Testimonial for Allison Kohl from Rebekah Brannen

Testimonial for Allison Kohl

Allison was a fantastic doula. She was a perfect match for me for a number of reasons. I never felt pressured or judged by her, even though throughout my pregnancy I went from wanting to deliver in the hospital to delivering at home. When I first met Allison, I was afraid I would meet a doula that was only interested in natural birth, and I was at a place where I planned to deliver in hospital and possibly with medication. She was not at all judgmental and planned to support me through a hospital birth. As the months went by, I started learning more about natural birth and home birth I started changing my mind. Allison provided me with a wealth of resources, from books to videos, and let me make up my own mind. When the birth day came, Allison arrived soon after I called her and helped me through my initial anxiety of being at home. Allison supported me to stay at home as she knew I truly wanted to be home. She spoke softly and also used hypnobirthing techniques, as I had taken a hypnobirthing pre-natal course. Allison was also great at observing how fast my labour was going - I was only in active labour for 6 hours and going a lot faster than even my midwives expected. Allison helped me decide to call the midwife sooner than I had planned, which was incredibly crucial, as when the midwife arrived I was already 8-9cm dilated! Through the pushing Allison held one hand while my partner held me other hand. She helped me push at the pace I wanted to push, although my midwife was telling me to push harder and faster than I felt I should. I ended up with no stiches, a perfectly healthy baby, and all aspects of my homebirth going perfectly. Allison remained supportive with breastfeeding and answering questions during the next couple of weeks. I would highly recommend Allison as a doula as she provides non-judgmental support, has a calming presence, and is very knowledgeable.

-Rebekah Brannen

December 27, 2012