Testimonial for Katie Collins
Katie was an excellent doula for my wife and me. After we hired her, she came to our house with two thorough interviews, going over all the steps needed for a successful delivery. Especially helpful was how she went over the various massages that would alleviate a birthing mother's labor pains.
Then the big moment came. My wife was overdue and had to be induced. She called Katie, and Katie was very supportive and told her what to expect. The induction process took a long time in the hospital, and during this time, my wife kept in contact with Katie with text messages. Finally, when the labor pains became more intense, we called Katie in, and she showed up quite promptly.
This is where the value of a competent doula comes into play. She was encouraging to my wife and did all the massages necessary to help her along the process. I can't say my wife had a difficult birth, but it was a long one (from the start of the induction process to when the baby popped out was maybe 30+ hours), and she was exhausted and snappish. If Katie hadn't been there, it would've been a lot harder for me since I didn't really know what to do despite my classes at Kaiser. With Katie there, however, the process became a lot more streamlined and efficient.
Finally, the baby came, and this was something else I hadn't counted on but Katie did real well. While my wife and I were both shell-shocked to be holding our baby, Katie was already taking photos of this beautiful moment, which I hadn't even thought about so now I have all these gorgeous photos of my baby right after the moment of birth. This might not sound like a huge deal--a doula taking photos, wow--but it just shows the thorough nature of Katie's approach to the whole doula process.
So, if you're thinking of hiring a doula, I'd say: DO IT. And if you're going to hire a doula, might as well hire one of the best, and in our opinion, Katie most certainly is one.
-Raymond Smith
January 13, 2017
Katie Collins
Voyage Birth
Birth Fee: $1600 to $1800
Postpartum Rate: $35 to $45
