Ravae is everything we wanted out of a doula--compassionate, calm, and a respectful and fierce advocate for your choices. We decided to hire a doula because we don't have family nearby and we wanted someone with lots of experience to be with us during every step of labor, both to provide an experienced perspective when necessary and to help us with comfort measures.
We opted to go with the most comprehensive package since we are first time parents and her most comprehensive package provides some in-home classes, which was incredibly helpful with my extremely busy work schedule. The classes were very informative and useful and prepared us well.
Ravae was also very helpful at labor itself. She was there to answer questions every step of the way, and she was nonjudgmental when I quickly changed one preference on my birth plan (I had hoped to have a natural childbirth or at least delayed epidural, but woke up with very painful contractions without any pain free rest periods between contractions, and so I ended up getting an epidural pretty quickly). She provided a second (nonmedical) perspective when it looked like I might need a c-sectio, which was also helpful. And perhaps most helpful of all, she was extremely useful during the pushing period itself--encouraging, calm, and focused on comfort measures to make the process more comfortable and relaxed (as relaxed as it can be).
Ravae was also super helpful postpartum. My husband came down with a nasty cold when our son was just a few days old, and because we didn't want to expose our son to those germs at such a young age, that left me handling everything while recovering myself. I asked Ravae if she could help and she was there that night, giving me a much-needed break for a few hours.
I'd hire Ravae again in a heartbeat, and am actually hoping we are still in the DC area when we start trying for number 2, as it would be great to use her services again.
-Emily Sauter
December 23, 2017
Birth Connections
Birth Fee: $1200 to $2500
Postpartum Rate: $40