Lauren Pierce

10/13/2024

Dereka was and has continued to be our emotional and healthcare question support through pregnancy as a teacher (daddy boot camp), doula and newborn care specialist.

She was key to helping us understand our options and what to expect when my pregnancy went from normal and healthy to a diagnosis of gestational hypertension with bed rest at 34 weeks. Dereka helped us rewrite our birth preferences to accommodate an induction at 37 weeks and led us through the different interventions and natural options we could try before agreeing to an intervention.

Dereka remained by our side through out the labor process as a trusted guide and second opinion with which to weigh the nurse and doctor’s suggestions and feedback. It was great to be able to ask questions and understand the process even when our nurse was attending to other patients. Although we ended up delivering our happy and healthy baby girl via caesarean, I know we tried everything we could have for a natural birth.

As our newborn care specialist Dereka was there on night 1 to ease our transition from hospital to home. Dad is getting to sleep through the night and takes over when her shift ends in the morning and mom is enjoying 8+ hours of sleep each night (with pumping mixed in!). Not only has Dereka’s care of our newborn allowed us to prioritize sleep and my recovery, she’s a wonderful resource for lactation and all things baby care.