Testimonial for Ema Balos
The labor and birth process is one of the most vulnerable experiences of my life, and I cannot imagine having made it through without Ema by both my husband's and my sides. After our first meeting, my husband and I looked at each other and said even if we had to labor and birth without her, the expense was worth every penny. Her knowledge about and passion for education around birth, paired with their patience and kindness, made for the most harmonious and empowering intro to labor.
Throughout our entire labor process, Ema was a voice of reason, a calm, an encouragement, and a counselor. She listened to me breathe, counseled my husband, emboldened me to believe in my body's ability, and empathized with me when I was in severe pain. She was funny when I opened that window and sensitive when I needed it; persistent in her calm and persistent in her encouragement. Even now, I can still hear her voice saying to me, "your body is doing exactly what it should be. You are progressing beautifully."
Another piece of Ema's excellence is her advocacy. In our pre-labor meeting, she told Robert that their role was to protect me from all outside stimuli so that I could stay attuned to my body's needs. In real time, that is exactly what she did. She and my husband were a force field around me, asking questions of the medical staff that I was not in a position to ask and always in service of my body and dream labor. When the medical team was urging me to do something at the end of my labor that I was not comfortable with, Ema met their urgency with kind and patient persistence. She held them off and asked questions but maintained a level of patience that I could not have managed myself.
Ema protected my dream birth, empowered my husband, assisted me in listening to the innermost parts of my body, and kindly ushered our precious baby into the world alongside us. She was the crucial piece in helping me realize my dream of an unmedicated birth.
-Carolyne B
July 09, 2024
Ema Balos
Empowered Birthing Doula Services
Birth Fee: $300 to $2100
