Leila Ballard Doula Profile

I was very pleased to have Leila Ballard as our doula for the recent birth of my son.  I found her very knowledgeable and helpful.  She is a very calming presence and helped me to remain relaxed and calm through my labor and delivery. All her years of experience helped me to really trust in the information that she imparted.  

Leila worked with us on pain management techniques, position changes and massage during my labor.  I don't think I would have been able to not ask for an epidural without her assistance and support.  I found her to be an invaluable asset during this birth.  I wish I had known her for my prior birth, which was a totally different experience.  

I would not hesitate to recommend her to my expecting friends and have on several occasions.  I plan to ask her to work with us again during our next pregnancy and birth.  

Leila was an amazing doula.  I met with her when I was about 24 weeks pregnant, and I immediately felt at ease with her extensive knowledge from being a labor and delivery nurse for 15 years.  She was able to answer questions I had about standard hospital procedures surrounding the birthing process, and was supportive when I told her that I wasn't sure if I would be having a natural birth or getting an epidural. 

After our initial meeting I decided to hire her, and she took a very active role in the rest of my pregnancy.  I had a few complications with the baby, and she called several times every month to check and see how everything was going.  When I was about 31 weeks pregnant she came over to help my husband and me go over some lamaze techniques and to put the finishing touches on my birth plan.

I ended up having to be induced at 39 weeks, but Leila met us at the hospital early in the morning, right as they started the induction.   I had a very long and slow labor, and once the contractions got strong I started having intense back labor.  I was not dilating very quickly, and making it to 5 cm without an epidural was beginning to seem impossible.  Luckily for me Leila was supportive, giving me massages, directing me to different positions on the birthing ball, using a heating pad, and giving me positive reinforcement.  Without her I don't think I would have made it that far before getting the epidural. 

The baby was born early in the morning, and Leila stayed for an hour after the birth, helping me get the baby to latch on so I could nurse him right away.  Once I was released from the hospital she came by to check on the baby and me, to see how we were doing and to answer any questions I still had.  Even though I didn't have a natural birth, Leila was an indispensable part of my birthing process, and a great advocate for my birth plan.