Testimonial for Sue Chargo, ICBD, ICCE, (ICEA) Doula, Educator, Lactation Counselor, Doula Trainer
I sought out the services of a doula as I struggle with anxiety and knew having a knowledgeable birthing coach who was not my husband would be useful. It was wonderful to have her on my team for my first baby. The two prenatal meetings were useful; however, I know they would have been better suited for a person/couple who was very unfamiliar with the process of labor and delivery. I spent months reading articles and books, as well as talking to all the mothers in my life to learn all I could, so I didn’t have many questions besides her role in the process. It was nice to have her put together a birth preference document to ease my own preparations. I was really looking forward to Sue's vast array of techniques to ease labor pain, but I was unable to get that benefit as I was induced on my due date for medical reasons and chose to get an epidural prior to the AROM. Early in the induction I used nitrous oxide (on Sue’s recommendation) that helped greatly with my anxiety and prevented me from needing pain medication much earlier than I did. I am sensitive to Pitocin so needed it to be reduced several times before my labor really started. Sue arrived after I’d been in the hospital for 32 hours, just prior to things advancing more quickly (just short of 12 hours after my water was broken). When it came time for me to begin pushing, she was there to hold up one of my legs and coach me through it with the help of my nurse and it was wonderful to have someone there who knew what was happening, how to help, and what to say to explain what was going on to a first time mom that just wanted to sleep. I especially liked that she took pictures just after so my mother and husband could focus on me and the baby. The postnatal visit is what I found most valuable in my situation as it was great to recap everything that had happened and to get the birth story in writing.
-Laurel M.
November 11, 2019
Birth Fee: $2000 to $3250
Postpartum Rate: $40 to $45
