Stephanie Neunuebel Doula Profile

We had a successful unmedicated VBAC on 3/30/2012 with Stephanie's help and couldn't have done it without her!  We highly recommend her!!!  

In the beginning we were unsure about whether or not we needed a doula and found Stephanie when we were in our last trimester.  She was very helpful in teaching me exercises to do to get my body ready for labor and try to avoid another c-section. She was wonderful about really listening to us and easing our fears and concerns about labor, the birth, and breastfeeding.  She helped us prepare for the type of birth we wanted and then helped us achieve it. Having Stephanie with us while we labored in the hospital was invaluable. She helped keep me focused on listening to my body and helping me breathe through contractions and teaching me how to moan through them in the very end when I didn't think I could do it.  She encouraged my husband and helped show him how to support/assist me as I labored.  She even fed me ice chips!  She prayed with us and for us and I felt truly cared for and trusted her completely to have our best interest at heart.  I think having that kind of support made all the difference in being able to birth my 8lb, 10 oz baby boy naturally.  If we had not had doula Stephanie with us during this VBAC attempt there is no doubt in our minds that we would have ended up with another csection because we would not have known how to distinguish between what is necessary and what is not and would have accepted unnecessary medical interventions.  My husband and I are still so amazed by how wonderful this entire birth experience was.  We wish we had found Stephanie during our first pregnancy.  Her passion for the work she does is very apparent.  We feel truly blessed to have had her with us as we welcomed our baby boy and look forward to having her with us when we get ready to welcome our next bundle of joy.

 I was so worried about having my third child away from family and friends as we recently moved from new Hampshire to the Houston area. I was so happy to find Stephanie. She immediately put me at ease and made me less stressed about impending labor/ delivery. When the time finally came to deliver, I can't say enough about her support throughout the whole process. She seemed to know exactly what I needed during each phase of labor and advocated for me in a caring gentle way. Without her fantastic coaching, I don't know if I could have made it through an all-natural birth! I recommend her enthusiastically!

 This was my third pregnancy, and I wanted to labor naturally. Stephanie was great. My water broke at 41 weeks but I was still not having contractions. Stephanie gave advice on how to get my contractions going. She listened to my needs and how I like to relax during labor. My husband was involved throughout labor. At the end of labor and throughout pushing, when I thought I couldn't do it, she helped me focus and deliver a beautiful baby.

-N.

Stephanie was recommended by our midwives and we hired her as our doula when I was about 32 weeks pregnant. She was a huge help throughout my last week of pregnancy. I was already a week past due and she researched and contacted several other doulas for ideas on how to get my labor started. She stayed in touch with me and let me know that she really cared and was looking out for me and my unborn child. During labor she was very attentive and gave me ways to cope with the pain by helping me relax. She was a good listener and worked with me throughout labor to keep my spirits up and get the baby out safely. After labor she tended to my needs while everyone else ohhed and awwed over the baby. Stephanie also contacted me days after delivery to make sure all was going well.

I had a wonderful birth experience and I feel that Stephanie’s hard work is a lot of the reason things went so well.

Stephanie is a natural! She was an amazing support system on the day of our delivery (and leading up to it), especially as first time parents to-be. She was there to offer her ideas, knowledge, skills and support. She was great at being a calm, attentive presence. We felt comfortable sharing our son's birth with her and are so glad she was there to help us through every moment! My husband raved for weeks after the birth about how wonderful she was and how glad he was that she was there!