Testimonial for Lisa Shire, CLE, CD(DONA)
Beacuse of my health concerns, I was concerned about being able to take care of a newborn on my own. Trying to make sure I had help 100% of the time for the first several months with just my husband and my parents and my in-laws was complicated, so we wanted to make sure we had outside help. We were given Lisa's name by our birth doula, and after meeting her we knew we didn't need to interview anyone else. She was so calm and was clear about supporting whatever our parenting strategy was, with helpful suggestions.
As it turned out, I bounced back from a traumatic birth incredibly well, and our little girl was a mellow and unfussy baby! Much to everyone's relief, I did not need as much help as anticipated. Lisa was incredibly flexible with scheduling, which was wonderful! We decided that we didn't need her to come until after my husband went back to work. After he did go back, Lisa came in the mornings, Monday through Friday. This was AMAZING!
What do new moms need the most? Sleep. The only way to get it is to have someone you trust to take care of the baby. Each morning I would get a glorious 2.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep! It made my life so much better. Yes, I appreciated having someone who could help with diaper rash, nursing, postpartum mood disorders, washing bottles and pump parts, even vacuuming. But what I really needed was someone calm, caring, and competent to take the baby so I could sleep. Knowing that I had downtime every morning made the rest of the day easier.
Occasionally I would stay awake when I had something I wanted to talk about, and our converstations were wonderful - we really clicked on both postpartum issues and other life stuff. Sometimes I wished I could stay awake more because I felt so comfortable hanging out and adult conversations are nice - but most of the time sleep won.
I was incredibly lucky to be able to add Lisa as a temporary member of our family! I definitely recommend her!
-Tressa Braam
November 16, 2017
Lisa Shire, CLE, CD(DONA)
A Hand To Lend Birth Doula Services
Birth Fee: $2500
