Testimonial for Julia Chemotti
Having a doula, and Julia in particular, turned out to be more important than we even realized it would be. As first-time parents, when we went looking for a doula we hoped to find someone who could be a support person during labor. We learned through working with Julia that a doula can be so much more than that. Julia did certainly support us during labor - especially important when we neded up needing an induction - but she also supported us through months leading up to, and even following, our son's birth. It's one thing to read a ton of books and articles online (and we did that too) but it's so helpful to talk to a real person who's been present for a ton of births, has studied this stuff, can point you to resources you wouldn't have found on your own, and can pose thoughtful questions to consider. We could tell she was very careful not to steer us into one "right" decision, or a decision to match a particular agenda. She listened, asked questions, and provided information for us to make our own decisions about what was right for us.
The staff at the hospital were all very nice, but like the midwives during our pregnancy, they cycled through in shifts and had a lot of people to take care of. They just can't be by your side during all of the long and intense hours of labor, and it was so valuable to have her expertise and steady, calming presence. It turns out during birth you may literally need someone to remind you to take sips of water! And Julia was right there to hold the straw, suggest labor positions, and even help our baby latch right after birth. Working with Julia as our doula was easily the best investment of time and money that we made in our pregnancy.
-Melissa Hubener
November 20, 2024
Julia Chemotti
Focused Birth doula and birth photography
Birth Fee: $1200 to $2000
Postpartum Rate: Not specified
