Doula Vonda Birth Services
Saint Augustine, FL Service range 100 miles Willing to travel 500 miles Traveling Doula with paid travel expenses and lodging. Birth plan and child birth education required.
Birth Fee
$2275
Postpartum Rate
$45
Availability Remarks: Childbirth education is a requirement for all my clients ;) https://www.doulavonda.com/hypnobirthing-classes/
Birth Fee
$2275
Postpartum Rate
$45
38 years and 698 births attended
38 years and 500 families served
Type of practice: Partnership with 1 other doula
Clients per month: 1 to 4 births and 1 to 2 postpartum families
Postpartum limits/restrictions: Minimum 2-4 hour postpartum shifts
Attends hospital births? All Hospitals
I am very adaptable and flexible to my surroundings. Most of my work at present, is at all places! I offer professional labor and delivery support in all settings, postpartum care, childbirth classes. I am honored to service Saint Augustine.,Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Ponte Vedra, Orange Park, SC and Georgia. My philosophy is simple -- I believe childbirth is a normal, natural, healthy function of your body. Therefore, I support all families and honor their wishes for the birth experience they want. I have NO agenda!
Attends birth center births? All Birth Centers
I am very adaptable and flexible to my surroundingsI have had my own birth center birth 32 yrs ago. I Recognize birth as a key experience the mother will remember all of her life, Understand, the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman through out labor and birthing. Assists the Momma in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth. Stays with the Momma throughout the labor, Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decisions. Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care providers. Comforts mom and birth partner in any need or want they have.
Attends home births? Any Home Birth
I am very adaptable and flexible to my surroundingsI had 2 home births of my own 38 yrs ago.I Recognize birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth Stays with the woman throughout the labor Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decisions.
Volunteer for local under privileged. My Advocacy is my Doula Work/Doula Vonda Birth Services for Moms and Babies most at all the local surrounding healthcare providers in our community.
I service all of North Florida, Jacksonville, Lake City, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and South GA. and further North and South. (I am a traveling Doula) My fee would only vary if there is added travel expenses.
Saint Augustine, FL Service range 100 miles Willing to travel 500 miles Traveling Doula with paid travel expenses and lodging. Birth plan and child birth education required.
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Post a testimonial for Vonda Boyd HBPD, HBCE HBPD
12/16/2022
After having my firstborn son at 26weeks I experienced a lot of trauma around his birth. For my second one I didn’t want the same experience. Even after being a high risk pregnancy I felt I had more knowledge, support and confidence in myself. A lot of this I had to do with brining Vonda and Kiana. I faced alot of challenges through this second pregnancy and they were there to help education in what I could control and support me as well as guide me during the events I could not. During my labor and delivery they were there encouraging and talking me through it all. Even though the medial staff was running around chaotic, Kiana and Vonda remained calm and helped me control my narrative which was to bring a health, happy boy in the world with the most natural ways possible. One of the best investments we made for our pregnancy and the birth of our second was hiring Vonda and Kiana! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! With love- Shawne, Philip, Joshua, and Elijah
12/11/2022
Vonda is a fairy godmother. As a foreigner moving to Jacksonville and first time mom, it was helpful and relieving to have a doula like her who could guide and support me along the way. Given that I didn't know anybody here, I found Vonda on Google. After many interviews with different candidates I decided to go with Vonda for many reasons.
First, her years of experience in the field: I was in the best hands I could be. Secondly, she helped me find my OB as I didn't know a soul. She also suggested the hospital where to deliver and I'm happy I followed her advice: the service and human quality during and after birth was sublime. I felt very calmed being her "patient" during my pregnancy and she replied to all my inquiries; even those which she would mot be able to solve, she pointed me out who to ask.
Overall, I will recommend Vonda to anybody who wants someone knowledgable and kind by their side during those life-changing months. If I had another child, I would definitely ask her to do the journey with me again.
8/4/2022
Vonda is an amazing hypnobirthing instructor. Her calm gentle approach made me feel so relaxed and excited to learn more about hypnobirthing. She was very detailed and made sure we understood every lecture. She equipped us with all the tools to be successful and she was very flexible with our schedule. I have already recommended her to many friends for hypnobirthing and doula practices. My husband and I now feel so confident for the birthing of our first. Thank you Vonda!
7/12/2022
I hired Doula Vonda to alleviate my fear of natural birth. My birthing experience started with an emergency so could not be calm enough to incorporate all my hypno birthing practices but having Doula Vonda and Doula Kiana made all the difference. They were supportive and directed me to hypno birthing principles whenever I was getting tense with my pain and pushing. Furthermore, during my post partum visits, she helped with breast feeding, changing baby, understanding baby cues etc which helped me feel at ease and helped me feel empowered that I could breastfeed my baby with a few changes to my approach. Doula Vonda is worth every penny and I would hire her again .
7/6/2022
Vonda’s hypnobirthing class was truly a game changer for our family. We wanted to have a different birthing experience with our second birth and this class has left our family feeling more calm and confident about our birthing wishes and our journey. We were educated on the birthing process and learned to calm ourselves and eliminate fear from our birthing experience. We were provided with tools to help us along the way which has made us excited for our birth! We are excited to have Vonda as our doula :)
4/26/2022
We absolutely loved taking Hypnobirthing with Doula Vonda! Not only did we learn so much, but we are beyond excited AND confident for the birth of our first child. We feel more prepared emotionally and physically and we feel more peaceful and centered as well. Vonda's knowledge and guidance is truly a blessing, as is her kind, calm, and loving demeanor. She is truly a gem! We would recommend her many times over, especially for anyone interested in hypnobirthing.
3/15/2022
In our first meeting with Vonda she said to me, “I bring calm to the room”. That phrase stuck out to me because I didn’t think birth could be calm. She could not have been more right. Vonda completely changed my whole perspective on and experience of birth. Taking her hypnobirthing class and having her present during our birth was the best decision we made for our family. Because of her, we were able to have a calm, peaceful, and unmedicated birth. She is warm, caring, and genuine. She was also an amazing advocate for us with the hospital staff and ensured that I was able to have the experience and environment that I wanted. I had a dream labor for my first baby and I could not have done it without her.
12/15/2021
Don’t even know where to start! From just a phone call I knew Vonda was the one to assist my birth. She fully equipped me with hypnobirthing to do my dream home birth while was there for me and my husband the whole way through. She was also there for me anytime I had a question or help with anything. To top it off! She came over when I went over due date to do some fun, holistic things to help labor get started and sure enough my water broke the next morning. If you’re looking for a reliable, loving, knowledgeable doula - Vonda is it!
11/15/2021
Hi my name is Mishele and I'm a FTM ,I came across the Hypnobirthing book at the beginning of my pregnancy and after I read it I immediately knew that I want to find a practitioner that will help me practice all the relaxation techniques, and help my partner to understand his incredibly important role in this journey .I got a recommendation about Vonda and after talking to her on the phone I felt really confident that I chose her as my practitioner. The classes with her helped me so much to become more confident, relaxed and exited for my upcoming home birth. Thank you so much Vonda for your softness , relaxed spirit and great education that you provided to me and my partner , and thank you for just being you , just an angle from the sky. I will definitely keep in touch and would love to share my birthing experience once I will go through it .????????????
10/26/2021
I cannot say enough good things about Vonda. She provided hypnobirthing and Doula services for the birth of my first child and I honestly believe that things would have gone very differently without her. She was an amazing guide, support and comforting presence before, during and after the birth of my son. I cannot recommend working with her enough if you are looking for a more natural and calm birth for your baby. Thanks again Vonda for making our birth story a beautiful one!!
9/19/2021
Our experience with Doila Bonda was wonderful. She was caring, understanding, compassionate, and truly helped us bring our birth wishes to life. Vonda also stepped in and was helpful and knowledgeable when an unseen emergency happened during labor. Through her knowledgeable guidance I still had the beautiful maxing natural birth I had intended. Also Binda made me feel like my own mother was there with me. I felt completely cared for and understood.
9/4/2021
I can not reccomend Doula Vonda Boyd enough! After a less than desirable labor and delivery with my first, I decided to hire a doula for the birth of our second. What a difference Doula Vonda made! My goal was to labor spontaneously and with as little medical intervention as possible, a goal I was able to acheive with her guidance, she advocated for me every step of the way. Doula Vonda has a wealth of knowledge and information she is eager to share. No questions were too trivial and she always made herself available to me. Her hypnobirthing techniques were vital to me being able to labor naturally and with confidence. Her patience and her kindness make her the perfect doula to have by your side during one of the most important moments of your life. Post-partum, Doula Vonda was just as important. She helped me establish breast feeding and provided care and reassurance during a time when it was needed the most. She again remained available and constant, checking in to ensure all my questions were answered. My family is so thankful we found her!
6/27/2021
My husband and I are sooo happy that we decided to have Vonda as our doula. We initially took her hypnobirthing class (which we highly recommend as well) and felt she could really lead us though the delivery we were hoping. Although we didn't have the birth we planned our delivery and experience overall was so much better and manageable because she was apart of it. I can't recommend her services enough! Vonda went above and beyond and continues to be a resource to our family in these first few weeks postpartum.
5/20/2021
We loved Vonda's hypnobirthing course! By the time I was in labor I felt calm and at peace about whatever path my baby's delivery took. I also felt informed and empowered and at ease. I can't recommend this course enough!
4/9/2021
After completing Vonda's Hypnobirthing classes, I feel well equipped and ready to have a calm, natural birth experience. Learning the breathing techniques and visualizations has helped me to have a calm pregnancy as well. Thank you so much!
12/1/2020
My husband and I took private hypnobirthing classes with Doula Vonda in our home and it was a wonderful experience. Vonda is well informed, warm and made us feel empowered and calm about hypnobirthing and natural birth. We can’t recommend her enough.
11/9/2020
I took the Hypnobirthing class with Vonda in preparation for my son’s birth in 2018. My husband and I were quite honestly floored at how well it worked I was able to stay calm and relaxed through most of labor and when I did get panicky it only took a couple minutes of reassurance and focus to get zen again! I arrived at the hospital and thought it was too soon however I was just in the nick of time to deliver. Vonda is an amazing instructor she is calm knowledgeable and friendly. After my son was born I told my mom I’m ready to have another baby in 2020. And here we are I’m due any day now Vonda’s teaching made my first birth joyful and I look forward to birth and meeting our baby girl! I highly recommend Hypnobirthing and Vonda’s class!
10/1/2020
My husband and I met Vonda 5 years ago when we were pregnant with our daughter. We both knew from the start she would be the perfect Doula for us! We always knew we wanted to have an unmedicated birth and we were blessed to have Vonda as part of our journey through pregnancy, labor and delivery. So of course when we found out our baby boy was on the way we knew exactly who to call! We had such a beautiful experience with our daughter we wanted the same experience with our son. From beginning to end with both pregnancies, I could always count on Vonda to be there for me. From the most simple question to breathing my baby down and post-partum our experience with Vonda was beautiful. I truly feel Vonda's commitment, dedication and guidance is what allowed me to have such a successful, beautiful experience with both of my babies. Although we are done having babies, I always refer family and friends to Vonda. Hands-down my husband and I will forever be thankful and grateful for her during the most precious and tender moments of our lives. And as a side note Vonda isn't just support for mom but tremendous support for dad!!!! My husband loved having her guidance and support!!! We couldn't have done it without her!!!
The McHugh Family
9/30/2020
We used Vonda for our last two births. She is the ultimate doula and epitome of calm. This last pregnancy we took her Hypnobirthing class from the comfort of our home. Vonda’s class goes through every aspect of pregnancy and birth including: nutrition, baby positioning, exercise, breathing, stages of labor, etc etc. With Vonda and her class I was able to relax and reset my focus during each contraction. I was able to really connect to my baby, get over fears, and enjoy my pregnancy because of her class. Vonda is so knowledgeable about everything birth. She prepared me for different tests run during pregnancy and was always there to answer my questions. During my early labor time she came over and used every trick in the book to help baby be in the best position for birth. She helped me navigate birth during COVID and when to go to the hospital. Vonda has many connections in the birth world that help make your pregnancy and delivery go smoothly. She stuck with my through a 24 and 13 hour birthing time. Vonda has a wide variety of skills that are invaluable. I highly recommend Vonda and her Hypnobirthing class to get the birth of your dreams and guide you through any changes along the way.
7/7/2017
Doula Vonda was ... kind, grounding, knowledgeable, open-minded, and experienced. In short, she was essential to my partner's birth experience. Even though I was at her bedside, there were times that - but for Doula Vonda - I'm not sure her birth experience would have ended up being what we'd hoped for. We took Vonda's hynobirthing class, which began to feel like a visit from a really talented and knowledgeable friend than anything else by the conclusion of the course. Vonda is a very important resource to the Saint Augustine community, and we are so grateful for her invovlement in our lives!
2/5/2017
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Vonda. My husband and I planned to take a Hypnobirthing class she was teaching. When the class did not fill up, she completely accommodated our crazy schedules and came to our home instead for private lessons and declined to have us pay the private session fee. The class was wonderful, both my husband and I truly enjoyed having the class with Vonda. Due to the nature of things, we were unable to have the hypnobirth we had hoped for and I had to be induced for the safety of myself and the baby. Vonda reached out to me, kept in touch with me as I dealt with the disappointment of not having the birth experience I had hoped. After the birth and we came home, a whole new set of unforeseen challenges arrived and I hired Vonda as my postpartum doula and she was worth every single penny and more. She saved my sanity as I went through the transition to becoming a first-time mom. She was always prompt with responses, available to talk at the very least and when she was physically able, was with me to help me through a trying time. All I can say is that with baby number 2 (hopefully!), I know who I'll be calling!!!!
2/5/2017
I birthed my son completely naturally, in a water birth, and Vonda's hypnobirthing class was instrumental in allowing me to accomplish this. I am a first time mom and did not go into the birth center until I was 8cm thanks to using the tools I had learned in class. My husband also took the class with me and helped me through the whole way.
11/29/2016
Vonda was a wonderful support and source of comfort throughout my pregnancy and birth. Words can't explain how invaluable she was, especially on birthing day! She was always just a text away throughout my whole pregnancy and attended several of my doctor's appointments and ultrasounds. She knows so much about the birthing experience and is priceless resource. I wouldn't go through a pregnancy or birth without her. My labor and delivery did not go exactly as planned (as is so often the case) and Vonda stayed by my side for an exhausting 30+ hours with little food or sleep. I was also so thankful she was there to talk to my family and support my husband so that I could focus on myself and the baby. Vonda is extremely gentle, loving, and supportive. I think she has seen it all and I was so thankful for her level of experience. I would recommend her to anyone!
8/10/2015
I always knew I wanted a doula, Hospitals can be a scary place and having someone with the inside scoop seemed to only make sense when giving birth. I instantly felt like Vonda might know what the hell is going on in a state of chaos. We were 4 days late and went in for a NST and baby was doing fine. Vonda told me to sugar up for it so baby would be a jumping bean, so we passed with flying colors! At around 1:30am I started having contractions. After 10 consecutive ones I decided to call Vonda. She must keep her phone glued to herself in the middle of the night because she responded right away, a very important thing you want in a doula! She ended up coming around 2:30am. I was able to labor at home as long as possible. That’s one of the best things about Vonda, she gave us this freedom to be comfortable and trust my body that we would not have had if she weren’t there. We went to the hospital around 6:30am. I labored for 22 hours and because of Vonda I honestly can’t say I wanted pain medicine at any point. I took Hypno-birthing with Vonda and it really did the trick. Also understanding exactly what your body is doing really seems to help in giving into the contraction and let it wave over you. My “pain medicine” was a pelvic pressure that Vonda and my husband would do in the midst of a contraction. The minute they lifted my pelvis I was relieved, so having two people to trade on and off was a very important thing. The baby was born at 11:37 that night. Don’t get me wrong it was hard, but you just keep taking one contraction after another getting you closer to the end result. I could not believe I had no inductions or drugs, which was by far the hardest thing I have ever done! Thank god for my amazing husband and doula Vonda who worked really hard helping me through this birth. In the end we were tired but it was all so worth it. He is so beautiful and a breastfeeding, alert little champ!
8/9/2015
I can honestly say I don’t know what I would have done without my doula, Vonda. From the moment I found out I was pregnant I knew wanted low intervention birth. I was scared about the birth, this being my first pregnancy, but I decided to educate myself in relaxation techniques and natural methods to make the process as comfortable as possible. I had heard of the Hypnobirthing program before and was all about taking the course taught by Vonda. It was a lot of fun, it really helped to be able to talk through some of my fears and brought up some good questions I wouldn’t have otherwise thought to ask. I also felt it was a great way to connect with my husband as my birthing partner.
My labor began unexpectedly premature at around 36 weeks. The birth itself was fast but beautiful, there wasn‘t time to prepare or gather anything for my birth kit. When she arrived my baby wasn’t screaming like newborns in the movies, just kind of checking me out with wide, bright eyes. I truly believe she was calm because of the Hypnobirthing and the tranquility of the space she was born into. She was so tiny in my hands, barely five pounds, but she was very aware and rosy.
I was only able to spend a few hours precious hours with my daughter right after the birth before she was transferred to the NICU. Vonda stayed by my side during the admission, and good thing too because I think I was in shock. Helpless can only begin to describe how I felt, I thought I would break her by just touching her little hand once she was hooked up with wires and tubes coming from everywhere. Through the next 21 days in the NICU Vonda remained a constant source of encouragement, knowledge and strength. She went above and beyond to help me and my family through a very difficult start for our baby. And she has been an integral part my daughter blossoming into the wonderful little person she is today.
8/5/2015
My husband Robert and I knew that we wanted to attempt a natural childbirth. In preparation, we took a HypnoBirthing class. We learned so much in this class and while we felt ready for a natural birth, we were also aware of the potential obstacles that might stand in the way of delivering naturally in a hospital. For this reason, we decided to hire a doula.
We met Vonda Bartlett and immediately felt a connection with her and asked her to be a part of our birth. Not only did Vonda come out to our home, but she also attended several of our doctor appointments, which we especially appreciated. If we ever had doubts about something one of the doctors told us, we could go to Vonda for an honest and trusted opinion. Because of the relationship we established with her, in so many ways I felt more comfortable and trusted her more than the group of doctors I was seeing. We could rest assured that she truly had our best interests at heart.
I labored at home for 14 hours with my wonderful husband and Mom by my side. When my contractions got closer together, Vonda came over to help guide us and then accompanied us to the hospital. Later, I remember my Mom telling me how she felt an immediate sense of relief as soon as Vonda entered the room. I felt the same.
Once at the hospital, Vonda gently made sure that the nurses were aware of our birth preferences. She and my husband were an amazing team during labor. Vonda reminded me of my HypnoBirthing training and kept the room feeling so calm and as stress-free as possible.
At 7:22 pm that evening, we gave birth to a healthy and beautiful baby boy. Vonda stayed a good while after the birth to help me breastfeed and to make sure that I felt comfortable with everything. Robert and I feel so grateful that she was a part of our birth. Her constant encouragement, advice and calm nature were invaluable during this special time in our lives.
8/3/2015
Doula Vonda is the kindest, gentlest person I know. This is the perfect career for her! She taught us Hypnobirthing when we had 2 months left before the birth of our 2nd son. She was very caring throughout the entire learning process and made sure we understood all the concepts. It made us so excited and look forward to labor although we never thought we would. After all, who gets excited about something that our society deems as painful? Not only that but with our first son, we had gone the hospital route thinking that we could wing it with natural birth and of course ended up getting painkillers, an epidural and Pitocin. Nobody there knew anything about natural childbirth and I had a lot of fear because I felt helpless. I know now that fear is why I had so much excruciating pain the first time.
This time around having Doula Vonda there with us throughout the entire process made a huge difference in the way things went. Doula Vonda taught us everything that was going to happen and so we knew going into it what to expect. Most importantly, she helped me get past my very real fears of failing in natural childbirth. I can honestly say that this 2nd birth was not a painful experience. I was not afraid this time. I had confidence. I was in the zone and focused. Having Doula Vonda there with her soft, quiet voice and peaceful presence helped me know that I could get through it peacefully. Our son was born within 6 hours of labor. He was even born en caul (in the sac) which shows how calm I was! The methods taught in Hypnobirthing are different from the conventional methods but having experienced both, I can tell you this is a much better way to go! I felt awesome afterwards and said to myself, "Wow! Let's do that again! That was cool!"
We were able to experience the wonderful joy we'd been hoping for! I love telling our birth story because it was just so amazing and joyful- the way it should be when a baby enters the world!
9/13/2014
Today I have the birth story that I’ve always wanted to be able to tell, thanks in a huge part to my doula, Vonda Bartlett. I first met Vonda at a "Meet The Doula's" event at Babies R Us for Doulananda. Personally, I felt like a big challenge during labor would be remaining calm and Vonda's voice alone was calming. Since I was already 37 weeks when I hired my doula, I worried that we wouldn’t have time for her be able to have a big part in my pregnancy. I was completely wrong! Vonda was extremely easy to connect with and share our anxieties and excitement. She made a home visit, attended my Hypno-Birthing class, and a prenatal visit. By the time I was in labor I felt as though she had been with me through my entire pregnancy. Vonda was extremely knowledgeable; I learned several things from her. She gave me some vital information that helped shape some of my decisions in my birth plan and she shared some of her personal experiences which put me at ease. As a first time mom I wasn’t sure what to expect out of labor, so when I started to experience surges for the first time I reached out to Vonda. She gave me some helpful tips to relax. One goal was to labor at home for as long as possible. I kept Vonda updated of my progress and when I was ready asked her to come over to help me through the rest of labor. She kept me calm and reminded me to relax my shoulders, which helped relieve stress and pain. Vonda told me in the beginning that she would try to get me to the hospital around 7 cm dilated, thankfully she was right! I was 8 cm when they checked me. Vonda was most helpful during the pushing phase for me, reminding me of what I learned about breathing. One of the nurses commented on how well Vonda helped me get through the contractions and pushing the baby out. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthing experience or a better doula! Vonda, thanks so much for making a once in a lifetime experience an extremely positive one!
9/9/2014
It was an honor and an absolute pleasure to work with Vonda Bartlett. I truly was blessed that after the Doula Meet and Greet in Growing Families St. Augustine, I had submitted an essay to qualify for a scholarship. At the end of the meet and greet, Vonda calls and tells me that she would love to work with me. I was astonished and overwhelmed, because prior to meeting her, I had read into the Doulananda program and Vonda was my number one choice. To have been chosen by her was was incredible.
Since the first day she became my doula, she started sending me Videos and articles about the birthing process and breastfeeding. She began filling my head with so much great information I was soaking it all in. I was glad to learn so much from her and the information she provided beforehand. She gave me her cell phone number to call or text her anytime I had any questions or concerns. She literally was available 24/7.
During the whole process she was so motherly and loving, which was great since my mother who lives in Chicago couldn't be there at the time of the pregnancy and birth. Vonda made me feel so comfortable and calm throughout the whole process. At the time of the birth, Vonda came to me ASAP and was prepped and ready to go in seconds. She brought such a calmness to me and helped me breath as according to hypnobirthing. She helped me relax and would often remind me to don't tense up. She also put cold wash cloths on my forehead to cool me down and when It came time to push, she held me up. She did Above and Beyond what I could have ever asked for or imagined. After my birth, she still keeps in touch with me and asks how the baby and I are doing. What an amazing experience it was to have a Doula for the first time, but it was even more wonderful to have Vonda as my Doula. The whole experience was well worth it. Thank you Vonda! :)
Cynthia Wingfield
7/21/2014
Vonda is an absolutly wonderful Doula, and someone you will want to have as part of your birthing team. She assited me with my 6th delivery - and the first that I have had a doula at. I was acting as a surrogate mother to a couple expecting their first child, and my own husband was unable to attend the birth.
Vonda helped not just me but my intended mother get through this delivery. Whereas I was comfortable with my part in the whole scenario, I was unable to walk my intended mother through the emotional and exterior process of the birth...while I was giving birth. Vonda stepped in to provide comfort for me and answers for the baby's mother.
We made a great team!
I will be forever grateful to the kind, caring, and compasionate assistance Vonda provided, and hope to be using her services again soon.
7/21/2014
I met Vonda through an event held by Doulananda. It was a meet and greet with the intention of helping expectant mothers find a doula that they would feel comfortable with. There were several doulas there, but almost immediately, even before speaking with her, I knew Vonda was the person I wanted supporting me through the rest of my pregnancy and eventual labor.
She radiated calm and confidence which I certainly needed. After asking her to be my doula, I was so grateful to have her alongside me. Vonda came with me to a few doctor appointments, she sat with me in my home, and she called and text messaged just to see how I was doing. It was wonderful to have someone knowledgable who could answer my questions, especially when experiencing signs that labor was approaching.
When I went into labor, Vonda arrived at my house promptly and helped my husband and me decide the best time to go to the hospital. She worked with me through contractions, reminding me to breathe and relax, but never in an over-bearing or stressful way.
After the birth of my baby, Vonda stayed in touch and visited when it was convenient in order to answer any questions regarding breast-feeding and postpartum emotions and healing.
I would recommend Vonda to anyone looking for a doula who feels more like a wise, sweet friend that you've known for years.
2/9/2014
Vonda was a very beneficial part of my birth. I met with her a few times prior to the birth, and her calm presence and willingness to simply listen to my concerns and fears helped to make me ready and fearless when the time came. My son’s birth was at home, and began rather slowly as my water broke nearly 24 hours before we got labor really moving. There was no point in having any of my birth attendants waiting around all that time, so I told Vonda I would call her when we were ready. My midwife advised me once labor finally started to wait until I was farther along before calling anyone else to join me, as the distraction of a new addition to the birth room can stall labor. This was a good decision for other reasons, because by the time the back labor was beginning to be significant and I was sinking into that dream-like state of half consciousness, it was 3 AM and all that were with me were exhausted. At that point Vonda came in refreshed and ready to help. She spent hours pressing on my back with each contraction. Of all my helpers, she was the most effective at relieving the back labor by pressing on the right place on my back. I’m sure her hands were very tired by the end. She stayed with me throughout the whole experience, making suggestions and providing moral support as well. When my son finally arrived into the world, she stayed with and helped in every way she could until both my son and I were ready to sleep. She was also a great resource to have after the birth, because she helped connect me with someone to give advice on breastfeeding and placenta encapsulation. I consider her an important figure during a crucial part of my life. I highly recommend her to others looking for a birth doula.
2/1/2014
I met with several doulas before deciding on Vonda. This was my third pregnancy and I needed someone calm, strong and wise. Vonda was exactly that person. She was with me at nearly every prenatal appointment. She took the time to get to know me and my family. With Vonda's support I was able to have the nature drug-free birth I had wanted with my first two. Vonda was in fact so caring and supportive during my hospital stay that the doctor thought she was family. Vonda turned out to be the perfect doula for me. I was very lucky to have found her.
1/26/2014
I've known Vonda for 10 years. I recently gave birth to my second child via csection. Vonda's patient and kind nature as a friend were so helpful to me. she was always there for me to talk to, and her openmindedness and encouragement kept me optimistic when I was feeling down. If anyone, is even so lucky to share a moment with Vonda as your doula, it's an opportunity of a lifetime.
Cara Shaw
= Available. Calendar last updated: 12-03-2024
= Available. Calendar last updated: 12-03-2024