Testimonial for Mary Rudd, CD (DONA) (PALS)
Mary was absolutely amazing! My husband and I were on the fence about getting a doula. We just weren't sure if we would really want a stranger with us the entire time at the hospital, whether we would really need her, and if it would be worth the cost. However, we both agreed afterwards that, out of all the decisions/preparations/purchases we made in preparing for having our baby, hiring Mary was definitely the best! We waited until less than a month before my due date to hire her, and she was very flexible about fitting us into her schedule and finding time for 2 prenatal visits. Those were really wonderful opportunities for us to get to know her, talk about our hopes and plans, and for her to introduce us to some strategies/tools/positions that we could try out during labor. My labor ended up being very fast and going well, but it was absolutely invaluable to have Mary there the whole time. I felt a little better as soon as she arrived. She listened, made suggestions, asked questions, gave me physical supports, talked me through contractions and pushing, and just had a calm and reassuring authority that helped me so much. The labor and birth was so overwhelming and fast that we didn't use a lot of the strategies we had prepared, but I was still so grateful just to have her there. It was also great to follow up with her afterwards for our postpartum visit and get to reflect on the whole experience with her. And she took some really wonderful pictures after the delivery that I didn't think I would really care about and now I am so glad to have to help me remember those moments! I would absolutely recommend her to anyone considering having a doula!
-Tory Walker
September 20, 2018
Mary Rudd, CD (DONA) (PALS)
The Merry Doula
Birth Fee: $1500 to $1900
