Testimonial for Jessica Chamberlain, Birth Doula, LC, Massage Therapist
Our planned home birth went awry when, 11 days post-due date, we were referred to a hospital because of potential meconium concerns. Facing a much more medicalized, induced birth with an unknown doctor (our midwife didn't have hospital privileges), we were pretty freaked out. Our midwife put out a request to the Minnesota Childbirth Collective, and Jessi responded first. Our initial phone call immediately put me at ease; Jessi had been through a similar experience and was calm, friendly, informative, and honest. It got better from there! My labor spanned 48 hours and included Jessi helping us find a way to talk the nurse into stopping the pitocin drip the second night so I could get some much-needed rest (she never pushed or otherwise overstepped her role; we asked, and she gave us her thoughts). She was so thoughtful, bringing coffee for my partner, making sure we ate, stepping in or backing away intuitively, and always staying attentive to my needs. My favorite thing? This petite, strong woman (who is also an aerialist) was able to support my rather substantial weight, contorting her body to hold my leg for hours or applying counter pressure when it was downright awkward. And she was still breast feeding her six-month-old and pumping through all this...and I didn't even notice because she chose her timing so well! We have since become friends, and I'm impressed by her ability to both advocate/educate and remain respectful of ALL choices made by birth parents. We were so fortunate to have Jessi as part of our birth story. She was the difference between a potentially scary situation and the truly wonderful way we ended up meeting our son.
-Melissa Williams
October 19, 2012
Jessica Chamberlain, Birth Doula, LC, Massage Therapist
Spiral Dance Bodywork and Doula services
Birth Fee: $1000 to $1850
Postpartum Rate: $40 to $55
