Testimonial for Elise Benoit
I was in search of a doula for birth and postpartum support and found only a few doulas in Richmond that offered both. Upon meeting Elise, her warm and kind aura immediately put us at ease, which was exactly the vibe we wanted both in the delivery room as well as in our home in those first few weeks w/ a newborn.
Elise was such a calming presence during labor, offering cold compresses to my forehead. After a few hours of pushing, we took a break and despite being 4 or 5 in the morning, Elise watched the monitors the whole time, allowing my husband and I to get some rest knowing someone was keeping an eye out. In the end, I was very fortunate that my delivery was speedy and such a positive experience. As someone who had anxiety about giving birth, I'm so glad that we chose Elise to have by our side.
Postpartum, Elise came to visit 4 times. We don't have very much family nearby so were thankful to have her on our support team. She held my baby, allowing to take a decent shower, eat lunch in peace, and do a few quick chores around the house. Elise was knowledgable and shared so many resources with us during her visits -- from helpful apps, to showing us how to use a baby wrap, to referring us to the best lactation services in the area, etc. While I'm sure you could go down a Google rabbit hole to research such info, it would have been impossible in those early days to find the time or mental bandwidth. It was wonderful to have so many recommendations at our fingertips through Elise.
While we didn't book Elise for overnight visits postpartum, we may do so in the future while I'm on work travel and as my husband occasionally works nights. I also booked placenta encapsulation services through her as well, which I felt did help prevent me from feeling the sharp drop in hormones/baby blues. All in all, I loved that we found all these services wrapped up in one doula. I highly recommend Elise and am so grateful her help and support!!
-Ji Zapata
July 31, 2019
Elise Benoit
Elise Benoit Doula Services, A Brighter Birth
Birth Fee: $1800
Postpartum Rate: $40 to $45
