Testimonial for Joyce Dykema, MS, CD(DONA), HCHD
For the birth of our first baby, we planned for a natural childbirth, and we knew we wanted the help of a doula to provide us the needed expertise and emotional and physical support to help us navigate this journey. Joyce was everything we could have asked for in a doula, and so much more. Joyce met with us several times before the birth and walked us through natural birth relaxation techniques, reviewed every detail of our birth plan, and gave us information and tips that went above and beyond the hospital birthing class we took. Then, we were thrown a curveball at week 40, when I was told I needed to be immediately induced due to a medical complication, turning our natural birth plan on its head. However, Joyce was there at the hospital soon after we called her, and was there at our side for the labor and delivery. Then, immediately after being born when our baby had difficulty breathing and needed to be resuscitated, prompting an immediate transfer to the NICU, Joyce stood by us and provided us comfort during what was a very scary process. This allowed my husband to go with our baby to the NICU knowing that I would not be alone in those first moments after birth because Joyce was at my side. In those first terrifying and confusing hours after our baby's birth, Joyce was a godsend, going above and beyond what we had ever expected a doula could do - from literally holding my hand as I was being attended to after the birth, to taking detailed notes of what the NICU doctor and nurses were explaining to us - we could not imagine what our baby's birth and the hours afterward would have been like without her assistance. Joyce truly defines what a doula should be, and we would absolutely recommend Joyce to anyone considering a doula for their baby's birth.
-Laura Stegherr
October 14, 2015
Joyce Dykema, MS, CD(DONA), HCHD
Doula Joyce Enterprises, LLC
Birth Fee: $2400
Postpartum Rate: $35
