Testimonial for Andrea Balina CD(DONA)
Andrea is amazing! I had planned a home birth and she shared my enthusiasm and gave me excellent guidance and materials to prepare me. When the situation changed several weeks before my due date and I needed to go to the hospital she was right there with me. Because of her professional connections to the hospital she felt right at home and made me and my spouse feel extra comfortable. She patiently saw me through the induction process, a slow couple of days, and was right by my side through the natural birth supporting me with a phenomenal collection of stress/pain relieving techniques - balls to sit/lean on, music, aromatherapy, hot packs, cold packs, and she flexibly and gracefully rolled with the labor as I went from feeling like I was so hot I would burst into flames one moment to feeling like I was about to freeze to death, calmly producing a cold pack or a warming shawl within seconds even though my verbal communication was rather limited. She also did an excellent job of communicating with my spouse, cluing him in to where I was at in the labor process.
What impressed me most about Andrea was her ability to be completely present and available every step of the experience even as the plan changed. Andrea was always right at my side and was able to explain what was happening in a way that was more meaningful than what the various clinicians were saying. She shared the ups and downs while also providing good information.
When my baby was born, she was smaller than anticipated and needed to spend some time in NICU for observation, which was hard for me because I did not want my baby to be taken away when she seemed totally healthy. Through my protests, Andrea, with her calm, attentive manner, affirmed my frustration and disappointment and explained the reasons my baby needed to go to NICU and suddenly it made all the sense in the world. That is the power of Andrea! Thank you so much.
-Amity Ludders
September 22, 2018
Andrea Balina CD(DONA)
Tu Doula Latina
Birth Fee: $1500 to $2000
