Fern Compton CD(DONA) AAHCC (Bradley Method®) Doula Profile

Hi :o)  My name is Tonya and I gave birth unmedicated after having TWO previous C-SECTIONS!!! I was hessitant to have a doula there as I am very shy and had lots of friends to support me, but Fern was my Bradley Class instructor and such a sweet person. I heard so many good things about havnig a doula present so I decided if I'm trying for a VBAC it would be worth it to have her there... AND IT WAS! I am telling you right now, that I don't think I could have done it without Fern there. At least, unmedicated ;o)  She encouraged me so much, helped my husband to get involved, and at times when I was losing it she seemed to be the only person I could actually hear. She was always so calm and reassuring. Looking back at the birth, eveyone else seemed like a blur... (I had 7 people and 2 nurses in the room), but I could hear Mark and Fern and it helped more then I can say.  I thought I had labor all planned out. I took my Bradley classes, had been practicing relaxation and doing exercises... but when the time came it was another story. Everything I learned left me and all I could do was try to bare the pain. Fern helped me to relax and reminded me of some of the things we learned in the Bradley Class. She is the one, during the pushing stage, that helped me know how to push. The advice she gave me while I was pushing made a huge difference. I hope she knows how very thankful I am to have had her there.  It meant the world to me. When others said I couldn't do it, she was there... and guess what. I DID IT!!!

We could not have been happier with Fern - she's irreplaceable! We were fortunate in that in addition to being our doula, we also took Fern's Bradley birth class. She is level-headed, knowledgeable, and compassionate.

Due to our daughter being breech our birth experience did not go as planned (we wanted a natural and unmedicated childbirth) and I ended up with a c-section. I did get a little sick of some of the hospital staff questioning why we had a doula if I was having a c-section. I admit the plan was not surgery when we hired Fern, but we never regretted that choice. Even with a c-section Fern was invaluable. Her wealth of knowledge and calming nature made me feel more comfortable with the way my childbirth experience played out. We were lucky that our surgical team did allowed both my husband and Fern in the operating room and the extra calming and familiar person was priceless. After my daughter was delivered and they had my husband leave with her while they stitched me up Fern stayed and kept me sane.

I could go on and on about how wonderful my husband and I both think Fern is. Her experience and vast knowledge is truly invaluable. We're so glad she was able to be part of our birth experience.
 

Fern is a wonderful doula.  She has a calm, relaxing pressence which was exactly what I needed for my birth.  During our prenatal visits, she provided me with lots of useful information.  She was very generous and gave me a birthing ball.  I used this to do some exercises before my birth and I still use it now to get my tummy back in shape.  Fern also was available when ever I needed her.  She came to my home in the middle of the night and kept track of my contractions for me.  At the hospital, Fern was able to assist me in advocating for the type of birth I wanted.  She knew just what to say when I was stressed to calm me down, so everything could go smootly.  Fern also did a good job of warning me ahead of time of some things that might happen since I was going for a VBAC.  For exampe, she explained that most doctors like constant fetal monitoring for VBACs, which allowed me to talk with my doctor ahead of time about this.  She also warned me tha the doctor would check my scar right after birth, which helped me know what to expect so I could stay calm.  After my birth, Fern came to visit me again at my home to check on me.  She met my son, and gave him a large recieving blanket, which has been perfect for swaddling.  If I ever decide to have more children, I plan to have Fern help me through it again. 

I used Fern Compton as my doula for the birth of my second child. I was trying for a drug-free VBAC. My OBs said I was a perfect candidate for a VBAC, but toward the end of my pregnancy they began pushing for a c-section as I had not yet gone into labor by 41 weeks. Fern really helped me in those last couple weeks of pregnancy, both in giving me information about various techniques for helping me to get labor started and to prepare for labor and in discussing how I might make my wishes for waiting to let my body go into labor naturally known to my doctors. In the end I was able to convince my doctors to let me wait until closer to 42 weeks to go into labor on my own. I credit Fern's support during labor for my successful VBAC. After many hours of labor there was a shift change, and the second doctor was not as supportive of my efforts to labor without interventinos. She immediately pushed me to have an epidural and to prepare myself for a c-section. Fern helped me voice my concerns to the doctor and hospital staff, all while holding my hand and helping me get through the pain of my contractions. When the doctor got ready to do an episiotomy against my express wishes, Fern asked me whether I wanted to tear naturally -- both notifying of what was going on and allowing me to vocalize my wishes to the doctor. These are just a couple ways Fern helped me have the birth experience I hoped for. I am forever grateful to her for her support and would recommend her to anyone.

We were planning a natural, Bradley birth in a hospital, so we wanted the help of someone with experience to make things go smoothly.  Undoubtedly, Fern was the compassionate, knowledgeable addition we were looking for.  From the moment we met her, Fern put us at ease, a quality we appreciated in the LDR.  She was professional, kind, and didn't force her biases on us.  At each meeting pre and post birth, she was organized and even thoughtful enough to bring our new baby a gift.  I highly recommend her services.

We couldn't be more pleased with the doula services Fern provided for our family.  She is extremely knowledgable, and has the perfect personality and demeanor for her work.  From the moment we met her, we felt comfortable about having her as our doula, and ultimately she helped us to be confident about pursuing a natural birth for our first child.  She brings a great deal of experience to the table, and her in-depth knowledge of the Bradley Method was something we greatly appreciated.  Throughout our relationship with her, she was always available to give advice and answer questions, and most importantly, she provided reassurance when we needed it.  During labor and delivery, her assistance was priceless in terms of helping us stay focused on meeting our goals, and achieving the birth experience we hoped for.  She's an incredible person, and we are grateful that we got to know her, and that she was with us for our son's birth.         

My experience with Fern was as good as it could possibly have been. When we were in the delivery room she was very patient and soothing, and she was very good at explaining to me the purpose of the different machines in the room and how the monitoring system worked. She also gave me step-by-step guidance through each varying stage of labor, including tips and tricks on how to progress the process so that you can have as short a labor period as possible, and she was very tactful in helping me stick to my original birth plan. She's had seven kids each birth was done naturally, so she knows what you're going through and what she's talking about but doesn't force her opinions on anything. I felt that if I wanted to change my mind and get an epidural that she'd support me all the way, no matter what. Her goal is to make you feel as safe and in control as possible. She is so supportive and so open hearted to anything you need. She can help you make decisions before hand that are best for you and that can help minimize pain. She is purely amazing and by following her advice I know without a doubt that my time spent in active labor was cut in half, and my healing process was too. She even stayed well past the delivery to help me breast feed my baby and taught me how to get him to latch. She went above and beyond, thank you, Fern!