Testimonial for Joyce Havinga-Droop CD(DONA), CLC, SpBCPE, BRM Pro
Without Joyce, I don't think I could have done it!!
For my first delivery, I was forced to be in the hospital since I was pregnant with twins (though it luckily did end in vaginal delivery without any medical intervention). When I got pregnant again 9 years later, I was adamant about having a home birth experience. Since I thought it would be a walk in the park compared to my hospital delivery, I at first didn't plan to have a doula. But then my midwife convinced me of the benefits and I started looking.
Joyce and I hit it off immediately, especially since she had gone through home birth twice on her own. But it wasn't until my labor that I realized just what a treasure I had found! Unfortunately, things did not go as smoothly as I had planned. My baby was in a weird position and pressing on my pubic bone; after pushing unsuccessfully for over an hour I became weak and dizzy; then there was meconium, and eventually baby's heart started having decels. But Joyce was my rock! Her calm and resourcefulness in making me feel safe were endless. She knew just what to say and do at just the right time. Because of the decels,the midwife at one point told me that she would call an ambulance, but gave me a couple more pushes. The very last push she gave me I was ordered into a standing squat. With Joyce holding my arms from behind I gave one final desperate push and he popped out! After some suctioning, my baby boy did beautifully and latched on within a couple of hours.
Honestly, without Joyce, I am almost certain I would have had to be transferred to the hospital. (And we all know how that would have ended...)
-Dani Dumitriu
March 25, 2013
Joyce Havinga-Droop CD(DONA), CLC, SpBCPE, BRM Pro
BirthAmbassador
Birth Fee: $3250 to $4500
