Originally I chose Ellen because she was the only Chinese doula in our area. I speak english really well and only wanted an Asian doula because its more comfortable and we probably have the same cultural understandings. Having Ellen as my doula and as my postpartum doula was the best thing I could have done for my pregnancy and postpartum. She is literally a real life angel! Because of covid19 i could not attend prenatal classes as the hospital canceled all of them. Instead I did sessions with Ellen to learn what to expect when I go to give birth and in the few days after giving birth. She was always readily available and always replied to me in a timely manner no matter how late it was.
I dont really have any female family members who could help me with giving birth or after birth but I didnt feel like I was missing anything because I had Ellen. She stayed with me at the hospital until a few hours after baby was born. Made sure I was comfortable and helped to ease my anxiety and know what to expect. Most importantly, she did not let any nurses or doctors pressure me to do anything that I wasnt comfortable with. I really did not want to breastfeed my baby at all and she advocated for me and told me it was okay to feel this way. She was not judgemental of my choice at all and was super understanding!
Ellen was also my postpartum doula and helped me to get some much needed sleep. When my breast milk came in I was so surprised and didnt know what to expect. Ellen helped me to get the milk ducts unclogged and helped me figure out a pumping schedule that worked best for me. When my baby had colic she brought it to my attention, otherwise i would have just thought i have a troublesome baby and not done anything to help improve the colic.
Hiring Ellen will be completely worth it and I feel like I made a life long friend! I will forever be thankful for her and all of the support she provided for me.
-Starla Yi
January 08, 2022
Birth Fee: $2000 to $2800
Postpartum Rate: $80 to $100