Testimonial for Toni Curtis, CD(DONA), LCCE, CLC, CVD(TVL), CHW, SpBCPE
Toni is very knowledgeable, caring, personable and action based. I was introduced to her by my doula. I was very concerned about breast feeding after the birth of my son. He was born 36 weeks 4 days due to Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). His birth weight was 3Ibs 11 oz. During our stay at the hospital, I was not able to practice latching except twice. I was told that he was too small to really get a latch. I was advised to maintain skin to skin and to pump at least 8 times a day. He was released from the hospital 2 weeks after birth. A week later Toni contacted me. I expressed to her my frustration. I really wanted to breastfeed but was told he had to stay on a 26-calorie formula. I did not want to jeopardize his calorie intake. This is when everything took a turn for the best! Toni explained to me the importance and urgency to get him to breastfeed now, because as he gets older and continues to bottle feed he will not want to take to the breast. She told me it was going to take a lot of work but if breastfeeding is what I want, it can still be done. She advised me to breastfeed every 2 hours and pump right after. I was advised to stay hydrated and eat a lot of protein. And not to worry about the calories because breast milk has everything he needs. I did exactly what she said. Baby boy was latching, and we were able to breastfeed 15-30 mins daily. The great news came when I went to his one-month checkup. His pediatrician asked me how I was feeding him. I told her exactly what I had been doing. The pediatrician told me due to his weight gain being on track, I no longer have to formula feed I can now exclusively breastfeed. I was ecstatic. Thanks to Toni I was able to stick to my plan of breast feeding. Thank you, Toni, you’re the best!!
-Tyra
June 30, 2022
Toni Curtis, CD(DONA), LCCE, CLC, CVD(TVL), CHW, SpBCPE
BirthWise Doula Services LLC
Birth Fee: $2500 to $4500
Postpartum Rate: $40 to $50
