If a more positive birth experience is what you are looking for then Charity is who you want helping at your delivery.  She is full of compassion and very passionate about helping women have positive birth experiences. She is very knowledgeable about the birthing process and different relaxation and coping techniques.

When we expressed interest in having Charity help, she started sharing materials and resources with us to help us be informed about natural hospitals births. She introduced us to books that walked me through the labor process and brought understanding about what happened during my first birth, which in turn brought emotional healing. Becoming well informed helped me make decisions about what kind of birth I wanted.  In her first visits before the birth, Charity guided us through coping and relaxation techniques that my husband and I could practice together. She talked through our ideal birth scenarios with us, helped us create our own birth plan (which made communication with the nurses at the hospital go very smoothly), and she helped us mentally prepare to make decisions in less than ideal situations.

When I was induced, Charity came as soon as we asked her to come.  She came prepared with tools (essential oils infuser, a rebozo, honey sticks etc). She new what she was doing and appropriately suggested different coping techniques at different stages of labor.  I especially appreciated her skill in recognizing when I needed distraction from contractions in the first hours of labor verses focusing on my happy place during the time of transition. She helped create a positive, team-like attitude as she, my husband, and I worked through contractions together.  I appreciated how she reminded me why I chose not to have pain medication and then was open to support whatever path I chose. I could not have been induced and given birth with no pain medication without Charity. She is a fantastic doula.

-Tiffany Kunzelman

I loved having Charity as my doula! This was my 4th birth, first with  a doula.  She was there for me ready to help with everything.  I had pain in my hips while pregnant and she helped come up with exercises that helped with the pain. When ever  I expressed my fellings or fears she listened to me and helped me adress them. CHARITY helped my husband know what to do and how he could be there for me . She was there for me and didn’t pressure me to have the baby a certain way.  She helped me learn my options and let me choose what would work for me and my baby.  She is happy, calm and so though full.  She knew I would want ice and cool  rags for my neck before I did. She got me food afterwards. She made the room smell lovely.  If I have another baby I would want Charity as my doula.  

– Anna Schmid

Charity was the most amazing doula I could have asked for. When my doctor discouraged a VBAC she encouraged me to get another opinion and possibly switch doctors. I was shy but she helped me feel okay. She found a great practice that supports trying for VBACs. She reviewed our birth plan and got to know our wishes. Having had a VBAC before, she was knowledgeable about the subject but never pushed her ideas onto us. She only gave us the necessary info so we could make informed choices, and then she supported us.

The day I went into labor Charity was almost as excited as we were! I had severe back labor, so she referred me to a chiropractor to help the baby drop. Then at my home she helped me mentally escape the pain to a happier place.

At the hospital Charity walked with us through the halls over and over. She showed my husband how to ease my pain. She let me lean on her during contractions and helped me breathe through them. She talked to me about my happy place and told me how strong I am. She and my husband had to push HARD on my back and hips to ease the pain of my back labor. She never complained. She helped me try some maneuvers to help the baby drop. She stayed by my side and helped with everything I needed. She only went to sleep when I did.

If I did not understand what was going on she explained it to me and was my advocate to help the hospital staff follow my birth plan as closely as possible. She was kind to hospital staff, and never overbearing.After being in labor for a few days I kept saying I could not do it anymore. Charity said I could do it, but that I didn’t have to. Once I got an epidural she told me how proud of me she was for making it that far. I had to have a C section and she waited while I had the operation, even though it was late at night and we hadn’t slept much for 3 days. She helped me with nursing and even got me a beautiful gift at the gift shop. The experience was absolutely perfect!

-Nicole Sampson

Charity is a fantastic doula! Both my husband and I cannot say enough good things about her as a doula. This was our first pregnancy and I wanted to have some extra help, in addition to having my husband there. We are both private people and didn’t want to share the special experience with any other family members, so having her there to support us through the labor process was incredible. Charity is very sweet, patient, and motherly but she was also super motivating, which is helpful when you are in a lot of pain. She has such a calming nature that I was able to relax and was at ease during the whole labor process.

She met with us before the birth and we were able to talk to her about the most important things to us, which really helped once we were in the hospital. I was in labor for 27 hours and wanted to labor at home as long as possible before going to the hospital, Charity came to my home and helped me to relax and be as comfortable as I could be trying different positions and pain management techniques. When we went to the hospital she was a great advocate for both my husband and I. She helped us ask the right questions and make sure that we knew what was going on during each stage of labor, which was great for us because we had no idea what to expect! It was so helpful for her to be there so that I never had to be alone, yet my husband was able to go and eat a meal and take a quick break.

The thing that meant the most to me was that Charity paid attention to my husband and how he was doing. She didn’t ignore him or take his place she helped us have a wonderful birth experience together. We were really nervous about it all and she was there to make us still feel like our normal selves and be excited to welcome our sweet girl into the world. Seriously, I wouldn’t change having her as my doula for the world!

-Jessica and Nate Parents of Clementine