Testimonial for Ellen Hsu (Mandarin/English)
My partner and I were so happy that we were able to have Ellen as our doula. As many of her other clients write, she was engaged from the very beginning antenatally and was so helpful postpartum checking in with tips and other ideas about things that would make our lives easier (for example, a list of items to put in a "to go" bag for when we leave the house with the baby). While my labor took an unexpected turn and we had to go to c-section which I had hoped would not happen, Ellen's prescence was one of the primary reasons that I had such a positive experience. Because of her (and of course a great medical team) I felt satisfied that going to c-section was the right thing to do and that all options to prevent it had been explored. She was wonderful in guiding me and my partner through our nerves as we got ready for the operation.
I also want to specifically note that while Ellen's language skills make her particularly attractive to Chinese clients, we didn't select her based on that quality. Both me and my partner were born in the US and fluent English speakers. As someone who works in the obstetrics field deliverying babies, I approached Ellen after watching her interact with many of my own patients. I think she strikes a perfect balance of labor support, emotional support, patient advocacy, and giving the medical team their space to do what they think is best as well.
I also wanted to note that the unfortunate reality is that prenatal/obstetrical care is an area where our society really emphasizes gender and a heteronormative culture. I am a cis-woman and married to a cis-woman. And while many of the people that we encountered through our pregnancy journey did their best, there were many times that it was glaringly (and sometimes painfully) apparent that we were not the norm or what they were used to. We never felt this way with Ellen.
-Jessica G
November 27, 2019
Birth Fee: $2000 to $2800
Postpartum Rate: $80 to $100
