The Doulas at Buddha Belly Were an Absolute Joy – Shelby, Tampa

The doulas at Buddha Belly were an absolute joy to work with.

We wished that we had found them sooner before my third trimester. But once we found them, we ended up using every one of their services. From prenatal and postpartum doula support (day, evening and overnight shifts), to belly casting, to a newborn parenting class given in the comfort of our own home (to accommodate our crazy work schedules), to placenta encapsulation/tincture (which was a lifesaver to help balance out postpartum hormones)!

When we first met Amy and Jennifer at our home, I was very nervous about hiring someone to be not only in our delivery room but also in our house postpartum. Buddha Belly came highly recommended by my midwife. He assured me that they would fit my first time mom nervous jitter crunchy granola style! Not only did they perfectly fit my style, they enhanced the experience for our family on every level! They made me realize that no matter what my personality or ever changing pregnancy mood, they were there to support our family and my version of how I wanted to birth our child.

When we met them I showed them my very detailed birthing plan. They helped me narrow down the essentials to notify the hospital staff. Since they were familiar with the hospital I used, they could explain the birth process and help me allay any fears about the delivery. They answered every question.

When the time came to deliver our little one, Amy was there every step of the way helping me breathe through every contraction.

Amy also helped my husband understand how to support me as well during delivery, which was invaluable. When the time came to make some very serious decisions, Amy somehow simultaneously gave us the space to make that decision without leaving us to feel unsupported in the next steps we took to make sure I could stay as true to my birth plan as possible.

Sharing the moment our child came into the world with our doula Amy is a memory that we will never forget; and she even managed to snap several pictures of our first moments with our child that I am very grateful for.

Many new parents talk about how their households are chaotic after having a child. We didn’t experience that at all. Our house was serene and clean! Our postpartum doulas Lori, Amy (owner) and Rebecca came daily and helped watch the baby so we could shower and sleep. They even did our laundry, cleaned the floors, washed dishes, cleaned and sanitized our baby bottles and straightened the house up.

We wouldn’t have been able to survive with a lack of sleep and all of the endless chores that come with a new baby. Doulas aren’t only for prenatal care, which very few people realize (myself included). The doulas blended in seamlessly with our household after our child was born. I would highly recommend Buddha Belly’s postpartum services and I can’t wait to hire Buddha Belly for our next child.