Testimonial for Vanessa Lewis, CPM (Cert Professional Midwife), CBD, PEP

Honestly, I used to roll my eyes at the word "doula!" Now I wouldn't have traded my doula Vanessa for the world. I hesitated and procrastinated hiring her, wondering if it would really be worth it. Turns out she was worth her weight in gold, and her services were actually a great value. She strikes the perfect balance of being informative and supportive, but not at all pushy or judgmental. It can take me a while to get comfortable with new people, but she was just easy to be around from the beginning. Again she somehow strikes just the right balance of being just enough, but not too much. Even though I hired her at the last minute, she provided invaluable insight before, during, and after the birth. At the hospital she knew how to win over a nurse who didn't initially seem to love having a doula present, and then when the shifts changed she was the perfect complement to the next nurse (also a midwife), who was obviously impressed by her expertise and trusted her to help with everything. Vanessa advocated for me. She was flexible to my rapidly shifting birth plan. She helped prevent a needless c-section. She took priceless photos and videos of the birth that my mom pointed out were worth her fee alone! She stayed when I had severe postnatal complications, long after her hired time frame, because she truly cares. In the fragile days after the birth she guided me during confusing health issues, breastfeeding, and more. Her postpartum home visit was also priceless, and greatly improved my breastfeeding. She put the baby to sleep, who had been fussing for hours but was still sleeping 4 hours later! Now we use her calming techniques as well. In a nutshell, if you're considering Vanessa, do it - you won't regret it. Her services thoughtfully fill a gap in the whole experience that I don't know how I would otherwise handled. I know it all would have been a lot more confusing without her. I am forever grateful.

-Lorelei Plotczyk

December 12, 2018