Testimonial for Susan Rotman, AAHCC, CD(DONA) from Sally Scruggs

Testimonial for Susan Rotman, AAHCC, CD(DONA)

We took Susan’s class on recommendation from the Women’s Birth and Wellness Center. Take her class! She got us pumped about choosing a low intervention birth. We never planned on having a Doula, but halfway through about the classes, Matt and I knew we NEEDED Susan! She has a wonderful positive energy but also exudes calm and control when necessary. She is whatever you need at every moment—she can be the coach that tells you to get it together or the friend who wipes the sweat from your brow.

Now that we’ve delivered, we know we couldn’t have had the experience we wanted without her. Even though we swore we would not be the couple that shows up too early to the place of birth, we did. It was a tough ~30 hours of early labor that certainly felt painful enough to be the real deal, and contractions appeared to be hitting the 3-2-1 mark. But when we arrived I was only 3cm, 90% effaced. I was heartbroken. The midwife offered morphine to let me rest, which was so tempting, but I still had enough of my brain function left to ask Susan to talk me out of it. She did and we went home for another 6 hours. That is why you need a Doula. Yes, I had my partner who was trained to help me relax through contractions and advocate for our birth plan. Yes, a Doula helps you with natural pain management and can be a huge support to your partner. But more than that, a Doula helps you have the kind of birth you wanted before the pain and fatigue had a chance to cloud your judgment. Labor can be quick, but labor can also be long and exhausting. If it’s the latter, you need that extra support.

We can't stop talking about what a great birth experience we had. We have such an alert, happy and strong baby and I know that is in large part due to our commitment to have a low intervention birth. Susan is the piece of the puzzle we needed to feel confident enough to accept the challenge.

-Sally Scruggs

November 18, 2015