Testimonial for Jeni Dansand
I met Jeni about halfway through my pregnancy. She was actually my backup doula and, after our delightful meeting, I told my husband I had NO worries about when I went into labor--I was as comfortable w/Jeni as I was w/my doula friend. I went into labor 2wks early, on a day my doula friend was unavailable. Jeni hit the road as soon as I needed her & offered SO much support on the phone until she could get here. I was feeling a lot of anxiety/overwhelm at the beginning of labor & Jeni was incredibly understanding & spoke words of hope & empowerment. I had constant back pain (from the very beginning of labor until the very end) and she immediately started offering support to assist with that when she arrived.
I had a VERY long intense labor. When we discovered that I had been stalled at 5 cm for several hours, she immediately jumped in with words of light & affirmation, position changes to encourage dilation, new relaxation techniques, etc. She supported my husband, gently coaching him on how to best help me through different stages labor. When nurses wanted to do something outside of my birth plan or comfort zone, she so graciously assisted my husband & i in communicating our desires & wishes. Her birth bag was like a Mary Poppins bag, packed full of surprising & helpful goodies & tools.
One big thing that sets Jeni apart from other birth professionals I've worked with, is her vast practical knowledge & her binder full of evidence based studies, facts, statistics, etc. Inside are helpful ideas & answers for about anything related to pregnancy/birth/postpartum/babies. I called her many times in the early wks & she gave as MUCH time as I needed. She offered SO much emotional/mental support to me as a firsttime mom...breastfeeding, sleeping arrangements, colic, safe bottle feeding while nursing, pelvic floor issues, hormones, etc.
I cannot recommend her highly enough!!!
-Naomi Montsma
August 20, 2018
Jeni Dansand
The Valley Doula
Birth Fee: $500 to $1500
Postpartum Rate: $20 to $25
