Testimonial for Laura Fortner, CD(DONA) from Nicole Bohannon

Testimonial for Laura Fortner, CD(DONA)

One of my friends got to have Laura at both of her births (this friend is the type who demands excellence & would not sing praises for no reason!). When Laura answered my inquiry & said she had room on her calendar for me, I was thrilled.

I had a zoom call with her at 20 wks to make sure we were a good fit & hired her right away. She made herself available to answer any questions I may have had throughout the rest of my pregnancy. My husband, Tom, & I had a meeting with her in my 3rd trimester to discuss birth preferences. I loved the fact Laura & Tom got face to face time before the big day. It really helped Tom understand her role & his role in the birth & empowered him to be able to advocate for me while in the hospital.

I sent Laura updates from my Dr. appts towards the end & she coached me on when to start red raspberry leaf capsules, the dates, the borage oil, etc. I went into labor on a Friday night & her tips for staying comfortable while laboring at home were essential. When the contractions were 3-1-1, I headed in to the hospital be checked & was ecstatic to already be at a 5-6cm.

Laura came from another birth that night and was a total rockstar! Helping me get into all the positions to progress labor was like an olympic sport & she did not tire! I also got a "bonus doula" during my birth because she was training a new doula. I felt so supported and encouraged. Laura was in the delivery room with us around 4A and by 10:39A our little girl was born.

To this day, Tom & I are incredibly thankful for Laura & her calm, confident expertise, for Addi & her willingness to hop right in, and to NDDA for the most informative birth class. I got the unmedicated birth I had prayed for & a healthy little miracle baby. If you are on the fence about investing in a doula, my stance on that is to make it a priority & don't view it as a luxury! We love Laura!

-Nicole Bohannon

April 14, 2022