“Elsy was a light at the beginning of my labor, that turned into a natural delivery, I didn’t plan for. I would NOT have made it through the panic without her. I am forever grateful for her kind words pushing me through. I still get emotional thinking about how helpful Elsy was!”
Want to work with Elsy? You can contact her at elsyrodriguez@msn.com
Grace talks about how having a doula helped her to navigate her pregnancy, birth and parenting experience.
Why did you decide to use a doula?
I started training to become a Doula right before I found out that I was pregnant. So here I was, pregnant for the first time, fresh out of my Doula training, starting to plan my own birth. I wanted to make informed decisions and feel good about my care. I didn’t just want to just “get through it”, I wanted to enjoy my pregnancy and birth. Pregnancy is not always easy but it doesn’t have to be a time of fear or self-doubt. Doulas can help mitigate for all of that.
What did your doula service include?
From the time I hired my Doula, I had access to her via text and email throughout and after the pregnancy. In addition, my Doula package included: 2-3 in-person prenatal meetings, Doulas are on call for the birth (beginning at 37 weeks, lasting until you have the baby), and 2-3 in-person postpartum meetings. I was planning a homebirth and already knew a lot about the process of birth, so we spent most of our time together getting my partner comfortable with what birth was going to look like, practicing coping mechanisms, discussing how this would impact our couple/family dynamic, and planning for the proper postpartum support.
What was the outcome of using a doula?
Hiring my Doula was the best thing I could have done for myself and I am still reaping the benefits a year later. My Doula helped me to prepare for the birth that I wanted and cope effectively when it was not going my way. Doulas don’t solve things for you… they teach you how to solve them for yourself. Meaning, I walked away with a set of skills and a sense of confidence as a new mother which is priceless.
What was surprising about the experience?
For me, birth was a lot more than creating a human one day. The process of making decisions for my future baby taught me how to advocate for my family and trust my gut when I didn’t know what to do. My Doula helped me to re-frame a lot of my anxiety surrounding becoming a mother and taught me how to be mindful, compassionate with myself, and how to live within discomfort. To this day, when my baby is freaking out or work gets stressful, I tap into those skills!
What would you tell a friend who's considering a doula?
I would tell a friend to consider getting a Doula. Your care provider is predominately there to keep you and baby safe. Your Doula is there to provide emotional, physical, and informational support for you and your partner. These are very different roles. I have come across the misconception that Doulas are only for non-medicated births, which is not the case. A doula will support your decisions no matter what kind of birth you are planning for—Want to give birth in a field, great! Planned cesarean birth, great! Birth is a major life moment and you can play an active role in making it whatever you want it to be-- why not get extra support to prepare?
I’m here to tell you that it’s not something we learn in a book or at a training, but rather, learn in the way we approach our own lives daily. We become better doulas when we choose to do the hard things in our lives rather than running away from it—being a good doula requires us to embrace the emotional labor so that we can learn and grow to become our best selves.
Read MoreCultivating a successful career as a doula begins with cultivating yourself as person, first and foremost. You started this awakening process by signing up for your initial certification course, congratulations, the fire is now lit!
Read MoreKristy Zadrozny specializes in maternal child health by supporting women in pregnancy, childbirth, and early postpartum care. She originally founded the Village Wellness Project, which was a center for family health and wellness in Union Square, Manhattan. The Village Wellness Project offered alternative health care for the whole family. This later grew into Expecting(nyc). In this interview, she talks about what a labor doula is and her experience with this work in NYC
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In this episode of the Birthful Podcast, we are going to be talking about getting the help you need for after the baby is born. You know the saying about how “it takes a village….” It’s because life with a newborn is much harder than you think! How much support will you need, and how can you go about getting it? To find out, I’ll be talking with Kristy Zadrozny.
Read MoreAs a doula, I get the amazing opportunity to witness my clients’ very different pregnancies, labors and postpartum experiences. I realize many people hear the word "doula" and picture a woman who will support only the most natural birth experience, relying on meditation instead of medication, and covering your entire family in patchouli.
Read MoreAs you move into the final days of your pregnancy, you're going to start feeling a shift in your body. You might also be wondering (worrying) “How will I know if I am really in labor? What if I have the baby in my car?! OMG!”
It may come as a relief to learn that you are definitely NOT in labor, if you are wondering “Am I really in labor?”
Read MoreDon’t panic, go make some oxytocin.
THE celebrated hormone of childbirth is oxytocin, her job is to get your uterus to contract. Rhythmically reducing the size of your uterus and ripening it into a powerhouse, muscle machine. This emphatically encourages your baby to make his way out. Time to see the light, little dumpling!
Read MoreMindful, evidenced doula support and childbirth education.
Mindfulness based childbirth and parenting in the new york times 2017
