Testimonial for Maris James, CD (DTI), CBE, CBC
Maris was the second of three doulas we had scheduled for interviews for the birth of our first child. It took all of five minutes after she left for us to decide that we wanted her to be our doula - we never even interviewed the third!
She immediately made my husband and I both feel completely at ease, and we were both amazed at her calming presence and her desire to sit and be with us for as long as we needed her - nothing felt rushed. For both of our prenatal visits, Maris was patient, thorough, and loving as she educated us in everything from pain management exercises to what goes into our hospital bag. She came over right away the morning of my labor, and was very receptive to my desire to labor at home as long as possible. She even left and came back (at my request) in the middle of the day. She told me "you'll know when it's time to go to the hospital." I believed her, and she was right.
Once in the hospital, she was an incredible source of support. She was the one who checked me into triage as my husband was carrying all our stuff. I had a contraction in the hallway and suddenly found myself putting the entire weight of my body up against hers - to say the least, Maris supported me both physically and emotionally.
During the craziness of the final push, I remember looking into Maris's eyes as she repeatedly told me that I was safe and that my body was doing exactly what it needed to do. I really don't think I would have had such a quick and relatively "easy" labor had it not been for her calm and experienced guidance. If we ever have another child, I would want Maris to be our doula again.
-Anna Belle
August 15, 2019
Maris James, CD (DTI), CBE, CBC
Loveswell Birth
Birth Fee: $1900 to $3000
Postpartum Rate: $45 to $75
