Testimonial for Barbie French, CD(DONA), CPD(RI)
We were so lucky to have Barbie as our doula for the birth of our second child. We had just moved to Rhode Island and considered having the baby without a doula (thinking that our experience with our first child had prepared us for the second one) but we were wrong. We met Barbie when I was about 38 weeks pregnant (don't wait this long to reach out to Barbie, we got really lucky that she had last minute availability). In the few weeks leading up to the birth, Barbie's insight and expertise helped prepare and remind us about the type of birth/birthing preferences we had. Because we were new to RI and the hospital, it was also great to have Barbie's help with hospital logistics (e.g. where to park) as well as the connections that she has within the community (e.g. prental massage, pelvic floor PT, etc). During labor and delivery, Barbie was instrumental in reminding us of (and helping us advocate for) our birthing preferences. For example, I delivered our baby at a training hospital and was not comfortable with a resident administering the epidural. If it were not for Barbie's familiarity with the hospital nurses/doctors, we would have not known that the individual who first came in to administer the epidural was a resident. Barbie has so much knowledge and experience to share about the entire process from pregnancy to postpartum and it was comforting knowing that she was on our team (even though I had been through it before, I had forgotten so many things). I feel so grateful to have had Barbie on our team for this birth and would highly recommend working with her regardless of the type of birth you think you will have.
-Hayley B
August 15, 2023
Barbie French, CD(DONA), CPD(RI)
Nature's Om Doula
Birth Fee: $1300 to $1500
Postpartum Rate: $45
