Dr. Kailey
We made the decision early on in pregnancy to hire a doula to help support both myself and my husband during the birth process. Doulas are like a wedding day coordinator—it’s their job to make sure everything goes smoothly and that the bride and groom, or in this case the pregnant couple, don’t have to worry about a thing. They support you while taking care of everything behind the scenes. Since this was a new experience for both of us, we wanted someone to help guide us during one of the most important days of our lives.
Justine and Midwest Doulas were recommended to us both by a friend and our midwife. I made one phone call and decided to hire her on the spot. She was sweet, feisty and so reassuring that we could have the birth we wanted. We met with her virtually three times before the birth and she helped us formulate a birth plan. Going into the birth we felt confident in our plan, and back up plan, all thanks Justine.
Due to covid restrictions, I met Justine for the first time when I was laboring in the shower. She greeted me with a huge smile and said, “Hey beautiful” and that was just the beginning of a truly amazing day. She made sure I rested as much as possible, ate some food even through terrible nausea, moved my body to allow the baby to descend properly (even when all I wanted to do was lie down) and, most importantly, enjoyed the process. She reminded my husband take a nap and eat breakfast, both of which were critical for him and allowed him to be even more supportive of me. She advocated for us when the midwives wanted to transfer us to the hospital when my labor slowed. Most importantly, she cheered us on as we birthed the most beautiful baby girl into the world. We had the most amazing team present for the birth of our daughter, and Justine was at the helm. I had always wanted to have a doula at my birth, but reality far exceeded my expectations. Now, when friends or patients ask for advice about birth, I always say that hiring a doula is a must because they will do everything in their power to help you have the birth YOU want.
