. She always answered my questions and was right there with exactly what I needed everytime. She gave me not only encouragement and reassurance but resources and information. I never felt like she was too busy for me, even if she was. Her attitude was always pleasant and calming and made me feel like I had her full attention.

My original plan was to have a waterbirth at a birth center that Lori recommended. We were on the fence between hospital and home birth and Lori helped us to find the perfect compromise. Unfortunately I was diagnosed with mild preclampsia at the end of the pregnancy and had to have my baby in the hospital. I spent four days trying every natural method of induction there is but I was stuck at 3cm. Lori was so supportive the entire time and when I had to be given pitocin she was at my side helping me with every decision. Her advice was invaluable and her very presence in the room brought my blood pressure down and made me feel empowered. The pitocin made it a very hard labor and I literally would not have made it through without her. Because of Lori I was able to have a vaginal birth without an epidural in a hospital setting. I firmly believe that if Lori had not been there the midwife would have talked me into a cesarean section.

I thank God for Lori Daley everyday and I consider her to be part of my family. My daughter and I owe so much to her and she will always have a special place in my heart. If I am blessed with more children Lori will be there for those births too. I could never imagine going through pregnancy or birth without her.

The sound of her voice and her beautiful face will help you to feel strong and give you the courage to stick to your goals and have the birth that you want to have.

From the moment we met Lori we knew she'd be a good fit for us.  This was our third (and last) birth and while we prefer giving birth in the hospital, we prefer lower interventions and always tried to go pain med free (but had never been successful in meeting that goal). Aside from our pre-natal visits, Lori kept in touch with us via email throughout the pregnancy and was always available to us. We chatted on the phone several times as well as a variety of issues with our hospital and care providers arose. We ended up switching hospitals and care providers 6 weeks before our birth and Lori was instrumental in talking through this decision and helping us to identify the core issues for us. When I went into labor we communicated throughout the day and she was very responsive to our needs.  I cannot say enough good things about Lori's attentiveness during my labor. She helped with pain management, encouraged me, worked with me to stay home as long as possible before going to the hospital, and assisted my husband in assisting me most effectively. When we arrived to the hospital, Lori continued to encourage me and worked in wonderful tandem with my midwife and the hospital nurses. I can honestly say that without  the support Lori provided, I would not have met my goal of a med free birth. After giving birth, Lori stayed for a long time holding my hand and helping me through some of the afterbirth pains. I cannot imagine having gone through this birth without her and highly recommend her.

I don't think there are enough positive words in the written language to describe how happy I am that I found Delco Doula birth services. As a first-time mother, and self-professed control freak, I had hundreds of doubts, expectations and concerns about my pregnancy.  I originally planned to have a hospital birth with pain medication management. I thought that was how "everybody" did it. Thanks to Lori's extensive knowledge and her dedication to sharing all her many resources, I was able to uncover the many advantages to a natural birth. Through working with her, not only was I reassured that natural birth was the better decision for my baby and I, but I actually ended up looking FORWARD to giving birth despite deciding on a no-pain-medication option. Throughout my pregnancy, she emailed me every week, kept in contact on the latest news and articles she found, and was always a wealth of information.

When it came time for my birth experience, it was nothing short of amazing. Lori was instrumental in keeping me focused on all the right things. Her positive encouragement mixed with a little bit of tough love was the perfect blend to help me get through what ended up being a short but unexpectedly intense labor. She helped me feel empowered and in control, despite the vulnerability a laboring woman often experiences, even fears. She became family to us, so much so we had her cut our daughter's cord.

I would recommend Delco Doula birth services to every woman I know and to any woman who wishes to have the tools, encouragement and care that we deserve as we go through the most important time in our lives. If I am blessed enough to have a second child, I will absolutely call on Lori again to help me through.