Testimonial for Allison Kohl
I am so grateful that Allison was available for me. She was given last minute notice. Twelve hours after my water broke a week early and I was in the hospital waiting to be induced on a Holiday Monday in the summer, she got the call that my planned doula couldn't make it and was at my side in about an hour. We were strangers, but she quickly and gently got to know my husband and myself, always letting us take the lead. I was very scared, but her calm manner and reassurances kept me and my husband from panicking. She quickly saw how much difficulty I was having, and made suggestions to help me cope, both physically and emotionally. She eased a lot of my fears by giving me the facts when I asked for them, and helped me weigh the pros and cons of every decision. I was very clear from the outset that I wanted an epidural and she supported me in that decision, right down to staying in the room with me while I had it. When I became afraid of the needle, she told me that the IV I already had in my arm was a more uncomfortable experience than the epidural would be. She was right, and I am so glad she shared that information because my labour was long and I am sure things would not have progressed as smoothly as they did had I not gotten some much needed rest while I slept through my contractions getting stronger as the epidural did it's work. After the birth, she followed up with me often to just make sure I was ok and even provided support over text messages. And, she even had a part in naming our daughter during labour. My husband was reading to me from a wonderful play called Peter and the Starcatcher while the nurses put the dreaded IV in. He was playing all the parts to distract me, and there's one funny, smart, tough but sweet little girl in the play. We had come in with a blank sheet of paper that said Baby Names at the top, and after Allison suggested we think about perhaps naming her after that girl, we left the birthing room with our little Molly.
-Irene Carl Sankoff
November 16, 2013
Allison Kohl
Great Lakes Birth and Family Services
Birth Fee: $1400 to $2400
Postpartum Rate: $35 to $40
