I started out this adventure called “pregnancy” excited and a little scared like anyone. The stories I’d heard from friends and relatives had me convinced to rely on medication to get me through the birth process. My husband was very supportive of whatever I wanted. We attended a local Pregnancy Information Night to learn more about our options and what pregnancy/birth services were available in our community. My husband & I met Journey at this event representing her Dancing Birth Doula Services. Her comfortable, reassuring personality put us both very much at ease. She was able to answer all our “newly pregnant” questions so we took her business card and seriously began considering doula services. Over the next few weeks I read a lot about the birth process including natural methods and began to change my mind about relying on medication. I also read more about the benefits of hiring a doula and my husband agreed, that it could really benefit us to have a knowledgeable, experienced guide as well as a personal advocate in the hospital.

I contacted Journey and set up an initial, informal meeting where we found her to be very insightful and professional. She asked us to bring along a draft of our birth plan which we were to review and refine. Immediately, it seemed to us that she shared a passionate interest in helping us realize the birth experience we sought. Over the next weeks we decided that her input and attitude was something we’d really value throughout the process and even though she encouraged us to meet with other doulas, we hired Journey and her spirit. At our next meeting we finalized our birth plan and developed our overall labor, birth and post-partum strategies.

During labor she was instrumental in making sure I was comfortable and doing what was best for the baby and me. She helped my husband help me and gave him chances to rest. Journey knew when it was time to go to the hospital and made sure the staff was familiar with our birth plan. I was able to give birth naturally(!) to a beautiful daughter in a matter of a few hours after arriving at the hospital with the support of Journey and my husband. I am so happy to have had the birth experience we wanted and my husband is still in awe of what I was able to do. However it wasn’t just during birth, but every day - The challenges, the obstacles & the pain that I’ve been able to overcome amazes him. He often can’t look at me without an admiring smile or a little tear in his eye.

Caroline Miller