“This time we also were privileged to have Kristen Young attend the birth as a doula. She is absolutely amazing! If anyone wants to have a doula I'd highly recommend her. She helped me in the days leading up to the birth to not be anxious and trust in the Lord. During the birth she had a wealth of information available to make things easier and it all went a bit smoother because of her. Seriously, if you're expecting or hope to be in the future you should keep her in mind!”

“My biggest fear about my birth was that I would have to experience labor alone. This was my fourth child and I knew that my support people would be busy trying to care for my other children while I was in labor. But Kristen was with me every step of the way. She was in contact with me frequently before labor began, and then stayed with me through my whole labor and for several hours afterward. I was never alone and felt completely supported.”

“You are good at advocating for your patients, thoughtful as to what your patients need during delivery, and can also connect [clients] with good resources in the community.”

“I found your support and encouragement to be the most valuable. When I was struggling, you gave me the encouragement that I needed to keep going. You also made me feel like my choices and feelings were all very valid. I think what stands out to me the most was how calm you were through the whole process. I was able to feed off your energy. When I would feel my anxiety or fear ramping up, you had calm, encouraging words for me. You helped to keep me grounded.”

“Kristen knew how to read me pretty well. She was content with being quiet when I didn't have anything to say, and during contractions she rubbed my back and relieved some of the pain. She knew the hospital staff and got me all set up with a shower and a pregnancy ball which significantly helped me cope with the contractions. She welcomed my husband into the process, while taking care of things that we didn't know or want to think about like how to find and get into L&D.”

 

“We met Kristen in our house for an initial chat and we knew immediately that she was the right doula for us. She was professional, resourceful, organized, kind, calm, respectful, and responsive. A week later we checked in at the hospital with the intention of inducing labor, but medical induction was not necessary as I went into labor naturally with the help and support of Kristen. She did a wonderful job making sure my husband was involved, helping me through labor and birth. She even got my mom (who does not speak English) involved by asking her to soak towels in iced water to cool me off when I was having very strong contractions. Kristen suggested positions that would work for me and used natural techniques to alleviate my pain during labor. She worked well with the midwife on call, which was great. She also kept encouraging me and telling me my baby would be born that night. Her words gave the strength and confidence to keep following the midwife's directions and let my body do the work. After the birth, she followed up to make sure I was doing well physically and mentally, which meant a lot during the adjustment to being a new parent. We were very glad we to have her helping us and would recommend her to anybody looking for a doula!”

 

“I honestly do not know what I would have done without Kristen’s presence during my childbirth journey. I knew from the beginning that I wanted a doula present with me for all the types of support they can provide during labor and delivery. I also knew I wanted someone who loved Jesus and would be praying with me through the entire process. Before my due date, Kristen and I met and shared our hearts and talked through my birth plan. I made an idealistic birth plan, and though I knew I likely wouldn’t get everything on my list, I was thankful to have the pressure of making it all happen off of my chest and into Kristen’s capable hands. She was able to communicate with the staff about the things I did and didn’t want so that I could focus on the task at hand. My labor was long (30+) hours, and through it all she was there, walking the halls with me, gently reminding me and helping me move and change positions and do what I need to progress labor. She helped massage my back and did hip squeezes to help relieve my pain as much as possible. The truth is that she did so much for me and Nick during the entire journey, that I could never list it all out. She is kind, loving, prayerful, and nurturing, and I wouldn’t want to do childbirth without her. In every way possible, she went above and beyond, and when things couldn’t go exactly according to my detailed birth plan, she talked me through it and helped me find peace. It is evident to me that this is something she is called to do, and I’m thankful she followed her call to do this kind of ministry to moms (and spouses) as they bring babies into the world.”