Testimonial for Grace Nowakoski
Grace's support was central to my prenatal and birth experience, which was during the first wave of COVID. Grace was understanding and accommodating, and she offered flexible virtual sessions. She was extremely accessible, perfectly prepared for our time, and her follow-up was thorough. Grace is professional, organized, attentive, generous, knowledgeable, gentle, honest, funny, and a joy to spend time with.
Grace was able to join us in person, which absolutely transformed my experience. One of my wishes was to have a non-medicated, vaginal birth. My son was in the posterior position and I was experiencing intense back labor. Fifteen minutes before Grace arrived, I said to my partner, "if I am going to be in this much pain and unable to move around, I might just get an epidural." He encouraged me to wait for Grace, if I could, so we could huddle and make the decision together.
When Grace arrived, and we met in person for the first time, she was calm and positive - she assured me I was coping beautifully. I was once again offered an epidural and told by my medical team that pushing was going to be even more intense. Grace shared that pushing was a different sensation and I am going to want to push; with the utmost confidence she said she believed I could do this without pain medication. In no time, I was pushing - and Grace had her eyes locked on me, anticipating my needs, giving me water and honey sticks, and meeting me exactly where I was at.
When I reflect on my birthing experience, I always say I felt like an Olympic athlete. Everyone in the room was cheering me on and Grace was the head coach. I was in the hospital less than five hours and I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. I am so grateful for every cramp, every push, every scream, every moment of my powerful and unforgettable birth experience. And I have Grace to thank for shepherding us through.
-Erin Wnorowski
October 03, 2020
Grace Nowakoski
HELD Doula Services
Birth Fee: $1600 to $2000
Postpartum Rate: $45 to $65
