Birth Photos
Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR. Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.
In a collaborative effort to promote positive birth culture, my clients have graciously shared photos of their births. Please view respectfully and enjoy!
“I am so grateful that Eliza was present at the labor and birth of our son. My husband and I had taken several classes, including a multi-week Hypnobirthing class, on our own, but we decided at the last minute to hire a doula. Even though we called Eliza only a few weeks before our due date, she quickly developed an easy rapport with us as a couple and soon-to-be family. Eliza took the time to meet with us in the weeks before the labor. She wanted to know our goals for the labor, our reasons for wanting to achieve those goals, and our thoughts and feelings about how to achieve those goals. She listened to everything and really helped us have the labor we had hoped for. In our case, we essentially wanted something like an unmedicated home birth experience in a hospital. She showed up early in the labor and stayed with us for the entire process without appearing at all tired. Eliza had a calm presence and stayed focused on keeping me comfortable the entire time. If you are wondering whether you really need a doula for a hospital birth, be aware that the nurses– although great and helpful– are focused more on monitoring the medical health of you and your baby. The doula is focused on your mental and physical comfort. We had a beautiful unmedicated birth in a hospital (despite needing to use pitocin), and I don’t think we could have done it without Eliza. ” MW
“Eliza never wavered. She was by my side, my advocate, my support, my friend. Our birth experience was nothing of what I had anticipated except for one thing… we had a strong, confident, and knowledgeable woman aiding us every step of the way, helping me to stay focused and relaxed and cheering me on. I know that had Eliza not been present I would have given up long before given the opportunity to exhaust all of my options. . . I know that if we ever chose to have another child she would be one of the first to meet that little one because we would want her by our sides again.” MK
“Eliza was a great help to us for the birth of our second child. Her strong, quiet confidence paved the way for a wonderful birth experience for both me and my wife. Childbirth can be an overwhelming process, certainly for the mother, but also for the father. Eliza was present for both of us. She gracefully supported my wife with her labor while also teaching and encouraging me how to be the best birth partner I could be. Together, throughout the sleepless and exhausting hours of labor, the three of us formed a strong team which led to a successful VBAC. I can truly say that I was a far better birth partner for my wife thanks to Eliza’s work.” DL
“Her calm presence was much appreciated during the birth of our son–she definitely served as an amazing guide and was incredibly helpful during the labor process. She helped not only with encouraging with the discomfort of contractions, but also as an adovocate when the process became more complicated. Again we feel very fortunate that Eliza was there for us.” NS
“With our first child, we had an unplanned C-Section. With our second child, we wanted to achieve a successful VBAC. With Eliza’s guidance, we were able to do this. We do not believe this would have been possible without her. When first meeting Eliza, she wanted to make sure that we were very clear with what we wanted to achieve during our birth. She said by doing this that we would be much more likely to have the outcome we wanted. This definitely proved to be true. Eliza stayed with us for 28 hours of labor. She was at my side for almost the entire time, never once showing signs of fatigue. In addition, she was a liazon between me and the medical providers. This way my husband and I could be in ‘laborland’ and not worry about the different stages of our birthing plan. Eliza’s compassion and honesty pair together to form the perfect support person. One truly exciting moment was when Eliza assisted me in different birthing positions to help change the postition of our baby. I had been at 9cm for almost 8 hours when we realized I was not progressing because our baby was “crooked” in the birthing canal. After trying the different birthing positions, assisted by Eliza, my baby moved and I was able to progress to 10cm and pushing. Amazing! Eliza also has excellent follow-up skills. During our initial post-partum visit, Eliza assisted me in proper latch and breastfeeding positions. This helped to allieve pain and prevent further problems as I had with my first child. Overall, we were (are) extremely impressed with Eliza’s work. We definitely recommend her!” CH
