Kelly Sunshine Doula Profile

I had the amazing honor of being Kelly Sunshine's first official doula patient. I wasn't sure I needed a doula since I had 2 other children and have always had perfect, smooth deliveries. I had no idea how much of a blessing she would end up being! I felt more encouraged, bolder about my delivery than I had with my first two. I had had an epidural with each, but this time, having someone there with us the entire time, cheering us on & giving us valuable insight to positions, techniques, offering massages, having soft music playing, etc I felt confident that I could deliver my son without medication. Prior to the delivery Kelly was so attentive. She called often to see how I was doing. Once in labor she labored at home with me, and then followed me to my midwife's office. Once in labor at the hospital I struggled with waves of nausea, and she had something for that. I ended up needing Pitocin. Kelly suggested once I was on Pitocin to get up and move to the potty, use the ball, and then slow dance with my husband. I am convinced that because Kelly had me get up and move, my labor went from a 4cm to complete in 1 hour! It was at this point that Kelly was so invaluable! She was encouraging my husband, helping him stay calm and focus while his wife was in so much pain. I will never forget a moment when Kelly climbed up and got right in my face. She calmly, but firmly, told me I had to breathe for my baby. Together, we breathed through the last contractions and out came Liam! My midwife placed him immediately on my chest and Kelly helped wipe him up. It was the most amazing experience of my life! I know that I would not have had the fortitude, or the courage to have an unmediated PITOCIN delivery without Kelly’s help! Even my husband agrees! The strength that we both were able to channel, because of Kelly's encouragement and cheerleading is absolutely invaluable and we will calling be her the minute we find out we are expecting again!

Kelly is amazing!!! I felt completely supported, loved and guided by Kelly when I had the privilege of her assistance in birthing my son, Zech. She was actually my Duala’s back up so the night I went into labor was the second time I had met her. I was a little nervous when I had to call her, but that was the last of my worries. As soon as she came over those fears were gone. She was so easy to talk to and we had a lot in common so talking with her really helped pass the time…all 22 hours:/ She did an amazing job helping me and my husband with different techniques to help me through the pain non medicated. My faith is very important to me and being able to talk about my Awesome God with her really helped me feel as comfortable as I could during that time. She is a very strong and loving woman who absolutely loves being a Duala. I would recommend her to anyone!!!!

Kelly was truly awesome, I was completely scared and almost caved and started to ask for pain killers but Kelly walked me through my labor and was so kind and gentle that the 3 1/2 hours I was in labor went by so fast. I am so happy that Kelly was brought into my life and that she was there when my daughter came into the world. I totally agree with my mom Kelly is family now and always will be because you cannot go through something as beautiful as giving birth without the aid of a good Doula. Kelly is tops in my book and if I ever have another baby I want her there right by my side again. 

 My husband and I met Kelly for the first time when I was in labor! Our orginial doula was already helping another couple in labor, so she sent Kelly our way. I'll admit I was a bit unsure about going through labor with a doula I had never met. Imagine my relief when Kelly greeted me with a big smile and a sweet personality! I was immediately relieved and put at ease. My husband and I had taken the Bradley method classes, so my husband already had some training on how to help me during contractions. Kelly fully supported both my husband and I, and worked with us - never "getting in the way" of my husband assisting me. Kelly had many ideas and techniques to ease my labor pains, including applying counterpressure on my lower back and pouring cupfuls of water over my belly when I was laboring in the bathtub. She was so nice, polite, respectful, patient and knowledgeable! My hubby and I had a great time chatting with her - during the early part of my labor when I could actually talk, haha! I think Kelly did a fabulous job the entire way through my labor and birth. We were very lucky that she could attend our birth at such short notice, and would happily recommend her!

She was really nice! She got to the hospital at the same time i did and i was only getting induced that night. She took alot of puctures of various things like i wanted & she was really helpful during the natural part of my labor like the breathing through contractions and helping relieve pain in my feet and back! She was jus as helpful adter i got my epidural it was just more important before with all the pain. She would crack jokes every once in a while and make me laugh or smile when i wasnt feeling good. She only left once, overnight on the 2nd day i was there because i wasnt progressing but told me if anything starts happening give her a call and shell be there ASAP! She came early in the morning around 8ish but of course i was already awake an having some light contractions. Then when it came to pushing she was telling me everything going on since i couldnt feel or see it! She even offered to takes pictures of her head coming out and told me to feel her hair it was really neat. She held my leg during pushing an counted out for me which was helpful so i didnt strain too much. Then after once it was time for me to go home she came about a week later with a disk of all the pictures she took through those 3 days i thought it was nice and ill keep forever! Overall i really liked her, her company and definetly her help with everything i needed! RECOMMEND! :)

I love Kelly! We called her around seven in the morning when I first started my contractions and she was here in a flash. She advised me to labor at home for as long as we could and that was a great idea! I labored for seven hours at home before we went to the hospital and I labored for six more hours there. It was wonderful to have someone with me at home who knew what to expect and what to do and who could reassure me when anything changed and who could help me get through every contraction. It is WAY better to labor at home (as long as you have a doula) than to labor at the hospital! I even labored in the tub for a while!

She brought a medicine ball with her that I would sit on during the contractions and she would squeeze my hips and push on my back to give counter pressure when it got really bad, it did wonders to alleviate some of the pain. She did that for almost every contraction for 13 hours!

She is a very kind woman and we instantly made a connection when I met with her. She was really great about our birth plan. She knew that we didn't want to induce labor or have a c-section or have an epidural and that we didn't want vaccination for the baby when he was born and she was really great about making sure they got a nurse for me that was cool with that.

She really knows her stuff! I was 19 years old when I had baby William and I weighed 100 pounds before I got pregnant. I was really small suffice it to say and yet she was able to help me get through it without an epidural or any pain medication or anything!

I'm really grateful to her for all her help.

My experience with Kelly was absolutely wonderful! She arrived shortly after my labor started and as soon as she got there she knew exactly what to do.  A minute didn't even pass and she had me up and walking around to help me stay focused and relaxed.  While I was walking around I did have some contractions and when I did she told me to support myself by the wall and she rocked my hips back and forth and massaged my lower back which helped the baby drop.  She also got me to spend some time in the bath tub which minimized the pain a lot!  She helped me the most with the breathing and staying on top of the pain. I avoided many tears with her help on how to manage this pain.  Without the help from Kelly i would have been freaking out though my labor pains so am very thankful that she was there and she knew what she was doing! During the pushing stage she held my hand the whole time and kept talking me through it to reassure me that everything was going great. She always had positive and encouraging things to say which helped me realize that I could do it.  I successfully gave birth all natural thanks to Kelly since she helped me stay focused on my goal to stay away from any pain medications.  I do feel that if I made the choice to get any type of pain medication she would have supported me.  Overall, my experience was great.  She kept in contact with me and my mom to see how I am doing and to see how the baby is doing as well.

Kelly was my doula’s apprentice whom I met at my birthing class. From the moment I met Kelly, I connected with her. There is something special about Kelly. She is genuine, sweet, caring and funny (believe me, you need funny). By the end of my birthing class, I mentioned that I would liked her to be my back-up doula if for whatever reason my main doula couldn’t make it. Well, I was blessed to have Kelly be a part of my labor and she was amazing!!! Besides having all the perfect qualities to support me through my labor, she also has an amazing touch. I had more of a back labor (I would call it a “hip labor”), so every time I would get a contraction, I felt that my hips would come apart. Kelly would help ease the pain at “every” contraction. She was there every step of the way, always by my side. She even had the driving skills to get me to my birthing destination fast (major bonus)! Even though I had a long labor and ended up having an emergency c-section, Kelly was always there by my side giving me words of encouragement and the necessary support that I needed during my labor. I will be forever grateful to Kelly. She is in the right field as I see the gift she has as a doula, helping and ecouraging women get through one of the most intense experience a woman can go through.