Diana Kay, CCE, CD(DONA) Doula Profile

Our goal for the birth of our son was unmedicated labor free from medical intervention.  My fiance and I met Diana through a birth class we were taking with my health care provider.  She told the class she was a doula and explained a little about the role of a doula during labor.  We had heard of doulas before but had limited information until we started doing research on our own.  We made the decision to hire a doula about a month before our due date and Diana was a natural choice after we got to know her through the birthing class.  My finace and I agree that hiring Diana to help us during the birth was a fantastic decision.  Diana helped me to stay focused on the task at hand and stay on top of my contractions as they became more intense.  She gave helpful reminders to my fiance about the coaching techniques we learned in the birthing class so he could be of maximum help during the process, and she made suggestions to family members about how they could best assist me in the labor process.  Finally, while she did not make any medical decisions for me, Diana continually reminded me of our birth plan and the medical decisions we had already made and why.  Diana is very knowledgeable, helpful, professional and personable.  It's clear that she loves helping women and couples have their best birth experience.  She even wrote a story about our birth experience that one day we will get to share with our son!  I would highly recommend Diana's doula services to anyone looking for their best birth experience.

 We hired Diana for the birth of our first son in 2008.  We had such a great experience with her that we hired her again for the birth of our second son which took place almost two weeks ago.  She was a valuable resource and a great measure of comfort to have for both births, which were very different. The first was an induced hospital birth (baby was 2 weeks late) in which I labored naturally as long as possible. (In the end I got an epidural and baby was delivered with some vacuum assistance). The second birth was an all natural birth at Birth Roots birth center with midwives. I was able to labor at home with my husband and Dianna met us at the center when active labor was confirmed. I can't say enough good things about Diana. She is very knowledgable, has lots of experience and has a great sense of humor. It's obvious she loves what she does. If we decide to have another child in the future we will most definitely hire her again!!

In my last month of pregnancy, my husband and I decided that we wanted the extra support of a doula.  I am so glad we did.  With Diana's help, my birth experience was just what I hoped it would be.  Even though we learned and practiced several pain management techniques in our "Birthing From Within" classes, it was not easy to recall much of anything once labor started.  So it was wonderful to have Diana's guidance.  Her pain management tricks and massage really helped get me through my transition phase smoothly.  She was also a support for my husband, helping to keep him calm during the whole process.

Diana's personality/demeanor was exactly what we wanted.  She is personable and chatty, while also a calming and motherly presence. She was a rock solid support for us and I would recommend her labor doula services to anyone.

At first, I was a little hesitant to hire a private doula. After all, the birthing center had their own volunteer doulas.  But it didn't take long to get convinced that this was the right thing to do.  My wife did extensive research, and a few interviews we narrowed it down to two candidates. To be prefectly honest, because of the extensive research that my wife did, I think we would've been perfectly happy with either Diana Kay or Trisha Olow.  We settled on Diana because she had the TENS experience.  But Trisha did placenta encapsulation, so this was a very difficult decision.  Both were equally tops in our book!  Our solution... we got Diana to be our doula but hired Trisha to do placenta encapsulation.  It turns out that Diana and Trisha are good friends and they look out after each other and back each other up if something comes up unexpectedly.  In addition, because my wife's labor was so long -- 30+ hours -- Diana was able to get help from a third doula, Donna Grandi, who was also excellent.  So, I know this review is for Diana, and we are profoundly grateful that we found her, be we would be remiss in not mentioning the other two doulas that helped us. In my opinion, the cost of a great doula is nothing compared to the peace of mind and help that they provide.  Would I recommend Diana? A thousand times yes.  Would I recommend Trisha and Donna?  Equally, a resounding yes!

 I feel so blessed and lucky to have found Diana Kay. We gave her short notice and she went out of her way to make sure we met a few times to prepair us for what was to come. During the labor I couldn't have imagined anything better. She kept my husband and I calm, in our own home environment, and we even went for a nice walk in the sun while I had contractions. She made us feel relaxed and in control. Once we made it to the hospital she didn't allow the doctors and nurses to rush me. We took our time and I had a wonderful experiance. I recommend her to anyone. If you are unsure or on the fence GO FOR IT! Having Diana as your Doula you cannot go wrong. 

Ms. Diana Kay did more than I was expecting.  I would ask her to help me again for my second baby. 

All I can say is ... Thank goodness for Diana ... she was such a big help. We can't imagine going through our labor without her. She made us feel very comfortable throughout labor and delivery. She not only made me feel comfortable, but also gave piece of mind and reassurance to my husband. She is very knowledgeable in comfort techniques to get you through labor and she is always keeping up with new techniques. Most of all, she made me (and my husband) feel confident in all my decisions during labor and delivery. Because of that I was able to stay calm and confident through my labor and delivery.

As this was our first child, and we were alone for the birth, having a third person with us for labor and delivery who is so experienced was the best decision we made. I highly recommend Diana to anyone who is thinking of using a doula.
 

We were so glad that we hired Diana to be our doula for the birth of our daughter. She made us feel comfortable from the very first meeting. She came in prepared and really educated us on the whole process, and how she would be able to assist both my husband and I, before, during & after the birth.

My water broke about 2:30am, and Diana met us at the hospital by the time I was checked in. Even though my labor & delivery went very smooth, as a first time mom, it was so comforting to have Diana explain “sometimes ‘abc’ happens, and this is normal…” or “you might experience ‘xyz’, and you’d have these options…” Her knowledge and calming persona were wonderful (not to mention the massage therapy!), and she really helped me stay at peace and be present in process, when I otherwise might’ve been nervous and tense.

My husband would tell you that he thinks Diana was even more help to him than to me, because she was so great at calming his nerves and telling him how he could get involved and support me during labor. Diana was a God-send for all of us, and she really made the process special, even down to the birth story that she delivered in our post-partum visit. I would definitely recommend her!

Diana was a wonderful doula and we could not have made it through the delivery without her.  She always available via phone or email for questions or concerns leading up to the delivery.  We were unable to labor at home as my wife's water broke, but when our magic day came, she raced to the hospital.  The delivery was long, about 23 hours.  With Diana there, we were able to always have someone that was focused only on my wife's needs available for her.

Afterwards, she created a wonderful birth story that captured the events of the day.  She was professional, helpful, and just a pleasure to be around.

-Ajay

My husband and I hired Diana to be our doula for the birth of our daughter earlier this year. This was one of the best decisions we could have made. Diana was a pleasure to work with and her knowledge, attitude and experience helped make a very difficult birth experience infinitely more bearable. I don't know what we would have done without her and wouldn't hesitate to hire her again.

Choosing Diana to be my doula for my second son's birth was a very easy decision.  She has a very warm, generous, personality, and immediately made me feel at ease.  She spent time with me before the birth, visited with me at my house, met me for a doctor appointment to meet with my Ostetrician, and made herself fully available on the phone and through email to answer questions.

Diana was so helpful and instrumental in helping me have a wonderful, satisfying, natural birth.  She offered such wonderful physical support during labor and was so encouraging emotionally throughout the process.  She had a very gentle touch, awesome massage techniques, and offered her advice when I had questions about what I should do, specifically whether to allow the doctor to rupture the membranes.  Once my baby was born, she stayed with me for about an hour post-partum, helped me get the baby latched on for the first time, and made sure I was okay when my husband left to go and get my oldest son to bring him to the hospital to meet the new baby!

Before the baby was born she was my doula, after the baby she was more my friend, and will always have a special place in my heart as she helped me welcome my baby into the world, and really helped provide me with the best birth experience I could have imagined.

Diana has a natural nurturing quality that makes you feel at ease the minute you meet her.  She has many aids and techniques to help through the delivery process, but the overall sense of comfort you feel as soon as she is in the room is her most valuable asset.  Diana is someone that will become part of your family and be in your and your childs life forever.

Diana is AMAZING!  With her help and support I was able to have the birth that I wanted.  But her support after our son's birth truly makes her even more amazing.  There were a few times I called her and she came right over to give me support that I will always be thankful for.  She is so caring, upbeat, and knowledgable.  I would recommend her to anyone!  LOVE DIANA!

Diana Kay was amazing. My husband and I met her about two months before our first baby girl was due. She made us feel extremly comfortable and relaxed. She really helped us through the entire process before and during our daughters actual birth. I would describe our daughter's actual birth as very peaceful and easy and a wonderful expierence thanks to the help of Diana Kay. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for a positive life expierence. She is also very knowledgable is a variety of styles and an expert in calming and relaxing people.

As first time parents, my husband and I were equally excited and nervous about the birth of our daughter. I had learned about the use of doula's though our childbirth education class offered by our hospital and thought it was a wonderful idea. We found Diana through the Doula's of North America (D.O.N.A.) website and knew the first time we met her that she was the right woman for the job. She was so warm and beyond knowledgable--my husband and I had great faith that she would help us through our delivery and be just the advocate we needed in the delivery room. The night I went into labor I called Diana right away and she met us at the hospital. Contractions came fast and furious and she was right there keeping me (and my husband;-) calm. She was by my side, helping me focus, keeping me motivated and just being the best support system we could have asked for. I truly believe that because of her, my birth experience is one I look back on fondly. After our daughter's birth, she was there to check in on us and became a great friend--something I truly needed in those emotional and exhausting postpartum days. I would absolutely recommend Diana Kay as a doula and my husband and I both agreed that we would have paid triple what we did. It was that worth it!