Testimonial for Char Char Perkins RN LCCE, CD(DONA)
Char Perkins was our doula for the births of both our children. My daughter was born in April of 2016 via C-Section after painful hours of labor and remaining stuck at 8-9 cm. Char ensured my spouse was present, that he was able to cut the cord, and that baby was placed skin-to-skin as quickly as possible. She took photographs that illuminated the loveliness that emerges in unexpected & “unpleasant” ways. Everything in my first birth plan went awry and yet it was beautiful in the most perfectly imperfect way. Char played an important role not only in my coming to terms with how things went, but in my finding a way to believe in my body again after feeling betrayed by it. While never dismissing or judging my anxieties & fears, Char simultaneously empowered me to reclaim the strength of my body & mind. We strategically developed a birth plan that provided me with a sense of motivation & ownership. Char prepped me to know what to expect when the doctor told me about my “odds for having a successful VBAC”; she instilled in me the confidence I had to move forward even when the doctor told me those odds had dropped (with induction) to a 38% chance of success. During labor, Char ensured I was as comfortable possible – replenishing water, chapstick, and juice. She also assisted my partner in understanding how to best support me without ever making him feel dominated or uninvolved (if anything, she enables partners to be more involved). She works side by side with nurses, doctors, and midwives seamlessly and regularly provides suggestions about positioning & movement (both before and during labor) to help get baby out! In September of 2019 I had a successful VBAC and I could not have done it without Char’s wealth of knowledge, support, and empowerment. She is an incredible human and doula, and I am eternally grateful for her role in those birth stories I will tell again and again with tears of joy.
-Amy Foley
October 31, 2019
Char Char Perkins RN LCCE, CD(DONA)
Journey2Birth
Birth Fee: $800 to $1000
