“I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about the
idea of someone else assisting my wife during childbirth. I’d heard
of doulas, but always figured that since the doctors and nurses were there I
could be the supportive husband and we’d be fine. A few months
before my wife was due, we attended a basic informational class at the hospital.
As I began to realize that labor was an understandably intimidating ordeal
for my wife—not to mention the revelation that most of the time we’d
be in the room by ourselves—I too was a little nervous about my
responsibilities. Billie was teaching that class, and we decided to request
some basic information about hiring her as a doula. My wife can attest to
the fact that I am one of most thrifty people you could ever meet, but after
some thought I reluctantly agreed to give it a try. In hindsight, IT WAS THE BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT. While
this may sound a little over-the-top, having Billie there let me focus on the
wonderful aspects of an otherwise long and arduous day. In no way did she
take over my role; rather, she was a voice of encouragement to us both.
When my wife’s water broke in the middle of the night,
Billie came to our home, and it was so calming to have someone right there who
had been through this so many times. We now laugh about how she convinced
us to grab a bite to eat at 5:00am on the way to the hospital, and my wife
admits that this much needed breakfast gave her the energy to push through the
day. Later, Billie knew just where to go at the hospital and I could
focus on my wife rather than logistics. Most importantly, though my wife
and I are best friends, there was something unique about Billie’s ability
to encourage my wife when she felt overwhelmed. My wife wanted to try labor
without anesthetics, and when the going got tough my words of encouragement
were met with tears, while Billie’s seemed to help my wife refocus and
relax. Billie has been there, she has coached other through it many
times, and that is experience and encouragement that I could not offer. When
I first agreed to hire Billie I figured that if nothing else perhaps I could
learn some tips for the next time, but now I can’t imagine why we’d
mess with success.
-Steven & Jocelyn Q. – Dallas, TX”
January 2009
Dear Billie, I can't thank you enough for all of your help during my pregnancy and especially during my labor and delivery. Knowing that you were there to support me and answer my questions before the birth was so comforting. Being able to call you at 3:30am and ask what to do was reassuring. And having you at my side at the house when labor began, at triage when the nurse scared me, and in the delivery room for 10 hours was irreplaceable. You handled my idiosyncracies perfectly:- not trusting nurses to check my cervix, needing to be immersed in hot water, sitting in awkward positions, feeling the need to throw up, biting my husband's hands, fainting, sleeping, crying and needing drugs. You are very good at what you do and I am so happy that my friend recommended you to me. I only hope that by the time we have number 2 you are still a doula. Much love and thanks... Greg & Courtney I.- Dallas, TX
