Testimonial for Amanda Clarke-Ray M.Ed., CD(DONA)
My husband and I decided to hire a doula for the birth of our second child after the traumatic birth of our first. With our first, we felt like we didn't have an advocate in the room, and as things progressed outside what we had been prepared for in our hospital-sponsored birth class, we were scared and completely out of our depths. We wanted to make sure that we wouldn't have another similar experience this time.
I lined up four interviews - Amanda was the first and I was most excited to meet her after reading her profile. We chatted on Skype and I immediately loved her, so much so that I canceled the other three interviews and signed her contract the next day. She was so kind, honest, and confident. I knew that she would be the advocate I needed.
We met with Amanda twice before the birth: once to talk about ourselves, what we needed from her, and our birth plan, and a second time to check-in and go over "what if"s (this included what would we need from her in the event of a c-section).
The day of the birth went completely not-to-plan. The baby's cord was crushed by the contractions causing her heart rate to plummet. In her distress, she flipped right-side up and began to descend down the birth canal feet first. This resulted in an emergency c-section, during which I hemorrhaged and lost about 1/3 of my blood. My husband and newborn daughter left shortly after her birth to get out of the cold OR. Without Amanda, I would've been alone. For over an hour, she sat at my head, rubbing my temples and keeping me calm. As I lost blood, I began fading in and out of consciousness, and each time I awoke Amanda would update me on what was going on, tell me how much time had passed, and relay any questions I had to the surgical staff. She was more of an advocate than I had ever imagined, and I owe her a deep debt of gratitude. Hiring her will be the best decision you make in your birth plan - it was for me!
-Katie Morris
November 20, 2019
Amanda Clarke-Ray M.Ed., CD(DONA)
Amanda Clarke-Ray Doula Services
Birth Fee: $2500
Postpartum Rate: $50
