Testimonial for Stephanie Sauer Pasternak, CD(DONA), CLC
Despite my fear of giving birth, Stephanie made my experience empowering and overwhelmingly beautiful.
After reading countless articles about how the maternal death rate in the U.S. is among the highest of any developed country, I was scared of medical personnel insufficiently tracking blood loss or missing signs of pre-eclampsia.
I found so much comfort in Stephanie’s words, calm demeanor, and grounding touch. Stephanie convinced my OB to allow me to push in alternative positions and to do so for 4 ½ hours without intervention.
I remember, when broaching the topic of having a doula with my OB, how she chuckled and said, “Yeah, doulas are great. But you’re going to have a lot of people with you in the delivery room. Doulas are important for after delivery.” The implication in that first part was certainly wrong. Wihtout Stephanie I might have had a C-section. But she was right about the second part. Stephanie was so important to my mental health postpartum. A few days after I had gotten home, I had an emotional breakdown about the physical and psychic pain of breastfeeding. I reached out to Stephanie, and she was over at my house the next day with a scale. She weighed the baby before and after a feeding and helped me use my breast pump for the first time to demonstrate that the baby was getting something after all.
It's hard to choose a doula. They're all lovely people. Stephanie was just as lovely as any of them, but she also had this strength shining from within her. She was loving and accepting, but also a mama bear: resolute and strong-willed when she needed to be. If I had any artistic talent, I would render Stephanie as a majestic and imposing tree with wide, long branches, and glittering leaves. She can withstand any storm, she will protect you, and she has a beautiful, glowing spirit. I will always cherish having had her by my side on one of the most important days of my life.
-Genelle Diaz
January 22, 2021
Stephanie Sauer Pasternak, CD(DONA), CLC
Bergen Doula - Birth Doula & Lactation Counseling
Birth Fee: $1950 to $3500
