Birth Stories & Testimonials
Malaya’s Birth
“Despite having started my search for Doulas in my 37th week of pregnancy (actually I searched much earlier but none returned my calls) finding Estefany was the best thing that could have happened to me. I am a single mother and I have no family in the US, so being accompanied during the birth process was very important to me. And above all, having someone with Estefany's knowledge and experience by my side was essential.
Unfortunately, after almost 12 hours of labor and a few hours of pushing, my exhaustion led me to request a cesarean section. Estefany was by my side the whole time, suggesting special breathing techniques and comfort positions, communicating my decisions to the nurses and doctors, and supporting me in my decisions. Without a doubt, my first experience of having a baby would have been very traumatic if I had not had Estefany with me. The peace and security that she transmitted to me at all times helped me through labor. And it didn't end there, she kept giving me and my baby her support even after having had my baby more than a month ago! With Emma (my baby girl) we love Estefany!”
— María P.
“I am so grateful to have had Estefany as our doula. She agreed to take us on when my wife was 37 weeks pregnant, and the way she showed up for us from that point to the birth and then postpartum has been really special. On the professional end, Estefany is highly organized, informative, and thorough. On the personal end, she is responsive to your needs and vision, she is super dependable, and her own positivity and excitement for our child’s birth was so contagious and reassuring for us. My wife and I planned to have a homebirth but had to transfer to the hospital at the beginning of labor, and Estefany came to the hospital and was with us for over 30 hours, helping us manage my wife’s contraction pain, helping us advocate for ourselves and make informed decisions, and everything else to make sure we were okay. As a partner, I feel like Estefany equipped me with skills to help my wife, which gave me some confidence heading into it. She taught me about counter pressure before the birth, and then she was there during labor helping me apply it and taking over when I needed a break. She was our rock. I trusted Estefany with my world in my wife and our child, and I am so happy that I did.”
—Rubén M.
“I have nothing but deep, deep gratitude and love for Estefany for all that she has done for me and my family in the lead up to and birth of our daughter. She has an incredible way of showing up with easy, positive energy, while still leaving all the space you need to process and have your own feelings. I was a first time mom, and didn’t know what to expect or how I would show up in labor and I left every interaction with Estefany believing in myself and that things would go well, as well as gaining practical knowledge and skills that we used in labor and birthing. It was invaluable support.
Labor was long. Because we transferred to the hospital from a home birth (suspected meconium), we arrived much earlier than I would have planned to, and Estefany showed up, supporting my husband (or hands on me herself) through each and every contraction, all the way to the end. Despite the plan changing - as it does, Estefany knew our birth plan and adapted to the hospital context without skipping a beat. She did everything I had asked for in our conversations before birth, and at each stage of labor, she talked me through my options (both in birthing positions and movement, as well as medical options), offered questions I could ask, and affirmed me advocating for myself. She was our rock. She never brought pressure or judgment, just support.
I know I can’t quite capture the holistic nature of the support that she provided, but whenever the next child comes, we will 100% be looking to have Estefany on our team again. She brought real love and real belief in the work she’s doing to the birth of our daughter, and I will forever be grateful that she was part of our birth story.”
— Nora A. C.
