Testimonial for Laura Fortner, CD(DONA) from Rachael Wenokur

Testimonial for Laura Fortner, CD(DONA)

My husband and I chose to hire Laura as our doula for the birth of our second child since we were attempting to have a successful VBAC. My first birth was a scheduled c-section and I never once felt a contraction. My initial interview with Laura led me to cancel all other interviews and I hired her within the week. From the first phone call I knew she would be the support I needed. She was informative and had immense knowledge that helped me in my pursuit of a VBAC. We were in a unique situation because we delivered at a hospital that is not known for being VBAC friendly and Laura informed me of all my options in the DFW area. When we ultimately decided to stay with my current provider, I will never forget how supportive she was. I was so nervous to tell her we had decided to stay, even knowing it was the best decision for the health of our family but her response was supportive and I knew she was on my side no matter what. My husband was unsure about the need for a doula in the beginning but throughout the entire process he was grateful for Laura's wisdom and advice, and we both believe our VBAC would not have been successful without her. She was always easy to contact (especially via text) which was nice when I had a random but simple question. It was her knowledge about the labor process and what my body was doing that allowed me to advocate for myself and tell a doctor I wasn't ready for a c-section. She knew positions to help me when labor was stalled (after the epidural) and empowered me to believe that my body was doing what it was designed to do just in its own time.

Laura remained by my side through 3 hours of pushing during a severe storm that caused local schools to go into severe weather protocol and almost missed her son's birthday to support me. We got our successful VBAC and I look forward to the day that I get to labor with her again.

-Rachael Wenokur

July 23, 2019