by Catelyn M
Elaine quickly grew past the title of doula in our family and really became a dear friend to us.We hired her as both our birth and postpartum doula and she was worth every penny and then some. When my husband and I interviewed her, she had such a calming presence to her as well as a wealth of knowledge that we really appreciated. Throughout my whole pregnancy, she was a voice of reason and peace when I would start to worry and think back on my first birth which was traumatic. She answered all my questions and never made me feel as though she was only there for me when it was birthing time. When I did actually go into labor, I shocked myself and really wanted to labor by myself. She came in and helped me feel grounded when I needed her but also gave me space and acceptance when I wanted to be alone. She even encouraged my husband who really also felt shocked by me wanting to labor alone. Having Elaine as a postpartum doula meant that I actually got to bond with my baby and have a postpartum experience that exceeded all my expectations. I was so incredibly worried about successfully breastfeeding my son and she was my biggest cheerleader. Any worry or doubt, she either had an amazing resource to help me or knowledge that kept me on the path of success. She came with me to all my lactation appointments and honestly I will never forget the day she came with me on my first outing as a first time breastfeeding mom. I was scared and overwhelmed, to say the least. She gave me so much confidence and encouragement. The early days looked a lot like me talking and processing my birth while she folded my laundry and I nursed my son. This meant my husband could be with our oldest and I never once felt alone or overly overwhelmed as a new mom of 2. It was actually sad to have her leave and our oldest asked a few times after “When is Elaine coming back?I like her” Thank you Elaine for your invaluable support!! We will never forget the way you care for our family!
Columbus Birth Doula 