Preparing for birth in a pandemic was the reality my husband and I had to face. Dreams of being surrounded by friends and family while celebrating our pregnancy was replaced with Zoom and phone calls. The only human interaction I had was with midwives and ultrasound technicians. We were months into the Pandemic and sick of Zoom, but knew we needed to take a breastfeeding class. It was taught by Renée and to our surprise, we found her class to be engaging and fun. We laughed the entire time while learning skills I still use 7 months into my breastfeeding journey. When doulas were finally permitted to attend hospital births, our search started and ended with Renée. She was so welcoming when we had our prenatal meetings. She taught my husband and I different skills and comfort measures, to best prepare ourselves. Renée presented every option to us when it came to our birth plan ensuring that whatever decision we made, was right for us.
When I walked through the hospital doors with my husband and Renée I knew that everything was about to change and I was comforted to have these two with me. Renée walked beside me, coached, and encouraged me throughout my labor. When we realized that my daughter was very comfortable in an anterior position, Renée used her skills to spin my baby. Even though I was resisting some of the positions she had me in, she knew what to say to get me moving. Aside from the physical ways that Renée helped me, she reminded me how important the mental aspect of labor is.
When I felt that labor was stalling, she would ask “what are you holding onto”. Every time she said it, she was right. I was holding onto fear, doubt, and negativity. I had no idea the impact this would have on my labor until she helped me release it.
Eventually, my daughter made her descent and before we knew it, we gave birth to our perfect little girl. The nurse looked at our birth plan printout and said we did everything listed on it. I know that would never have been the case without Renée.
Our time with Renée didn’t end there. She visited our apartment to help me with breastfeeding and finding the perfect latch for my baby. 7 Months in, and she still checks in with my husband and I. We can’t help but smile when we hear from Renée, remembering the moment our lives changed as we became a family. I wanted to look back to my birthing experience as something positive and empowering. I got that and more and I have Renée to thank for that.
Curious About What the Dads and Partners Are Saying?
