Lauren

10/18/2023

Before I was pregnant, I had no idea I even wanted kids; all I knew was that, along with having medical anxiety, pregnancy and labor terrified me. I thought: there's no way I could do any of that, I am not strong enough! So when I became pregnant, and realized that at some point this baby was definitely coming out of me, and the countdown had begun, I honestly would've panicked if it weren't for Shay. As friends, we first started talking about labor and delivery casually and I realized how much I didn't even know that I didn't know. There is such an informational overload (especially on social media) it was hard to know what was true, real, important and necessary. I sort of made the snap judgment to officially ask Shay to be my doula about a month before my due date. She asked me some questions I'm not sure I ever answered, and we would do check ins here and there until I went into labor. She checked in with me basically hourly until we met at the birth center. Looking back, I think if we had done more prep it might've felt overwhelming. She got a real sense of what I wanted and needed and helped me feel strong and secure enough to advocate for myself through the labor process. Without going into too many details, the OB wanted to do something I didn't want, and I stood my ground with Shay's help. She also helped make the actual physical space of the birth center room so much warmer and more comfortable. The whole time I was in labor I felt so totally held by Shay and my husband and I was really able to relax into the flow. The first thing I said after my sweet baby was placed on my chest was, "Let's do it again!!" Needless to say, Shay played an absolutely crucial role in my ability to have a beautiful, wonderous, out-of-this-world birth. My husband and I still talk about how lost we would have been without her shining light to peacefully guide us. Thank you Shay ??