Testimonial for Birth You Desire ® LLC
Ursula was everything that I could have asked for in a doula. She is extremely knowledgable about the DC birth community, she provides support before, during and after labor and she cares about you and your experience.
She has helped deliver more than 1000 babies and has been working in the Washington DC birth community for 17 years. Any question you might have or professional you might need a referral for, she knows about them. I got referrals for a chiropractor who was very helpful getting my baby aligned before birth, she recommended night nurses in case we were interested in that and she knows people at every hospital and lactation center and can tell you who to work with. She delivers many babies at GW, where I delivered, and has a wonderful relationship with my obgyn and the entire staff at GW.
In terms of the last two, as a first time Mom, Ursula was happy to answer any and all questions that I had. She offers a birth class at her house, which in retrospect, I wish I would have done. She was especially useful as I got closer to my due date and was trying to figure out when I was going into labor. Post-partum, she was invaluable as I struggled with hormones and issues with being a new mom.
There are only a few drawbacks that I would mention. We had to reserve Ursula very early. She only takes on a limited number of mothers a month, and fills up quickly. She also has a fairly large fee. It's not out of line with other well-respected doulas in the area, but it is a major investment. For the fee, you get a pre-natal visit, support during the labor and an in person meeting after as well as unlimited support via email/ text. The only other thing is that she tends to focus on herbal/ homeopathic remedies in lieu of more common recommendations you'd get from an obgyn, but she isn't insistent on following her plan.
-Erin Fackler
February 17, 2016
Birth Fee: Not specified
Postpartum Rate: Not specified
