Testimonial for Amber Stewart
Before we begin, let me say: I honestly don't believe the birth of my second son would've happened without the experienced guidance of Amber.
My experience: after a HBC (homebirth cesarean or planned homebirth resulting in a hospital transfer that ended in c-section) with my first child, I did my best to ensure a homebirth was successful with my second pregnancy. And that included hiring a doula. I knew from our first meeting Amber was the missing piece to our birth team: she was professional, knowledgeable and empathetic.
She met with me (and husband and midwives on different occasions) frequently and helped me to navigate exactly what I wanted for the birth of my second son. She listened and encouraged, offering her wisdom and knowledge to fill in my gaps. She never passed judgement on my choices and always supported me in my decisions (even if the decisions were different from the advice of other members of my care team).
She was always available via text or phone from the moment she agreed to take me as a client. And once labor started threatening at 35 weeks, she was ready whenever baby decided it was time.
During my actual labor, she came ahead of the rest of my birth team and set up my master suite beautifully, making it a haven of peace and safety. When labor failed to become established due to baby's position, she guided me through hours of exercises and positioning, knowing when I needed to be active and when I needed to rest.
Once labor was established, her experienced eye knew what positions to gently suggest and when the midwives needed to be called back. During transition and pushing, she suggested different pain management techniques that helped me to focus on the work that needed to be done without becoming distracted by the sensations my body was experiencing.
In the end, thanks very much to Amber and her wisdom, my son was born exactly as I wished: at home, naturally.
-Snookie Seipler
January 19, 2022
Amber Stewart
Mother In Bloom Doula & Childbirth Services
Birth Fee: $1300 to $1600
Postpartum Rate: $40 to $50
