Katie and wee baby Luca
Lindsay was a godsend during a very difficult birth. I had known for a while I wanted a doula, and having known her previously, I knew her calm, gentle, and reassuring demeanor would be amazing to have with us in the delivery room. We met a few times prior to my delivery date, and I felt comforted knowing someone else in the room knew how I was hoping my birth would go and would advocate for me if needed.
When the time came, we ended up going to the hospital early on a Saturday morning and spent hours waiting for contractions to ramp up. When they finally did, she was there guiding me through, massaging my back and helping me breathe through the worst of it. My husband was wonderful in his own way, but she knew exactly what to do and what I needed at a given time. She spent the night with us in the hospital as my contractions continued, but were still too far apart. At 10am the next morning it was time, and she was by my side and worked as hard as anyone else in the room during the 5(!) hours of pushing. She was an unwavering support and a gentle but firm guide - reminding me to do the things I needed to do (breathe!) and encouraging me to keep going when I was convinced I couldn't. Finally, at 3:09pm on November 22, our son Luca arrived! We've been madly in love ever since.
Even though the birth itself difficult and at times incredibly scary, I'm able to look back on the experience with feelings of joy and happiness, thanks to Lindsay's guidance and presence during the entire process. She is truly a gift!