Tetimonials Galore

 

A Few Testamonials

Here is a letter from a mom who Teresa Howard assisted in having her first children, twins. It was an unmedicated, vaginal birth that was amazing. A few years later, she asked me to return to assist her with the labor of her third child. Again, unmedicated and wonderful! She is totally amazing!

“…When I think about those days,I feel such a close bond with you. I have often felt strange about this, but you are somehow much more than just a healthcare provider hired for just a few hours of advice and service. I had such high hopes for my births, both in terms of medical choices we were able to make but also in wanting

to experience it with joy and confidence and empowerment rather than fear and frustration and regret. And, while I praise God for three wonderful, healthy, medically uncomplicated

births, the warm positive emotions that I feel when thinking about those experiences are due largely to your care and expertise.

I think the other important role you play in my mind is that you give me permission to feel the way I do about childbirth. That it is a normal, natural and healthy process that our bodies know how to do; that it is an experience to be sought after and embraced not avoided through medication or elective surgery; that it can

be a primal, empowering moment that reveals a woman’s unknown strength (perhaps most of all to the new mother herself); that the experience itself can be one of the most joyous and

cherished of a woman’s life, not just the painful, unavoidable process that resulted in the joy of a child. I don’t know that I need permission to embrace these feelings. It’s just that they are so rare among my own circle of family and friends that it’s nice to have a voice in my head that validates and agrees to them. All that to say Thanks for sharing your

kind memories of me and my children. You will always hold an important and special place in my heart.”

To those wondering if a drive to Lawrenceville for childbirth classes is worth it:

If you have lived in Metro Atlanta for any amount of time, traffic is a big part of your life. The average commute to and from work is over one hour for lots of Atlantans. So, why would anybody in their right mind get up on a Saturday morning and drive 30 miles to childbirth classes?

I used to teach in Lawrenceville.

My wife and I live in the East Atlanta Village area and chose to drive 30 miles or so north for childbirth classes with Teresa. We heard about Labor of Love through some friends and decided to suck it up and make the drive for 6 straight Saturday mornings. It was highly educational for first-time parents and gave us a chance to get to know our doula personally before the big day. After our child’s birth, I can honestly say that it was one of the smartest things we did during my wife’s pregnancy. Here is why:

I am a firm believer that everyone born into this world is great at something. Unfortunately, most of us never find out what that something is. Every once in awhile a lucky few find their ultimate calling in life and seize the opportunity. Teresa is one of those lucky few. She was born to be a doula and childbirth educator. My wife’s 22 ½ hour labor and unmedicated vaginal birth of a 9 lb. 8 oz. baby girl went wonderfully and Teresa was a very large reason for that. Doula certifications and the experience of 295+ births are great on her resume, but what sets Teresa apart is something that really can’t be explained. You can see it in her eyes, you hear it in her voice, and you just know that you are in good hands. Not only do you get the benefit of her knowledge, she somehow empowers you to believe in yourself.

Through the classes, my wife and I felt we had the tools and the confidence for what was up ahead. Sign up for her childbirth classes, hire her as your doula and drive from wherever you have to. It’s worth every minute.

P.S. Teresa didn’t pay me to write this.

P.P.S. There are some things you can do while you’re up in the ‘burbs. For example, there is a Babies R Us, so you can register. It made the drive a little more bearable.

Donnie, husband to Ila

Donnie states that it is 30 miles to his home- it actually is a little more- but mapquest says it is only a 32-minute drive- on Saturdays it is usually a less congested drive than a weekday or evening. The new childbirth location is just off of Hwy.316 which is directly off of I-85. So, don’t fear the drive to the burbs! It may be worth it to you in the end as it was for Ila and Donnie! There are a lot of things to do when you come out this way- Babies R Us is certainly one of them, as well as being a short drive to the Mall of Georgia and Discover Mill Mall. So, bite the bullet and make the drive- we will certainly try to make it a great experience!

I was invited back as their doula for their next child who came mid 2007!