We hired Charity to help us with the birth of our first child and it was one of the best decisions we made! We were very nervous and anxious about the entire experience which meant we needed a knowledgeable and steady influence to walk this journey with us. Charity was the perfect person for this role! Her meetings with us pre birth really helped answer questions and calm our nerves. My wife’s water broke about 34 hours before our son was born and at that point she was not having contractions or showing any signs of labor starting. We really wanted to avoid an induction and Charity was very helpful and supportive of that decision and helped my wife with exercises, positions etc to try and get labor going. About 20 hours later labor had finally kicked in and she was able to deliver naturally without induction or an epidural. I really believe without Charity’s help we would have ended up with a totally different experience than we desired. Would strongly recommend having her help with any birth and especially if you’re worried or nervous!
Brendan
Charity served as our doula during the birth of our first child. Despite having attended hospital childbirth classes, read numerous books, and participated in hypnobirth sessions with friends, Charity brought a fresh perspective and valuable insights. Her guidance allowed us to focus on crucial aspects during the moments, and I believe the birth wouldn’t have been as smooth without her support. At the hospital, she was an excellent advocate for both my wife and me and her demeanor was calming. I can’t envision navigating the process without her by our side.
Mandy
Asking Charity to serve as my doula was the best decision I made while pregnant. I cannot imagine having my baby without her. She helped ensure that the birth was a positive experience for me as well as for my husband. Charity is a professional who really knows her stuff. She was a wonderful resource throughout my pregnancy. She helped me craft a birth plan that reflected my desires. During the birth, she did an extraordinary job of helping me advocate for myself and think through my options in light of changing circumstances. Throughout the process, Charity was a calming presence. Most impressive was her ability to anticipate my needs as I moved through the stages of birth. Such skill reflects Charity’s deep experience and natural gifts as a doula. I’m so glad I hired her!
Bree
Charity was a wonderful and needed part of our birth experience. From the beginning she made it clear that she was there to support both myself and my partner through the birth of our baby and after. She made sure to understand what I was hoping to get out of the experience and thoughtfully guided me to identify and articulate my birth preferences. She was calm, never judgmental, and kind. We don’t have family in the area, and I knew I wanted another voice in the room, helping me advocate for my needs and goals. Ultimately my birth experience was everything I wanted it to be. I highly, highly recommend everyone hire a doula, especially first time parents. Charity has been in many more births and can help dispel some of the mystery and fear so you can approach the experience with peace and joy as much as possible.
Tess
We really appreciated having Charity involved with the birth of our third child. This was our first experience with a doula and it went really well. Overall it was just super nice to have someone to talk everything through with; before, during, and after labor. Between several pre-existing anxieties and concerns and several challenges/unexpected events that came up before, during, and after labor, we had lots of communication and discussion with Charity at all stages. We so appreciated her experience and suggestions and how she helped bring mental/emotional stability. The birth of our baby was beautiful and many thanks to Charity for being instrumental in that!!
Kayla
Charity is an excellent doula! I am a first time mom and had fears and an overall negative outlook about giving birth. During our first time meeting Charity, she emphasized how she has a really positive/beautiful view of birth (from her personal and professional experiences!), which is what I needed! Throughout all of our interactions (both during pregnancy and postpartum), Charity stayed true to her positive mentality, something I am so thankful for. Charity met with us before our son was born to understand our “ideal” birth and then provided great education and answered our questions. Our son was born 3 weeks early and Charity was fully available to spend the night at the hospital with us while I labored. She talked me through options for pain management and I felt empowered throughout!! I’m so thankful she was there to support me and my husband also. During the postpartum period, Charity was so supportive, with regular check ins. I felt genuinely cared for!
From my husbands perspective: We had a great experience with Charity. I especially appreciated having someone there who I could trust to be with my wife if I needed to step out of the room or go stand with our newborn son by the warmer as they gave him oxygen after delivery. She was very helpful throughout the birth.
Emilie
Charity was very calm, knowledgeable, and felt like family in the delivery room. We were having our 4th child when we hired Charity. I didn’t think I needed a doula since I had been through labor 3 times, but we are glad we had her! It was nice to have someone in the delivery room reminding me of what I should be doing, cheering me on and helping me even when I didn’t know what I wanted/needed. Charity stepped right in and it felt natural to have her there with us. We are done having children, but if we weren’t, we would hire her again!
Emily and Vance
We decided to hire a birth doula after our first labor and delivery was not as positive of an experience as we wanted. In a way, it felt like the second time around was completely new and Charity helped us navigate everything with fresh eyes. Our goal and ideal delivery was an unmedicated hospital birth and Charity helped make that possible. She listened to our wishes and helped us create a clear understanding of our ideal birth so that we could create a plan for labor. She gave us resources to create our birth plan and resources for exercises to prepare for labor and laboring positions. During our actual labor and delivery, Charity was a calming presence that helped us stay clear headed and positive.
From a husband, or birth partners, perspective, Charity was very easy to work with. She made sure he was comfotable and he was able to suuport me in the way I needed.
Overall, a fantastic second birth experience with the help and support of Charity!
Samantha
Having Charity as part of our pregnancy and birth experience was one of the best decisions we made! We were hesitant at first about hiring a doula and whether it would be worth it, but it absolutely was! Charity answered so many questions and helped us prepare to have the best birth experience. She worked through different fears and concerns I had, validating my feelings and reassuring me that I could do it. It was so helpful for me to have her there for that support, knowing it would always be positive and constructive. She came over twice to do different positions with me to help our baby get in an optimal position. She took the time to work with me and encourage me in the decisions we had to make.
It was relieving to know that she was there for Aaron and I, as first time parents who didn’t know entirely what to expect. We had learned and prepared a lot for birth, but having a doula took the pressure off of us to remember everything, especially during the hardest parts of labor. During labor, she was there to encourage me when I didn’t feel like doing it anymore. Charity was with us for a few hours after birth, talking to us about how it went and sharing in our joy. She was able to take some first moment pictures for us too, and those are photos I cherish. We are so thankful she was there, and I would recommend her to anyone!
Rachael
When my husband and I found out we were unexpectedly pregnant, we began to do tons of research as we had no idea what to expect! After lots of education about the birthing process and reflecting on my own past healthcare experiences, I knew I wanted to have our baby as natural as possible. We learned about doulas and that doula support during a labor can help decrease the odds of a C-section or complications in labor. We started to research local doulas and found Charity’s profile. After reading so many positive testimonies we decided to reach out, and absolutely loved Charity and her kind, calm, and reassuring personality. Part of Charity’s doula fee is meeting with her patients and their support persons in the weeks leading up to the due date. Charity got to know us, our personalities, and our desires for the birthing process. She went over in detail many strategies for pain management and tools to practice to help optimize baby’s position for delivery. We learned so much from Charity during those sessions! When the time came, our baby girl decided she would make a fast and furious entrance into the world that we did not expect! Because of Charlotte’s fast delivery, we were unable to alert Charity in time for her to be present for the entire laboring process. Even still, Christian and I were able to implement so many of the pain relieving techniques we learned from Charity and were prepared to tackle labor together as a team. When Charity was present with us, she did an amazing job making sure I had a fan on me, a cool rag on my forehead, and took priceless photos of the first few moments after Charlotte was delivered. Our birth story is so beautiful to me because of how comfortable, supported, and respected I felt. I felt so empowered by the delivery and I know so much of that is because of Charity! We cannot recommend her enough to any expectant families. Thank you Charity! We will definitely be reaching out to Charity if our family continues to grow 🙂