My fiance and I chose Leah as our doula as we were hoping for a natural childbirth and felt that someone like Leah, with lots of experience and a calming presence, would be helpful during the process of labor and delivery. I had a somewhat loose birth plan but strong feelings about having a natural delivery with limited medical interventions. Sixty hours after my water broke I had my son by c-section. Leah was incredibly helpful during this difficult journey. She took some of the pressure off my fiance, providing us both with much-needed support. She teamed up well with our midwife as they brainstormed how to best help us facilitate a natural childbirth. Leah reminded me of my rights early in labor when I was encouraged to take induction medications and supported my decision to leave the hospital and return 24 hours later in active labor, a decision I may not have felt as confident about making without her support. She stuck by us through the whole process - and it was a long one! She even missed her husband's first race to be with us during my labor, for which we were very grateful. Physically, my post-partum recovery went very well but I struggled with insomnia, some symptoms of post-partum depression and feelings of disappointment and self-doubt regarding how my son had eventually entered the world. Leah was very helpful in normalizing what I was going through, encouraging me and reminding me that we had literally tried everything possible to encourage a natural childbirth and that I was strong and should be proud of myself for giving it my all. She encouraged me to schedule an appointment with a post-partum counselor sooner than later. She's thoughtfully texted me a number of times to check-in and see how we are doing. If you're thinking about hiring a doula, I would strongly recommend Leah Kohlstrom!
-Eva Beauchemin
January 08, 2019
Birthing Mothers
Birth Fee: $900
Postpartum Rate: $35 to $40