Charity was the absolute best thing for my labor. This was my second baby and with my first I did not hire a doula, but I’m so glad I did this time!! I completely credit her for causing my labor to progress as quickly and easily as it did. My labor started slowly and I wasn’t sure I really wanted to progress because I knew it would become intense haha. But Charity talked me through things in a loving and calm way that helped my mind prepare to move forward. She respected all of my wishes, and also helped me into positions that really seemed to help baby move and progress quickly. She even had a flight to catch that day (I knew that going into it, she was completely transparent about her availability) and called her back up who was just as lovely to come support me for the last hour. Their transition was seamless. Overall, I appreciated the emotional and physical support, before during and after labor.
Lucy
Something Charity said when we met was that even though childbirth can be unpredictable and things don’t always go how we hope, she wanted me to look back on my birth and not see it as a traumatic experience because I was empowered and informed to make decisions for myself and my baby. I loved that attitude. Charity asked questions during our prenatal meetings to help me gain clarity about my goals for my birth. I was able to prepare and educate myself because I had clear goals and reasoning in mind. As first time parents, it was reassuring to know that we had somebody coming with us to the hospital who knew us and was familiar with childbirth in the hospital setting. We talked about what role my husband would play during the labor and about his fears. During the first part of labor we talked on the phone, and she was able to reassure us that we still had a long ways to go before the baby was here, so we felt confident to stay home and manage contractions in the comfort of our home overnight and part of the next day. I don’t think I would have made that decision without being able to talk to Charity through that long night. Charity was calm and confident the next day when she arrived at our house that it WAS time to go to the hospital! She helped us navigate the unfamiliar medical setting, and reassured me that various things were “normal.” She suggested that I ask for a nurse who was comfortable checking my progress in a non-traditional position when my nurse was not comfortable doing that, and was calm when things starting moving quickly and it was time to push. She was right there on one side of me while my husband was on the other while I was pushing. Overall, she let us take the lead but was present, comforting, and knowledgeable when we needed encouragement or assistance. I was thankful to be able to reflect on the birth afterwards with her, especially the parts that felt like a blur. We are thankful that we had Charity’s support when our son was born!
Emily and Kirk
I read a stat early in my pregnancy research that having a doula on average decreases the amount of time of being in labor. I knew right then I wanted to hire a doula. When we initially chatted with Charity it was clear she had a ton of experience and that her knowledge and calmness was going to be a great fit with what we were looking for.
I can’t even describe what a help Charity was with our labor experience and she was invaluable support in my VBA2C (vaginal birth after 2 c-sections). During pregnancy she helped keep both my husband and I grounded with both of our desires and helped talk us through fears we had. She also had us talk through what our ideal birth scenario would be.
I don’t think there was enough reading or preparation in the world I could’ve done to be prepared to labor without an epidural for the first time. It was invaluable during labor to have Charity’s coaching with specifics on how to breathe, moan in a way keep my pelvic floor relaxed during contractions, different positions, etc… things that I’d read about but that are so hard to put into practice in the moment. She knew what to say in each moment to help me get through another few minutes. She worked so great with the nurse and everyone at the hospital too. We were at the hospital about 2 hours when she suggested I get on all fours to push. I was reluctant to move because I was honestly so uncomfortable and just felt like laying there. But she helped me move to all fours and baby was out just minutes after that.
I am so thankful we hired Charity. Our biggest reason for trying for a VBAC was we wanted the option to have more children in the future without the increased risks that 3+ c-sections bring. I’m so thankful for the gift of this VBAC and I don’t think I would’ve had the VBAC without hiring her. I would hire her again in a heartbeat.
Brad
Charity was an amazing doula for my wife and I. She met with us multiple times before the labor and spent quality time answering questions and easing our anxieties. This was our third child so we are not necessarily new at this kid having thing. However this was our first pregnancy with a doula and we will never have another kid without a doula.
My wife went two weeks overdue but thanks to her patient doctor and doula we had a second successful v-back. Charity was with us the whole time in the hospital when my wife was in labor, all two days! She was kind, patient, and extremely helpful. She explained what the nurses and doctors were telling us. She helped us stick to our birth plan. Most importantly to me, she was very supportive and helpful to me as the father and husband by helping me know what I could do for my wife. She helped my wife to try different positions and different strategies to help progress the labor.
I refer Charity to everyone who is looking for a doula or whoever is pregnant. She is very professional and I highly recommend her!
Sarah
I had a somewhat traumatic birth experience with our first baby that ended in a c-section, so as soon as we found out we were pregnant with our second I knew I wanted to try for a VBAC and I knew I needed support. My OB was not overly enthusiastic about me trying for a VBAC, but they said I could and they also gave me Charity’s card when I asked about a doula. We set up a meeting with Charity and as soon as I met her I knew she was the person I wanted there with us through labor and delivery. She was so professional and her calm demeanor and knowledge about bringing a baby into the world put me at ease. Over the next couple of months before baby arrived we had several meetings to talk out anxieties and hopes for the upcoming birth. She helped us put together a birth plan and we talked through a plethora of pain management and birthing tools. She was always very optimistic and 100% supportive of my desire to try for a VBAC, which meant the world to me. It gave me so much confidence going into labor knowing I had a plan and tools but most of all having her to help us. When the day came Charity met us at the hospital and she was there with us every step of the way. She helped us communicate clearly our desires and questions with the medical staff. She walked us through a lot of different pain management coping mechanisms. She helped me get though every single contraction. There were several times during labor that I didn’t think I could keep going and Charity single handedly got me through. She gave me the words of encouragement and a change of focus I needed to keep going. I ended up having the all-natural birth that I had hoped for (to a 10lb baby). I literally COULD NOT have done it without Charity. God so graciously used her to help us bring our sweet baby into the world and we will forever be grateful for her wisdom and unconditional support. If the Lord chooses to bless us with more children Charity will be our first call!
Grace
We had a wonderful experience working with Charity. Both because of COVID and my delivery, we ended up needing a different type of support than we had originally planned, and she was incredibly flexible and accomodating throughout. My baby was breech, so I had a number of decisions to make as my due date approached regarding delivery. Charity helped me think through the options, served as a sounding board, and shared evidence regarding those options with me. I decided to have an ECV and induction with an epidural (originally, I had been hoping for a natural birth in hospital). Because of COVID and what we knew would be a slow delivery, we had Charity support us virtually following the induction and through the delivery. She helped with suggestions on changing positions and resting throughout labor, and was a consistent voice of encouragement through a long (26 hours!) labor, with 6 hours of pushing. In the end, we managed a vaginal delivery of our baby girl and I’m so happy with the experience I had. I would certainly recommend Charity’s support.
Levi
Charity was our Doula for the home birth of our twins. It was a great experience and definitely worth the extra cost for our situation. Having Charity there to provide counsel and guidance was a great help. The midwife’s focus is on the babies and the birth process. Charity was able to help with the comfort aspects. She did not interfere or replace me but truly helped me to provide the needed support and be able to be there for my wife. She greatly reduced my stress level during the birth.
Kate
If you are looking for a mentor, an emotional support system, and a friend, look no further!
My husband and I were pregnant with our first and started searching for a doula as a part of our birth team. For us, it was important to have someone with us during our birth that would be able to remind us of our options and remind both my husband and I to advocate for ourselves during the birthing process. As a momma who birthed in a pandemic, it was easy to feel like everything was out of my control. Charity assured me that even in a pandemic, I could have control of my birthing experience. She was essential to my positive birth and if we have more children in the future she will be one of my first calls!
Charity also knew the importance of my husband’s experience as well! Prior to the birth she integrated all of our calls, skills to learn, and conversations with the birthing partner’s perspective. This allowed my husband to have the tools to take care of me emotionally and physically. Charity valued my husband’s feelings just as much as my own, which made us feel more empowered as a team going through the experience. Charity held my hand (and my husband’s hand) through one of the most important moments of our lives. I do not speak lightly when I say that I am beyond grateful for her support, comfort, and empowerment she gave to us. Birth can be scary because of all of the unknowns, especially if it is your first child. Charity was a calm and reassuring steadiness in a time where the world was so uncertain. We were more than clients to her. She was more than a doula to us.
We could not have had a better addition to our birth team than Charity Jeffs. We are forever grateful for her services.
Ashly and Benjamin
Charity was amazing to work with during our pregnancy and birth. She was very easy to talk to and knowledgeable about everything. She was very prompt in responding to any concerns I had during the pregnancy. During labor I had stalled at 5-10 min between contractions for a couple of days and she came over and helped me do different things to help reposition our baby and get labor going again. Within an hour or two of her leaving us to work on things we called in our labor team as contractions were on top of each other. I am certain that without her help we would have been stalled for a lot longer. During labor she was amazing in coaching my husband to help me. She was very open to do whatever we wanted and was a great support person during the pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.
As the father I had been some what apprehensive about potentially being sidelined in the process as the ladies did their thing, however Charity was great at taking time to address my concerns during the pregnancy as well as making sure that I was able to help my wife during labor. The whole pregnancy and delivery exceeding my hopes for how much of a blessing the whole process would be.
Colleen
I am so glad we chose Charity to be our doula! This was my third birth and I was really wanting to end on a positive note. I felt hiring a doula would be the perfect way to ensure a more enjoyable experience. She put my mind at ease about wanting to take a more natural approach to my labor, and assured my husband and I that she would be there to help us along the way through her knowledge and experience.
I was scheduled for induction, but even in the weeks leading up to it, Charity was available to answer any of my questions and ease my fears and anxieties. On the morning of my induction, Charity met us at the hospital and jumped right in! She walked with me and encouraged me to get moving to help my body progress, and when I wasn’t progressing, she helped discuss the options I had on how best to move forward. Charity was an extremely caring listener, and helped me make informed decisions. Once my water finally broke, I was able to labor in the tub at the hospital. Charity helped guide my husband to comfort me through contractions when they started getting more intense. She listened to how I was feeling and suggested different positions to help make me as comfortable as possible. After pushing for hours, with Charity and my husband by my side, the baby wasn’t progressing. We tried pushing in different positions, but a c-section was necessary. Charity was able to attend the c-section with my husband and I, and stayed with us for a little bit after the surgery, too.
If it wasn’t for Charity, there’s no way I could have made it to the pushing stage without pain medication. She was so encouraging and calm. Even though we ended up needing a c-section, I am very happy with the way my labor/induction went leading up to it. Charity made the entire process so much more peaceful and enjoyable – just what I was looking for with my last labor and delivery. Every mother deserves to have someone like Charity at their birth with them!