Baby Richmond
I sought out a doula when I was about 7 months pregnant. I wasn't initially going to hire a doula at all due to the perceived cost vs services rendered. However as my due date approached and knowing there would only be me and my husband in the delivery room and worrying about what life postpartum would look like with my husband returning to work soon after, I reached out to a friend who works as a doula part-time to ask for her input. While she wasn't able to work with me due to her own availability, she recommended I contact Josi. What a blessing that was.
Even though I was "late" in hiring her, she still set up multiple prenatal appointments to meet with me and my husband. She addressed any concerns or fears we had and taught us things to help us prepare for birth in those final months. She walked us through what to expect and how she would help throughout the process. When discussing our birth plan, she guided us to rank preferences and not just list out wants. I also appreciated how easy it was to reach out with questions. Even if she didn't have the information, she either knew who to contact or where to look.
One thing I chose to have Josi help with was meal prep. She pointed me in the direction of some of her family's favorite meals but was open to whatever dishes I had in mind. We spent several hours working side-by-side to put meals together. Having those readily available postpartum has been life-changing and it would have been so much more exhausting had I attempted all of that myself. It was during that session when I found out just how easy Josi is to talk to. She has such a nurturing soul and interest in people - particularly women and children. She truly listens as you share your story and offers words of encouragement when needed.
Josi was also a comfort when I experienced several rounds of prodromal labor and the disappointment that followed. When it became clear that I was going to have to be induced at 41w4d, Josi talked me through what to expect with this change to our plan. She arrived at the hospital when she said she would and stayed with us until we had gotten settled in the recovery room.
The birth was not as smooth as I hoped it might be. Complications began piling up, including lack of dilation, negative reactions to medication, and the baby's heart rate dropping. Through it all, Josi stayed by my side, helping to soothe and reassure me. She advocated for me and my preferences until they were deemed not medically safe by the nurses. She jumped in to help clean any messes or assist with moving me after I had gotten an epidural. She knew how to help without being asked, but would always check in to make sure I was comfortable with anything. She also never sidelined my husband and would encourage him to assist when appropriate.
Josi wasn't able to be with us at the actual birth as it was deemed medically necessary to perform a c-section and she wasn't allowed in the operating room. However, she was waiting for us in the secondary recovery room afterwards and stayed with us for an hour or so until we were settled.
I had selected a package where Josi would come and help out during postpartum as well. Since my husband had to return to work only a couple of days after we left the hospital, having someone to come check in with me was invaluable during those early days. Josi would always ask if I needed her to pick up anything on the way then would spent the scheduled number of hours doing whatever I needed or wanted that day. And sometimes she even found things that needed to be done and did them without being asked. She listened and consoled as I expressed my feelings of inadequacy as a new mom. I never felt judged or belittled as I cried about how overwhelmed I felt. Beyond her comforting presence, she also fed/changed/soothed the baby while I showered or napped, washed dishes and wiped down counters in the kitchen, started and folded laundry, picked up and put away groceries, and countless other things I either can't remember now or wasn't even aware of.
I don't know how I would have made it through those last few weeks of pregnancy and the difficult labor without Josi. Even though the birth was nothing like we hoped and planned for, she was able to constantly readjust and try to meet as many of my requests as possible given the reality of the situation. She truly cares for her clients. Even now that our contract is finished, she still checks in and is interested in both my wellbeing and the baby's. I feel like I can still reach out with questions and know I'm not being a bother.
If you've read all this and are at all considering hiring Josi to help during your prenatal, labor and delivery, and/or postpartum periods, you absolutely should. She will come alongside you on your journey and walk with you no matter where it might lead. She offers truly invaluable service to new mothers and I'm so grateful to have found her.
no photos at the family’s request