Testimonial for Melissa M. Imperato CD(DONA)
I really enjoyed working with Melissa. From my first encounter with her I felt very comfortable and at ease. I knew that she would be a calm and levelheaded presence during my L&D. I wanted to have a natural birth but also felt a lot of fear and anxiety about the birth process, and just the thought of having her with me helped me relax.
I was induced because my water had broken but I wasn't experiencing regular or painful contractions many hours later. I contacted Melissa when I started feeling enough pain that I was questioning whether I could continue without an epidural.
Melissa was a calming and steady presence throughout my labor, but she primarily helped me in these three ways.
I was having a really difficult time with the fact that I didn't have freedom of movement because I had to be hooked up to the pitocin, and I was exhausting myself by jumping off the bed and flailing around to alleviate the pain whenever I felt contractions. When Melissa came she helped me find a position on the bed that I could tolerate pain-wise and that also helped me conserve my energy, which made a huge difference.
Later, when I was experiencing intense contraction pains, I asked the doctor about my pain management options. Melissa encouraged me to try laughing gas before choosing an epidural. Ultimately I was able to make it through with the laughing gas and was really glad that she convinced me to opt for that first.
Last, when I was trying to push but was getting frustrated with my lack of progress Melissa patiently explained to me how to do it, and through repeated instructions and encouragement helped me persist until I got it.
Throughout my stay Melissa advocated on my behalf and supported my decisions. She was genuinely caring and an invaluable part of my birthing experience.
Melissa even brought me hand me downs from her kids as a gift when she checked up on me postpartum!
-Hannah Scholl
December 14, 2017
Birth Fee: $1400
