Testimonial for Anna Raczka
My wife gave birth in a hospital a few weeks ago, and Ania was our birth doula. Despite long (~26 hours) and intense labor, with lots of unexpected twists, the end result was a healthy baby, plus we managed to avoid a C-section, so my wife's recovery wasn't too bad. In retrospect, we couldn't have achieved that if not for Ania's help and advice.
Before the delivery, we had a few in person meetings with Ania, where she learned our preferences and suggested her approach to preparing for the process, without insisting on us following every detail. We also watched videos of a few births. Thanks to those meetings, we were better prepared for the delivery and post-partum.
During the delivery, we woke Ania up in the middle of the night (as the contractions started at 2 AM), and she joined us in the hospital an hour later. She was with us all the time until we left the delivery room in about 30 hours. She had hardly slept during this time, her attention was always on my wife. She went above and beyond to make her as comfortable as possible. Also, she was focusing on how to make the contractions more effective via different positions, and how to speed up the delivery by various non-medical means.
Ania also consulted us on every decision we took, supported every choice we made, and, at one point, she even defended our interests (although she didn't sign up for this). Her advices were always motivated by the needs of my wife and our baby.
After the birth, she visited us a few times, and was always ready to answer our questions by phone (we called her every time we didn't know what to do). Given that my wife and I have no relatives who live close by, we're very grateful for that help.
I believe that being a doula is not just Ania's job, it is her vocation. Her ability to build trust and to establish a deep and personal connection is extraordinary, and I'm certain she puts her heart and soul in every birth she assists.
-Andrei Shutovich
June 27, 2023
Anna Raczka
sagebirthingservices.com
Birth Fee: $1850
Postpartum Rate: $45
