Testimonial for Dara DeSoto ,CD(DONA), CLEC, Student Midwife from Melinda Simon

Testimonial for Dara DeSoto ,CD(DONA), CLEC, Student Midwife

I bless the day that Dara and Joy came into my life. Seriously. When I first met with them, I sensed a warmth, a joy (of course) and a certain 'good-normal' vibe that I was really wanting in my doula. But these qualities were just the teaser trailer. I can't accurately explain in a Yelp review what a treasure these two women have become to our family. This was my third pregnancy, my second VBAC and I was going med-free for the first time so I had an idea of what I wanted. Or so I thought. When COVID-19 turned all of our plans upside down and doulas got the boot out of hospitals, I was nervous about how much support I could realistically expect. But let me tell you. The Joyful Roots team went A.BOVE.AND.BEYOND. They came up with virtual methods for labor support (which proved really effective), developed enormously rich online pregnancy resources, built a virtual community, invested deeply in partner education and were present in so many ways throughout the entire pregnancy and labor. Ultimately, I was able to have Dara come to my home to accompany me through most of labor and I arrived at the hospital an hour before my son was born (which was perfect). Dara transitioned to virtual support at that point and was immensely helpful as my husband became my primary support. I can say with my whole heart that this birth was deeply beautiful, I was able to achieve all my goals, and a large part of this was Dara's calm, personal presence and the assurance of her expertise. This pandemic has brought a lot of things to light, and I was able to see clearly that Dara and Joy care so sincerely about their clients and that they have the drive to put that care into action. Even when protocols made physical presence impossible, these women pivoted to ensure that their mamas were seen, heard and cared for. Basically, they had their hands tied behind their back and they learned how to cartwheel. This team is seriously beyond.

-Melinda Simon

October 03, 2020