Ursula was present for the birth of my daughter in 2015 and was an amazing support. I arrived in DC from West Africa during the 34th week of my pregnancy. Being so far along I was unable to take prenatal classes, and as a first time mother to be was nervous about delivery. From my first contact with Ursula she talked to me about my anxieties and was available to answer any questions I had leading up to the big day. During delivery I could not have asked for better support. In addition to being technically competent, her attitude ensured a relaxed experience by balancing a great sense of humor with strong mental and physical coaching. Her constant presence by my side and her ability to make me feel at ease helped me birth my baby with little stress. I know that my time in labor was much reduced thanks to Ursula's coaching and I can't be thankful enough.
From the beginning of my pregnancy I was not set on any particular birth plan except that I wanted to avoid an unnecessary c-section. Although I wanted to see if an unmedicated labor would be possible for me, I appreciated how nonjudgmental Ursula was about the use of epidurals when that was the direction I chose to take, and when I opted for the epidural it was an informed decision. I cannot stress how important this was for me as during my pregnancy I often found the discourse surrounding labor to be strongly divided (and often nasty) between the all natural route versus the other end of the spectrum.
Ursula's support did not end at my baby's birth. During a post-partum home visit she helped me through difficulties I was having with nursing due to my baby being born with a tongue tie. She taught me how to improve my daughter's latch and referred me to a lactation consultant who provided us with continued support thereafter. I highly recommend that anyone in DC who is looking for a competent birth coach with an awesome bedside manner consider hiring Ursula as their doula, she is great!
-Nicki Greenlee
March 01, 2017
Birth Fee: Not specified
Postpartum Rate: Not specified