Truly the most talented and loving doula – Lauren, St. Pete
From the second I found out I was pregnant I knew a home birth was exactly what I wanted. There was no way I was going to be in a hospital to give birth, those places freaked me out! As I researched long and hard to find the perfect midwife for my new and growing family, a new term was introduced to my vocabulary. That unfamiliar term was “Doula”. My husband, nor I knew anything about what a doula was, what they did or any of the benefits they provided to families before, during, and after birth. We went back and forth about whether or not to hire one. A doula would be an added expense that we would pay for out of pocket. This was going to be our first experience with birth so we decided, what the heck, a doula could provide support to the both of us during the birthing process.
Christie Collbran was the second doula we interviewed and after leaving that night, we knew she was the ONE! Fast forward 6 months or so and my due date had come and gone. I went in for my post-date testing and it turned out I wasn’t going to get my home birth after all. At least the option of having an unmediated, vaginal delivery was still on the table.
I was devastated and freaking out as the nurse told me they were going to induce me that night. Luckily, Christie was close by and was able to come provide encouragement for a brief time. A day, what seemed like weeks later, it was time to start a low dose of Pitocin and before I knew it I was having the most painful back cramps imaginable.
Christie was there every step of the way offering calm and loving suggestions. She helped me advocate for myself and my chosen birthing experience. She provided knowledge and encouragement to my husband, who didn’t know what to do at times during the contractions. Christie is truly the most talented and loving doula. My experience of giving birth in a hospital was a positive one because of her patience, knowledge, and caring heart!
