Testimonial for Esmeralda De La Rosa Verdy
I went into labor the night before my appointment. I told my husband, “I think it’s real this time,” but he didn’t believe me until the contractions hit hard. I spent hours in the tub, breathing through the pain until my doula, Esme, arrived and helped me move and breathe. She suspected the baby was sunny-side up because all my pain was in my back. By the time we got to the hospital, I was already 9.5 cm dilated.
I labored in the tub for hours, groaning through every wave. My water broke underwater, and for a second I felt relief—then it came back even stronger. I tried every position, every breath, but nothing eased baby's path. Eventually my blood pressure rose and my baby’s dropped. I wanted a natural birth more than anything, but I knew it was time.
They prepped me for a C-section. When they made the first incision, I felt everything. They stopped, gave more medication, and I still felt the second. That pain was unbearable. My husband was rushed out, and I was put under general anesthesia.
My daughter was born at 9:56 PM. I didn’t get to hold her until the next morning. At first, she felt like a stranger—but that love came slowly, deeply, and it’s never left. My birth didn’t go as planned, but it made me stronger. To every mama: no matter how your story unfolded, you did it.
-Samantha Allen
October 19, 2025
Esmeralda De La Rosa Verdy
DoulaRosa
Birth Fee: $1550
