Testimonial for Anne Schuchman
I worked with Anne for my second pregnancy, 14 years after the C-section. I was targeting VBAC, and was building my birth team: a midwife (a physician didn't feel right to me) and a doula. Anne was the right person for me from the beginning: very supportive, understanding, and non-judgmental.
I wanted as natural birth as possible, so we started at home and stayed 4 hours of early labor. My water broke when I walked in the hospital, and I continued laboring for 5 hours more before. I made good progress with no medication or interventions, but then unexpectedly I had heavy bleeding, was diagnosed with placenta abruption, and made an emergency C-section.
Anne was indispensable during the whole process. She helped me to leave through each contraction: hip squeeze and back rub were life-saving. She did it and showed my husband how to do it too. So all 9 hours of active labor was continuous help (with simple things such as bringing water or ice chips, helping to change sheets or to change position, and reminding of breathing).
In a hospital, people are in and out, and nobody is with you all the time. It was the first time for my husband, so he also needed some education. Anne was the person who was always nearby.
My labor ended up differently than I had planned. Still, I was delighted: I did everything I could, I was not pushed to do any intervention (thanks to Anne as well, as she was echoing my desires to the personnel, repeating when I was not able to), and eventually, I was grateful for urgent efforts to save my and my son's life when things unfolded unexpectedly.
Unfortunately, OR was too small, so they don't let doulas there. But Anne couched my husband what to do and how to support me. She stayed with us in the intensive care unit after the operations and followed up with me several times when I was in the hospital and at home.
My decision to have Anne as my doula was one of the best decisions I made for this birth.
-Katerina
April 18, 2023
Anne Schuchman
Mamma Mia Doula Services
Birth Fee: $1850 to $3750
Postpartum Rate: $55 to $75
