Talon Sauder

3/1/2024

We hired Charity to help us with the birth of our first child and it was one of the best decisions we made! We were very nervous and anxious about the entire experience which meant we needed a knowledgeable and steady influence to walk this journey with us. Charity was the perfect person for this role! Her meetings with us pre birth really helped answer questions and calm our nerves. My wife’s water broke about 34 hours before our son was born and at that point she was not having contractions or showing any signs of labor starting. We really wanted to avoid an induction and Charity was very helpful and supportive of that decision and helped my wife with exercises, positions etc to try and get labor going. About 20 hours later labor had finally kicked in and she was able to deliver naturally without induction or an epidural. I really believe without Charity's help we would have ended up with a totally different experience than we desired. Would strongly recommend having her help with any birth and especially if you’re worried or nervous!

Brendan

12/17/2023

Charity served as our doula during the birth of our first child. Despite having attended hospital childbirth classes, read numerous books, and participated in hypnobirth sessions with friends, Charity brought a fresh perspective and valuable insights. Her guidance allowed us to focus on crucial aspects during the moments, and I believe the birth wouldn't have been as smooth without her support. At the hospital, she was an excellent advocate for both my wife and me and her demeanor was calming. I can't envision navigating the process without her by our side.

Mandy H

12/12/2023

Asking Charity to serve as my doula was the best decision I made while pregnant. I cannot imagine having my baby without her. She helped ensure that the birth was a positive experience for me as well as for my husband. Charity is a professional who really knows her stuff. She was a wonderful resource throughout my pregnancy. She helped me craft a birth plan that reflected my desires. During the birth, she did an extraordinary job of helping me advocate for myself and think through my options in light of changing circumstances. Throughout the process, Charity was a calming presence. Most impressive was her ability to anticipate my needs as I moved through the stages of birth. Such skill reflects Charity’s deep experience and natural gifts as a doula. I’m so glad I hired her!

Bree Muehlbauer

9/17/2023

Charity was a wonderful and needed part of our birth experience. From the beginning she made it clear that she was there to support both myself and my partner through the birth of our baby and after. She made sure to understand what I was hoping to get out of the experience and thoughtfully guided me to identify and articulate my birth preferences. She was calm, never judgemental, and kind. We don't have family in the area, and I knew I wanted another voice in the room, helping me advocate for my needs and goals. Ultimately my birth experience was everything I wanted it to be. I highly, highly recommend everyone hire a doula, especially first time parents. Charity has been in many more births and can help dispel some of the mystery and fear so you can approach the experience with peace and joy as much as possible.

Tess

7/17/2023

We really appreciated having Charity involved with the birth of our third child. This was our first experience with a doula and it went really well. Overall it was just super nice to have someone to talk everything through with; before, during, and after labor. Between several pre-existing anxieties and concerns and several challenges/unexpected events that came up before, during, and after labor, we had lots of communication and discussion with Charity at all stages. We so appreciated her experience and suggestions and how she helped bring mental/emotional stability. The birth of our baby was beautiful and many thanks to Charity for being instrumental in that!!

Kayla

4/11/2023

Charity is an excellent doula! I am a first time mom and had fears and an overall negative outlook about giving birth. During our first time meeting Charity, she emphasized how she has a really positive/beautiful view of birth (from her personal and professional experiences!), which is what I needed! Throughout all of our interactions (both during pregnancy and postpartum), Charity stayed true to her positive mentality, something I am so thankful for. Charity met with us before our son was born to understand our “ideal” birth and then provided great education and answered our questions. Our son was born 3 weeks early and Charity was fully available to spend the night at the hospital with us while I labored. She talked me through options for pain management and I felt empowered throughout!! I’m so thankful she was there to support me and my husband also. During the postpartum period, Charity was so supportive, with regular check ins. I felt genuinely cared for!

From my husbands perspective: We had a great experience with Charity. I especially appreciated having someone there who I could trust to be with my wife if I needed to step out of the room or go stand with our newborn son by the warmer as they gave him oxygen after delivery. She was very helpful throughout the birth. 

Emilie Davies

3/3/2023

Charity was very calm, knowledgeable, and felt like family in the delivery room. We were having our 4th child when we hired Charity. I didn't think I needed a doula since I had been through labor 3 times, but we are glad we had her! It was nice to have someone in the delivery room reminding me of what I should be doing, cheering me on and helping me even when I didn't know what I wanted/needed. Charity stepped right in and it felt natural to have her there with us. We are done having children, but if we weren't, we would hire her again!

Emily & Vance Schumacher

11/28/2022

We decided to hire a birth doula after our first labor and delivery was not as positive of an experience as we wanted. In a way, it felt like the second time around was completely new and Charity helped us navigate everything with fresh eyes. Our goal and ideal delivery was an unmedicated hospital birth and Charity helped make that possible. She listened to our wishes and helped us create a clear understanding of our ideal birth so that we could create a plan for labor. She gave us resources to create our birth plan and resources for exercises to prepare for labor and laboring positions. During our actual labor and delivery, Charity was a calming presence that helped us stay clear headed and positive.

From a husband, or birth partners, perspective, Charity was very easy to work with. She made sure he was comfotable and he was able to suuport me in the way I needed.

Overall, a fantastic second birth experience with the help and support of Charity!

Aaron Herrmann

11/4/2022

We hired Charity with our first and I am so grateful we did! Early on, she helped us work through a birthplan and decisions that we may have to make. She addressed many of my wives worries and fears before and during labor. I was impressed by her knowledge and soft skills. From a husband's perspective, it was relieving to have extra support for my wife during labor (especially with our first child). She stayed around after our baby was born and everyone had left to talk through how things went and our immediate questions. At a hospital, there is a lot medical help but Charity provided the emotional and mental help my wife and myself needed. I would recommend her to anyone! 

Samantha Herrmann

10/31/2022

Having Charity as part of our pregnancy and birth experience was one of the best decisions we made! We were hesitant at first about hiring a doula and whether it would be worth it, but it absolutely was! Charity answered so many questions and helped us prepare to have the best birth experience. She worked through different fears and concerns I had, validating my feelings and reassuring me that I could do it. It was so helpful for me to have her there for that support, knowing it would always be positive and constructive. She came over twice to do different positions with me to help our baby get in an optimal position. She took the time to work with me and encourage me in the decisions we had to make.

It was relieving to know that she was there for Aaron and I, as first time parents who didn’t know entirely what to expect. We had learned and prepared a lot for birth, but having a doula took the pressure off of us to remember everything, especially during the hardest parts of labor. During labor, she was there to encourage me when I didn’t feel like doing it anymore. Charity was with us for a few hours after birth, talking to us about how it went and sharing in our joy. She was able to take some first moment pictures  for us too, and those are photos I cherish. We are so thankful she was there, and I would recommend her to anyone! 

Rachael Kilby

8/7/2022

When my husband and I found out we were unexpectedly pregnant, we began to do tons of research as we had no idea what to expect! After lots of education about the birthing process and reflecting on my own past heathcare experiences, I knew I wanted to have our baby as natural as possible. We learned about doulas and that doula support during a labor can help decrease the odds of a c-section or complications in labor. We started to research local doulas and found Charity's profile. After reading so many postive testimonies we decided to reach out, and absolutely loved Charity and her kind, calm, and reassuring personality. Part of Charity's doula fee is meeting with her patients and their support persons in the weeks leading up to the due date. Charity got to know us, our personalities, and our desires for the birthing process. She went over in detail many strategies for pain management and tools to practice to help optimize baby's position for delivery. We learned so much from Charity during those sessions! When the time came, our baby girl decided she would make a fast and furious entrance into the world that we did not expect! Because of Charlotte's fast delivery, we were unable to alert Charity in time for her to be present for the entire laboring process. Even still, Chrisitian and I were able to implement so many of the pain relieving techniques we learned from Charity and were prepared to tackle labor together as a team. When Charity was present with us, she did an amazing job making sure I had a fan on me, a cool rag on my forehead, and took priceless photos of the first few moments after Charlotte was delivered. Our birth story is so beautiful to me because of how comfortable, supported, and respected I felt. I felt so empowered by the delivery and I know so much of that is because of Charity! We cannot recommend her enough to any expectant families. Thank you Charity! We will definitely be reaching out to Charity if our family continues to grow :)

Christian Kilby

8/3/2022

Charity was awesome! As first-time parents we were very anxious about the birth and pretty much every aspect leading up to it. Charity was an essential resource in providing us confidence, knowledge, and all-around support about the birth. She gave great direction on how I, the father, could encourage and support my wife throughout the whole process.

LaKeisha Faggett

2/18/2022

My husband and I worked with Charity as our Doula for the birth of our son (late 2021). From the beginning, Charity showed concern in learning our needs for our birthing experience. I feel that she catered her approach based on our needs and shared great insights. She offered two prenatal visits, which really helped us learn more about what to expect during birth, but also questions to ask my midwife leading up to the delivery. She shared a lot of podcasts and books to read to learn more about a natural birth, but was not overwhelming with details. Having Charity as our Doula made our labor and delivery process more peaceful because we had another advocate. When there were questions and decisions needed for the hospital staff, we were able to ask Charity her thoughts. And she worked well with my husband to support him during L&D and allow for him to take breaks. I could not have had the best experience without having a doula and would recommend Charity to other expectant moms. My midwife team even shared how impressed they were in Charity's style and ability to support during childbirth.

Lynelle Herrmann

1/4/2022

We had a wonderful experience with Charity as our Doula! I was so thankful for her variety of personal birth experiences. I felt very mentally secure with her presence at my birth. I truly could not have done it without her. Thank you for helping me achieve my successful VBA2C, Charity!! 

Liz R.

12/1/2021

(First time parents)

I was interested in Charity for her experiences working with teen Moms. Knowing that our Doula was committing time to ensuring teens received the best emotional support and education during pregnancy and birth was a Doula I wanted to support. 

I felt very comfortable with Charity. She was patient and interested in getting to know us. She was also very open about her experiences as a Doula and a mother. I appreciated her personal experiences as a mother. I knew regardless of how our birth proceeded, she would have knowledge and experience based on delivery vaginally, by c-section and VBAC. 

Following an interview via zoom, I felt very comfortable in our preparation with two in-person meetings during pregnancy. Charity was very honest with us about how we should resource her and how labor may progress according to our wishes and the likelihood that it would not play out exactly how we envisioned. 

When I went into labor, we knew we could call Charity whenever we needed. She joined us at the Birth Center after 5 hours of labor at home following a membrane sweep. I experienced back labor throughout my 13 hours of labor. The relentless nature of contractions made it difficult to stay relaxed. Charity was very helpful in re-directing my attention if I started to loose control and tense up. Charity also showed my husband and sister-in-law how to apply pressure to my back to relieve sensation of labor. 

During the pushing stage, Charity was very helpful in reminding me how to push and offered lots of encouragement to help me get to the arrival of our baby!

Following birth, Charity checked in via text message many times and offered feedback based on our status. About a week postpartum we chatted via Zoom to review the birth. Charity's document recapping the birth was very helpful. I felt very positive about the birth experience and the support Charity provided. Thank you!

Colleen Veitengruber

8/27/2021

I am so glad we chose Charity to be our doula! This was my third birth and I was really wanting to end on a positive note. I felt hiring a doula would be the perfect way to ensure a more enjoyable experience. She put my mind at ease about wanting to take a more natural approach to my labor, and assured my husband and I that she would be there to help us along the way through her knowledge and experience.

I was scheduled for induction, but even in the weeks leading up to it, Charity was available to answer any of my questions and ease my fears and anxieties. On the morning of my induction, Charity met us at the hospital and jumped right in! She walked with me and encouraged me to get moving to help my body progress, and when I wasn’t progressing, she helped discuss the options I had on how best to move forward. Charity was an extremely caring listener, and helped me make informed decisions. Once my water finally broke, I was able to labor in the tub at the hospital. Charity helped guide my husband to comfort me through contractions when they started getting more intense. She listened to how I was feeling and suggested different positions to help make me as comfortable as possible. After pushing for hours, with Charity and my husband by my side, the baby wasn’t progressing. We tried pushing in different positions, but a c-section was necessary. Charity was able to attend the c-section with my husband and I, and stayed with us for a little bit after the surgery, too.

If it wasn’t for Charity, there’s no way I could have made it to the pushing stage without pain medication. She was so encouraging and calm. Even though we ended up needing a c-section, I am very happy with the way my labor/induction went leading up to it. Charity made the entire process so much more peaceful and enjoyable - just what I was looking for with my last labor and delivery. Every mother deserves to have someone like Charity at their birth with them!

Ashly & Benjamin

5/19/2021

Charity was amazing to work with during our pregnancy and birth. She was very easy to talk to and knowledgeable about everything. She was very prompt in responding to any concerns I had during the pregnancy. During labor I had stalled at 5-10 min between contractions for a couple of days and she came over and helped me do different things to help reposition our baby and get labor going again. Within an hour or two of her leaving us to work on things we called in our labor team as contractions were on top of each other. I am certain that without her help we would have been stalled for a lot longer. During labor she was amazing in coaching my husband to help me. She was very open to do whatever we wanted and was a great support person during the pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.

As the father I had been some what apprehensive about potentially being sidelined in the process as the ladies did their thing, however Charity was great at taking time to address my concerns during the pregnancy as well as making sure that I was able to help my wife during labor. The whole pregnancy and delivery exceeding my hopes for how much of a blessing the whole process would be.

Kate Morthland

5/12/2021

If you are looking for a mentor, an emotional support system, and a friend, look no further!  

My husband and I were pregnant with our first and started searching for a doula as a part of our birth team.  For us, it was important to have someone with us during our birth that would be able to remind us of our options and remind both my husband and I to advocate for ourselves during the birthing process.  As a momma who birthed in a pandemic, it was easy to feel like everything was out of my control.  Charity assured me that even in a pandemic, I could have control of my birthing experience.  She was essential to my positive birth and if we have more children in the future she will be one of my first calls! 

Charity also knew the importance of my husband's experience as well!  Prior to the birth she integrated all of our calls, skills to learn, and conversations with the birthing partner's perspective.  This allowed my husband to have the tools to take care of me emotionally and physically.  Charity valued my husband's feelings just as much as my own, which made us feel more empowered as a team going through the experience.  Charity held my hand (and my husband's hand) through one of the most important moments of our lives.  I do not speak lightly when I say that I am beyond grateful for her support, comfort, and empowerment she gave to us.  Birth can be scary because of all of the unknowns, especially if it is your first child.  Charity was a calm and reassuring steadiness in a time where the world was so uncertain.  We were more than clients to her.  She was more than a doula to us.    

We could not have had a better addition to our birth team than Charity Jeffs.  We are forever grateful for her services.  

Levi Roberts

1/16/2021

Charity was our Doula for the home birth of our twins. It was a great experience and definitely worth the extra cost for our situation. Having Charity there to provide counsel and guidance was a great help. The midwife's focus is on the babies and the birth process. Charity was able to help with the comfort aspects. She did not interfere or replace me but truly helped me to provide the needed support and be able to be there for my wife. She greatly reduced my stress level during the birth. 

Grace

11/24/2020

We had a wonderful experience working with Charity. Both because of COVID and my delivery, we ended up needing a different type of support than we had originally planned, and she was incredibly flexible and accomodating throughout. My baby was breech, so I had a number of decisions to make as my due date approached regarding delivery. Charity helped me think through the options, served as a sounding board, and shared evidence regarding those options with me. I decided to have an ECV and induction with an epidural (originally, I had been hoping for a natural birth in hospital). Because of COVID and what we knew would be a slow delivery, we had Charity support us virtually following the induction and through the delivery. She helped with suggestions on changing positions and resting throughout labor, and was a consistent voice of encouragement through a long (26 hours!) labor, with 6 hours of pushing. In the end, we managed a vaginal delivery of our baby girl and I'm so happy with the experience I had. I would certainly recommend Charity's support. 

sarah byers

3/30/2020

I had a somewhat traumatic birth experience with our first baby that ended in a c-section, so as soon as we found out we were pregnant with our second I knew I wanted to try for a VBAC and I knew I needed support. My OB was not overly enthusiastic about me trying for a VBAC, but they said I could and they also gave me Charity’s card when I asked about a doula. We set up a meeting with Charity and as soon as I met her I knew she was the person I wanted there with us through labor and delivery. She was so professional and her calm demeanor and knowledge about bringing a baby into the world put me at ease. Over the next couple of months before baby arrived we had several meetings to talk out anxieties and hopes for the upcoming birth. She helped us put together a birth plan and we talked through a plethora of pain management and birthing tools. She was always very optimistic and 100% supportive of my desire to try for a VBAC, which meant the world to me. It gave me so much confidence going into labor knowing I had a plan and tools but most of all having her to help us. When the day came Charity met us at the hospital and she was there with us every step of the way. She helped us communicate clearly our desires and questions with the medical staff. She walked us through a lot of different pain management coping mechanisms. She helped me get though every single contraction. There were several times during labor that I didn’t think I could keep going and Charity single handedly got me through. She gave me the words of encouragement and a change of focus I needed to keep going. I ended up having the all-natural birth that I had hoped for (to a 10lb baby). I literally COULD NOT have done it without Charity. God so graciously used her to help us bring our sweet baby into the world and we will forever be grateful for her wisdom and unconditional support. If the Lord chooses to bless us with more children Charity will be our first call!

Brad Roper

12/29/2019

Charity was an amazing doula for my wife and I. She met with us multiple times before the labor and spent quality time answering questions and easing our anxieties. This was our third child so we are not necessarily new at this kid having thing. However this was our first pregnancy with a doula and we will never have another kid without a doula. 

My wife went two weeks overdue but thanks to her patient doctor and doula we had a second successful v-back. Charity was with us the whole time in the hospital when my wife was in labor, all two days! She was kind, patient, and extremely helpful. She explained what the nurses and doctors were telling us. She helped us stick to our birth plan. Most importantly to me, she was very supportive and helpful to me as the father and husband by helping me know what I could do for my wife. She helped my wife to try different positions and different strategies to help progress the labor. 

I refer Charity to everyone who is looking for a doula or whoever is pregnant. She is very professional and I highly recommend her!

Tiffany

7/11/2019

If a more positive birth experience is what you are looking for then Charity is who you want helping at your delivery.  She is full of compassion and very passionate about helping women have positive birth expereinces. She is very knowledgeable about the birthing process and different relaxation and coping techniques.

When we expressed interest in having Charity help, she started sharing materials and resources with us to help us be informed about natural hospitals births. She introduced us to books that walked me through the labor process and brought understanding about what happened during my first birth, which in turn brought emotional healing. Becoming well informed helped me make decisions about what kind of birth I wanted.  In her first visits before the birth, Charity guided us through coping and relaxation techniques that my husband and I could practice together. She talked through our ideal birth scenarios with us, helped us create our own birth plan (which made communication with the nurses at the hospital go very smoothly), and shehelped us mentally prepare to make decisions in less than ideal situations.

When I was induced, Charity came as soon as we asked her to come.  She came prepared with tools (essential oils infuser, a robozo, honey sticks etc). She new what she was doing and appropriately suggested different coping techniques at different stages of labor.  I especially appreciated her skill in recognizing when I needed distraction from contractions in the first hours of labor verses focusing on my happy place during the time of transition. She helped create a positive, team-like attitude as she, my husband, and I worked through contractions together.  I appreciated how she reminded me why I chose not to have pain medication and then was open to support whatever path I chose. I could not have been induced and given birth with no pain medication without Charity. She is a fantatstic doula.

Anna Schmid

9/13/2018

I loved having Charity as my doula! This was my 4th birth, first with  a doula.  She was there for me ready to help with everything.  I had pain in my hips while pregnant and she helped come up with exercises that helped with the pain. When ever  I expressed my fellings or fears she listened to me and helped me adress them. CHARITY helped my husband know what to do and how he could be there for me . She was there for me and didn't pressure me to have the baby a certain way.  She helped me learn my options and let me choose what would work for me and my baby.  She is happy, calm and so though full.  She knew I would want ice and cool  rags for my neck before I did. She got me food afterwards. She made the room smell lovely.  If I have another baby I would want Charity as my doula.

Nicole Sampson

7/31/2018

Charity was the most amazing doula I could have asked for. When my doctor discouraged a VBAC she encouraged me to get another opinion and possibly switch doctors. I was shy but she helped me feel okay. She found a great practice that supports trying for VBACs. She reviewed our birth plan and got to know our wishes. Having had a VBAC before, she was knowledgeable about the subject but never pushed her ideas onto us. She only gave us the necessary info so we could make informed choices, and then she supported us.

The day I went into labor Charity was almost as excited as we were! I had severe back labor, so she referred me to a chiropractor to help the baby drop. Then at my home she helped me mentally escape the pain to a happier place.

At the hospital Charity walked with us through the halls over and over. She showed my husband how to ease my pain. She let me lean on her during contractions and helped me breathe through them. She talked to me about my happy place and told me how strong I am. She and my husband had to push HARD on my back and hips to ease the pain of my back labor. She never complained. She helped me try some maneuvers to help the baby drop. She stayed by my side and helped with everything I needed. She only went to sleep when I did.

If I did not understand what was going on she explained it to me and was my advocate to help the hospital staff follow my birth plan as closely as possible. She was kind to hospital staff, and never overbearing.

After being in labor for a few days I kept saying I could not do it anymore. Charity said I could do it, but that I didn't have to. Once I got an epidural she told me how proud of me she was for making it that far. I had to have a C section and she waited while I had the operation, even though it was late at night and we hadn't slept much for 3 days. She helped me with nursing and even got me a beautiful gift at the gift shop. The experience was absolutely perfect!

Jessica Johnson

4/12/2018

Charity is a fantastic doula! Both my husband and I cannot say enough good things about her as a doula. This was our first pregnancy and I wanted to have some extra help, in addition to having my husband there. We are both private people and didn’t want to share the special experience with any other family members, so having her there to support us through the labor process was incredible. Charity is very sweet, patient, and motherly but she was also super motivating, which is helpful when you are in a lot of pain. She has such a calming nature that I was able to relax and was at ease during the whole labor process. She met with us before the birth and we were able to talk to her about the most important things to us, which really helped once we were in the hospital. I was in labor for 27 hours and wanted to labor at home as long as possible before going to the hospital, Charity came to my home and helped me to relax and be as comfortable as I could be trying different positions and pain management techniques. When we went to the hospital she was a great advocate for both my husband and I. She helped us ask the right questions and make sure that we knew what was going on during each stage of labor, which was great for us because we had no idea what to expect! It was so helpful for her to be there so that I never had to be alone, yet my husband was able to go and eat a meal and take a quick break. The thing that meant the most to me was that Charity paid attention to my husband and how he was doing. She didn’t ignore him or take his place she helped us have a wonderful birth experience together. We were really nervous about it all and she was there to make us still feel like our normal selves and be excited to welcome our sweet girl into the world. Seriously, I wouldn’t change having her as my doula for the world!

-Jessica and Nate Parents of Clementine