Testimonial for Raya Sagdejeva
Raya was our doula for the birth of our daughter in October 2020 and she was AMAZING! She is so thoughtful and intentional about her work. From the initial “let’s see if this is a good fit” meeting to actually being in the hospital when our daughter was born, Raya was immensely helpful.
She did three prenatal visits with my husband and me in the month or two leading up to our baby being born (on the porch, socially-distanced). This was my second baby and we were preparing for a VBAC. Given that we were in COVID times and couldn’t do any in-person classes or do a tour of the hospital, Raya’s guidance and expertise was invaluable in preparing for birth. She tailored her sessions and information to us and was really responsive to what we needed and wanted. She gave us handouts and checklists and also taught my husband some really practical massage techniques and strategies for helping me through labor (which he implemented beautifully when the time came!).
Throughout labor, Raya was wonderful. She was so good at knowing exactly when to step up and when to let my husband take the lead in supporting me, offering helpful guidance along the way in an unobtrusive way. I ended up having a long labor and there were several instances when we had to decide if we wanted an intervention to move things along. She helped us work through what to do without making decisions for us. All in all, she was with us for more than 24 hours! I’m sure she was exhausted and missed her family, but I never once felt like we were a burden or that she was getting anxious about how long it was taking.
I would 100% work with Raya again and would recommend her to anyone who is considering a doula, whether it’s your first or subsequent pregnancy. I feel certain that working with Raya helped us have a successful VBAC!
-Sarah G.
January 14, 2021
Raya Sagdejeva
The Durham Doula
Birth Fee: $700 to $1250
Postpartum Rate: $25 to $40
