They say everything happens for a reason, and I have no doubt in my mind that we were intended to have Renée along with us on our birth journey. My husband and I had a difficult time conceiving and maintaining a pregnancy. So much was out of our control. We felt powerless much of the time. Once we discovered we finally had a strong, healthy life growing inside of us, we knew we wanted to do everything in our ability to feel empowered and educated for the remainder of our pregnancy and during the postpartum period. Enter Renée! Renée has gone above and beyond our expectations since Day 1. She was always available to answer questions for us, and each of our in-person sessions brought a sense of peace and a plethora of newfound knowledge.
After becoming a mother, one of the things I have come to realize is that once you have a child (or are expecting one!) things probably won’t go exactly as you planned…especially if you are a Type A planner, much like myself. Thank goodness we had Renée to help us navigate unforeseen circumstances. The home laboring we had planned, followed by a water birth? Yeah, it didn’t happen! On the contrary, our baby was breech and our dream birth was no longer in the cards for us. We tried everything to get that little love to flip, including a version, which was performed at the hospital. Even though Renée did not need to be present for the version, she was there with us at the hospital – holding our hands, giving me massages, and doing everything she could to help us relax in a very upsetting situation. Sadly, the version did not work and we were faced with our worst birthing fear – a cesarean.
To say we were devastated is an understatement. Thankfully, Renée once again stepped in. She helped us regain a sense of empowerment and control as we planned a “gentle cesarean.” On the day of our delivery, we handed over the birth plan we had carefully crafted with Renée’s guidance, knowing it reflected our desires and answered every question and scenario that could possibly arise. Renée helped us turn those lemons into lemonade! Renée was not permitted in the operating room, but was waiting for my husband in recovery to help him navigate his first skin-to-skin experience with our daughter. It was such a relief to see Renée’s warm, smiling face once I was finally wheeled out. She helped me learn how to get the baby to latch for the first time, and was our voice when we were too overwhelmed to stand up for some of the things that were important to us and for the well-being of our baby.
Remember when I said things rarely go as planned? Well, shortly after delivering our daughter, it was clear that I was having difficulty lactating. Renée was in constant contact in the days following the arrival of our daughter. Knowing how important breastfeeding was to me, especially after not being able to have the drug free vaginal birth I desperately wanted, Renée made incredible suggestions regarding strategies I could implement to get my milk to come in. She also introduced me to the most wonderful lactation consultant. During our visit to the LC, Renee once again went above and beyond. She actually joined us on our THREE HOUR LONG consultation so she could gain more knowledge and know how best to assist me on my breastfeeding journey! This information will also be vital to countless families in the future. What an incredible person!
Now that we are nearly seven months postpartum, Renée is still very much present in our lives. She often checks in to see how we are doing. I have also been able to reach out to her for advice when I was worried about something or needed guidance on a new stage in the baby’s development. Let me tell you, as a first time mom, there is so much to learn and Renée is always patient with me and super helpful. She has been such a tremendous support for our family since the day we met her. I truly don’t know what we would do without her.
Although when we initially hired Renée, I thought it would mostly be for help with a “natural” birth. However, our relationship with her during this challenging journey has been so much more than I ever could have anticipated. I genuinely feel that we hit the lottery when we were fatefully introduced to Renée and her tribe. I cannot imagine having gone through this experience without her by our side. If you are looking for a doula who truly cares and has a gift for this calling, please look no further than Renée. You will be in the most wonderful and capable hands.
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