I chose to hire Serena because I felt a connection with her instantly. I felt that she had a great balance in her viewpoint of childbirth. Because I had Serena with me I was able to achieve my goal of an unmedicated birth. Although things were tough in the end and I wanted to give in I was lucky enough to have her by my side to encourage me and get me through each contraction. The main reason for choosing a doula originally was because my husband lives in Richland, WA and it would be about a 4 hour drive to get to me once I contacted him to let him know I was in labor. This was my 2nd baby and I had no idea how quick my labor might be. We felt that it was extremely important that I have another person by my side especially until he arrived. After my husband arrived at the hospital I was still so grateful to have Serena because she was able to coach my husband on pain relief techniques as well as give him rest and breaks when he needed them. My labor ended up being 32 ½ hours and I definitely needed the extra support that Serena provided.
When things got tough in the end and I didn’t feel that I was going to reach my goal of an unmedicated birth I was so lucky to have Serena. She talked me through each contraction and cheered me on when I needed it the most. Although my husband now feels that he would be fine as a birth coach he also knows how wonderful it was to have Serena with us and we know that when we are ready for our next child we would love to have her by our side once again.
*Pictures taken by the talented Holly Aprecio
