Testimonial for Melissa F. Haley (they/them)
This was my first experience with pregnancy and childbirth, and I'm convinced the two best things I did for myself was prenatal yoga/movement three times a week, and hiring Mel. To know Mel is to know two primary sides of them (but of course we all contain multitudes). The first side is the schoolteacher side...I can't remember if they actually were a schoolteacher or simply studied to become one, but it showed. This side refused to arrive anywhere where they weren't armed to the teeth (props! weighted babies! worksheets! swaddles! videos! podcasts! emails! statistics!), and clearly loves learning all there is to know about birth, prenatal care, and postpartum. I don't know if I ever saw them in person without 4 giant bags of aids, books, and tools slung over their shoulder. The other side was the human that met my partner and I in the delivery room. The empathy that poured off them could have been cut with a dull letter opener, and I've never felt so deeply supported, held, and validated. Their encouragement, support, and transparency about their knowledge (and biases that came with that knowledge, a rarity) helped us feel well equipped to make decisions as we naviagated our GP nudging us in a direction that wasn't what we wanted. I have no idea how they manage to so perfectly live in both the metaphysical and evidence-based sides of birth, but they did an exceptional job of it (Plus, and this is a semi irrelevant aside, they gave me a homemade magnesium spray for my calves and feet to help with sleep at our first irl meeting that was WONDERFUL in my third trimester in helping me settle at night and feel slightly less uncomfortable). Pregnancy and birthing are such a limited season (I'm eight weeks postpartum as I write this and already pregnancy feels like a fever dream), and having a well versed guide made it an all the more fulfilling for myself and for my partner. If you're on the fence, just do it. Your little one (and your legs) will likely thank you.
-Danielle Becker
October 21, 2024
Melissa F. Haley (they/them)
M.Ed., CD, CBE @wyld_garden
Birth Fee: $1900 to $2300
Postpartum Rate: $45
