Testimonial for Denise Bolds MSW, CD(DONA) CLC, CBE
Denise got the job done for sure! What I wanted was to labor at home for as long as possible, and avoid an epidural (and pitocin). She allowed me to do just that! We would't have been able to stay home for as long as we did without her - it was essential that we were able to put our trust in her, and know that she would get us there when we absolutely needed to be there.
After the birth, she came and did a post partum meeting that was helpful as a check-in just to make sure things were going well at home, and gave us some pointers on nursing. She even brought some things to help me in recovery and sent us a cute Big Brother shirt for my older son. We also hired her to do an overnight a couple weeks after the birth, and this was extremely helpful for us, having someone we trusted caring for our baby and still supporting our breastfeeding relationship while allowing my husband and I to get a little extra sleep.
Leading up to the birth, I do recommend being explicitly clear in communicating your expectations and wishes. We expected two in-person visits as planned, but Denise suggested only doing one (she had her reasons I believe of keeping my anxiety low, but really it just made me a bit more anxious and I would have liked to have her here in person rather than on Facetime, which was difficult for clear communication due to sub-par cell service in my home). There were also a couple of things we had discussed to do during labor (like using positive affirmations) that she didn't do - I'm not sure if she thought I didn't need it in the moment, but I think it would have been comforting, since I expected it after our discussion.
Overall, I think Denise was the right choice for us in supporting us to achieve the type of birth I wanted to have. I recommend her services in any birth and after!
-Liz Lazar
July 29, 2018
Denise Bolds MSW, CD(DONA) CLC, CBE
Bold Doula! Black Women Do VBAC, CLC, CBE
Birth Fee: $0 to $5000
Postpartum Rate: $40 to $60
