Testimonial for Melissa Duenas-Witter
I first hired Melissa halfway through my first pregnancy when I learned I had gestational diabetes--I needed some additional support coping with the diagnosis and the changes to my pregnancy and birth plan that accompanied it. Melissa ushered me through that experience, answering every anxious text with knowledge and compassion. Melissa attended to my needs and managed the complicated dynamics with my family so beautifully during that first labor that I knew I would hire her for subsequent pregnancies. What I did not know was that the next two would result in loss--I had hired Melissa early on in both (she's so good you have to get in early!) and in retrospect am so glad I did. She was constantly available to me throughout those horrific experiences providing all of the information, recommendations and care that I didn't even know I needed.
During my last pregnancy that resulted in the birth of my son, Melissa felt more like a good friend than a hired support person. She knew me so well by then that she could advocate for me in exactly the way I needed her to without me saying a word. What would have been an agonizingly long induction without her felt like a fun catch-up with an old friend--you may not realize that good conversation and an entertaining distraction is exactly what you need in the hours before active labor begins but on this front Melissa really delivers! Then, when it's go time, she kicks it into high gear and does whatever needs doing to bring that baby into the world! In my case, she and my midwife made my dream of an unmedicated hospital delivery a reality by moving me through various positions, helping me to labor in the shower and keeping my energy up.
Melissa is truly one of a kind and anyone who has the good fortune of working with her will be better for it!
-Alana Truelove
August 26, 2024
Melissa Duenas-Witter
Diary of a Doula
Birth Fee: $2250 to $2850
