Testimonial for Susan Rotman, AAHCC, CD(DONA)
Why you need birth education AND a doula. Labor is hard. That’s why you’re thinking of hiring a doula. Along with your partner, your doula is your coach and advocate during this challenging time. She helps you stick to your birth plan & navigate unexpected surprises that throw your plan to the wind. But how do you know what support you will need or want? How do you know what your plan should be? That is where your birth education comes into play. I can't stress enough the importance of having both a birth education class to prepare you for the big day along with a doula to help get you through that day. Your BIRTHday is NOT the time to think. I remember thinking when pregnant if something came up I would have time to discuss it with my midwife, husband & doula. I envisioned rational, calm conversations where we weighed our options. And then labor hit. It hit hard. My contractions were back to back and on top of each other. It was no time to think. I could barely get a sentence out before the next contraction took my breath away. During & after labor I thought how glad I was that I'd done my homework ahead of time, that we'd covered the big questions, made contingency plans, explored options, and that I knew what was coming. If I had to think about anything of substance during labor, to concentrate on someone telling me vital information about what to expect, to answer questions about my needs, wants or interests, I wouldn't have known what to think. But having a solid education to prepare me to navigate the surprises my labor threw at me without trying to process new information was essential to the success of my birth. If there's ever a time you are weighing whether to go whole hog (doula AND birth class) or skimp and do the bare minimum, trust me, you want to go all in. There are likely countless items on your baby registry that you don’t actually need, but education on how to get your baby into this world is worth every penny!
-Nicole Saladin
April 23, 2015
Susan Rotman, AAHCC, CD(DONA)
Rotman Education Services, LLC
Birth Fee: $2000 to $2500
