Martha Testerman Doula Profile

I don't even know where to begin! Martha is our HERO!! We decided to hire a doula because the experience we had with our firstborn was very difficult. We did lots of research when we found we were pregnant with our second. We decided to look into hiring a doula. We are so glad we did! From the moment we met her, Martha was a peace-giving, calming influence. We told her our previous experience and she encouraged us that this next pregnancy did not have to go that way. Talk about a wealth of information! She taught us everything we needed to know. That's one of my favorite parts of having her. She didn't tell us what to do; she educated us so that we would have the tools to labor well. She was not pushy or opinionated. When it was finally time to deliver our sweet Sam, I felt ready. I was not scared in the least. Martha and my husband were by my side coahcing and cheering me on. Any questions my husband and I had, she answered. She anticipated my needs and showed my husband different ways to help me coach. I LOVE that Martha wanted my husband to be right there on the front lines with me. He felt capable and coached me so well, thanks to her wisdom. She was very kind to the doctors and nurses. She kept a journal of my entire pregnancy since she had met me! When we met with her a week after Sam was born she handed us a folder with our story in it. She had written down details that we had forgotten and the timeline of the days leading up to the birth day. I still cry when I read through those pages (which is often). If we have the honor of getting pregnant again I sure hope she will be by our side! We hired a doula thinking that she would help us a little here and there. That doesn't even scratch the surface of what Martha did for us. I am honored to know her and call her my friend. And honestly, she seems more like family. 

It's really difficult to put into words just how crucial Martha's guidance was for us to have the birthing experience we wanted.  She really helped us to craft a plan that matched our desires, not some preconcieved idea.  We wanted a natural birth and Martha's experience dealing with the medical staff helped us to make sure that happened even when it looked like it might not.  If it weren't for her, there's no doubt that our experience would have been different than what we wanted.  Her expertise know no bounds and she always has one more thing to try when the going gets tough (although we almost pushed her to her limits!).  She knows exactly when to step forward and when to fade into the background, never forgetting that it is the family's moment.  Simply put, she's the best. 

I used to be a person who never thought of natural child birth as an option. I thought an epidural was the only way to go, and why not? That's all we typically see in the media. Once I did some research and decided to pursue a natural birth, the first thing I told my husband was that we needed Martha on our team. She was already a trusted friend, so I knew her calming presence and spiritual outlook (not to mention her birth expertise!) would be valuable as we proceeded through the uncharted waters of birthing baby #1. Her childbirth classes further convinced me that my body was designed to make this happen without unnecessary medical interventions. Those classes were so informative and encouraging, they really helped both Taylor & I feel prepared for what was to come. Little did we know that my labor would be 18-hours long with contractions no more than 2 minutes apart, plus back labor due to baby's posterior position! In the moments when I wasn't sure I could go on much longer, Martha helped me remember that I was strong, that baby was working with me to be born, and that there was an actual end to labor! She wasn't a "third wheel" in the room, but rather an extra set of hands so that Taylor could be right there with me the whole time. Martha massaged my legs, got hot packs for my back, ran warm water over my sides and back when I got a cramp... and those were the small things. Start to finish, both before and after Eli's birth, Martha was an invaluable resource and I'm privilaged to call her a friend. I joke that there's no way we could labor without her, I would fly her to Europe to have her on my birth team! In reality though, she not only was a resource for baby #1, but she has given us a massive selection of "tools" to help us navigate through baby #2 even if we're too far away to have her physically there. Martha is worth her weight in gold as a doula, we highly recommend her to anyone pursuing a natural labor!

From the first time I called Martha to many days after delivery, Martha was always there for me and my family.  We have a special bond because we are both part of the Air Force family (her hubby is active duty and so is my husband and I). Martha was always there to listen or to give fresh ideas when the AF was against my homebirth.  We talked frequently over the phone, she was always available and did some home visits before the Big Day.  She made sure to let us watch some videos she had and read some good material about natural birth, and had some great visual aids on the pelvis and how baby moves through...she is a very thorough teacher.  My husband wanted to be an active part of the birth so Martha helped him boost his confidence in helping me out in any way he could and she would be a second set of hands alongside him.  It was a great birth-day, when it finally arrived 2 weeks overdue, and this was baby #2! (You bet I was calling Martha a lot).  Martha knew just what to say and was very attentive, she knew when I was tensing up and not focusing my energy on getting through the contractions.  I would clench my hands or wrinkle my face and Martha would remind me that it wasn't effective and to relax.  It was like she knew what I was going to do before I did it, and she was always kind and gentle and great at helping me be more effective with the use of my energy.  She was also a great birth photographer and I have many cherished memories through the photos she took (I wish she was in more of them though HAHA!)  If I was going to have another baby, I'd make sure I had Martha on speakerphone during my labor (she is now in New England, and I'm in TX) because I couldn't imagine not having her on my birth team.  She really helped make my entire birth experience the birth that I wanted.  Thank you to Martha and to everyone who trusts that a woman's body is birth-wise.

Martha is simply amazing.  She is kind, gentle, and knows her stuff!  I knew once labor kicked in that I would be in great hands.  She allowed my husband and I to make all decisions and also gave us the freedom to work together.  Because of her, we both discovered so much more about what we could accomplish as a couple.  She comes to the birth with such a calming presence and made the experience peaceful.  She also took the time before the birth to get to know both of us was able to watch our emotional cues and also knew what would help motivate me.  I actually looked forward to getting to the hospital because I knew she would be there, even though I knew the toughest part was up ahead!  The birth was perfect and I have no one else to thank but Martha.  I wish I could use her over and over again!  thank you Martha for being so awesome!

We had a great experience with Martha as our doula. She respected our feelings as to how we would like our birth to go and did not push any of her ideas or ideals upon us. She was available 24 hours a day to chat, visit, or to answer any questions we had. She was extremely supportive of all of our goals and helped us make good decisions in advance. When I went into labor, Martha arrived within 30 minutes of our call. She helped me labor at home as long as I wanted to and was ready to move to the hospital immediately as soon as I was convinced it was time. She advocated for me with the nurses at the hospital and even took pictures of my baby being born. She was available by phone when my hospital stay was extended and offered to visit again. When we did get home, she brought over a meal. She wrote a phenomenal birth story to help us accurately remember our baby's birth. Throughout the whole process, I felt I could count on Martha, and as a military mom without extended family nearby, her services were invaluable to me.