Leah and Tyler's Birth!

Whitney was a tremendous help to my husband and I from the moment we started our interview with her. She is a wealth of knowledge. She really listened to my husband and I to help us plan our ideal birth. We didn’t know our options for birth, and after discussing our views with Whitney she helped us realize that we needed to switch from an OB to a midwife at a different hospital. (I want to be clear that Whitney never pushed her views or ideas on us – she really takes care to ensure that she only provides information and even reminds you that you are the one making the decisions according to your own feelings.) Before I met Whitney I really wanted to have a natural birth, but doubted my ability to do it. She changed that.

She is also very realistic, and reminded us that things don’t always go as planned. This ended up very important to us since I was induced 10 days early due to my baby’s heartbeat dropping. Because Whitney had explained all kinds of interventions and options to us at a pre-birth visit, we felt prepared to make decisions when the pressure was on. We also felt completely in control knowing that we had Whitney to bounce critical decisions off of while we were in the hospital for a few days.

During my hospital stay, Whitney visited the first night just to help us calm down and talk over options. I think she would have stayed days there with us had I asked. She came back around 3 AM the night I delivered, within an hour of my call to her. I zoned out during my hard labor, but I remember her encouraging words coming at just the right times, letting me know I was doing everything right and giving my strength to keep going. My husband was my main support, but Whitney supported him by confirming he was doing the right things to help me through. She knew when to call in the midwives, and will do anything you need to make you comfortable during labor.

Without Whitney, I am confident I would have had my son via c-section in a very hospital-centered way. With her support and after taking her advice of switching to a midwife, I ended my induction off of all medical interventions, with freedom and dignity, with no pain killers, and with a natural birth of my completely healthy baby boy.

I highly recommend Whitney. I wish you an amazing birth, and hope you’ll cherish your memories as much as I do.

Tawnya and Jasmine's Birth

Whitney was absolutely amazing, and my husband and I couldn't have been happier with our birth experience.

I knew from the moment I found out I was pregnant that I wanted a natural birth, and I have a friend/doula in my home state that wouldn't be able to attend my birth, so she recommended I find a doula here in Colorado. As soon as we interviewed Whitney, we knew immediately she was the one we wanted. Our views were so similar on many topics, and she was always ready to answer our questions and allay any doubts. My due date was September 4th, and my water broke September 2nd in the early morning, but I didn't actually start having contractions until about 5:30 Thursday morning, the 3rd. From then on, it was a long and difficult 28.5 hours until I had our little girl at 10:02 am on Friday, Sept 4th, her due date. Whitney was right by my side the whole time, offering the encouragement and support that my husband was unable to provide. When he became stressed, Whitney was able to step in and coach me through how to handle the pain. In the end, I was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia, which had come on early Friday morning. I had just enough time to fulfill my goal of having Jasmine all naturally and breastfeeding her after birth before I had to be put on the medication. Whitney was by our side the entire time, helping me get Jasmine out and also providing support for my husband and parents. After the birth, she coached me in helping Jasmine getting latched on, and she was a natural! I really feel that this wonderful birth experience wouldn't have been the same without her, and I am so truly thankful for the time, education, and care that she gave to my family. I look forward to the day when we can work together again, hopefully next time with a home birth! Thank you so much Whitney! :)

Josie and Zola's Birth!

For several weeks leading up to the birth of Zola I had false labor. It was exhausting both emotionally and physically. Thankfully my partner and I had Whitney as a sweet, patient, and reassuring voice. She always made herself available to us for questions and offered excellent advice. I can’t even count how many times she reminded me to relax, rest, and hydrate leading up to the birth!

My labor with my first child, Micah, was close to 19 hours with nearly six of them spent stalled at 8cm. Going into Zola’s birth I had hoped things would move quicker than they had before. Apparently my body doesn’t move fast! On Saturday the 25th I lost my mucous plug and had sporadic contractions throughout the day. Around 7pm that evening they became stronger and developed a solid pattern. After so much false labor I was hesitant to call Whitney, but my partner called her and she came straight away. She stayed with us for about and hour and during that time my contractions started to space out and lessen in intensity. She recommended we try to get some rest and call her if we needed anything. We went to bed and around 3:30am I woke up with strong contractions yet again. This time I was pretty sure this babe was on her way and we called Whitney at 5:30am.

She came with us to the hospital where I was admitted at 4cm and 80-90% effaced. It was really beautiful to start the morning with a gorgeous sunrise and the knowledge that Zola would be with us soon.

Whitney was an amazing help to myself and my partner. She took the pressure off of him to be anything other than a loving partner to me. She was able to give him quiet suggestions of how he could best support me as well. I know this was invaluable to him and deeply appreciated. Her support of me was incredible. There is something very empowering about having another woman attend you during birth. She was able to be the sister and friend that could make me laugh between contractions. She was also able to be the mother who pulled my hair back for me and rub my back gently when I vomited during transition.

I was incredibly blessed to have an amazing midwife and L&D nurse with me as well. Because Whitney was such a knowledgeable and reliable presence, my midwife and nurse repeatedly mentioned how they hardly felt needed in the room during labor. I felt so at ease in the care of those three women!

Pushing has been the hardest and most rewarding part of both my births. It is intense and all encompassing. Just when I started to feel like Zola was never going to make her debut and I was feeling like my body might have hit a wall, I heard my midwife say something truly beautiful. There I was with my partner beside me and holding my hand, one leg resting on the nurse, the other on Whitney, and my midwife right in front of me, and the midwife said “now this is what it is to be attended by women.” Sitting there surrounded by powerful women and holding the hand of the person I love, we were joined by another little woman. Zola was born at 7:17 and was a big, healthy girl! My partner caught her and laid her onto my chest immediately. She nursed not long, maybe fifteen minutes, after birth and Whitney guided me on how to let Zola find my breasts on her own and initiate nursing on her own.

Whitney was there from start to finish. She had a way of knowing exactly what I needed without me ever having to say it. Having a hospital birth that truly felt like a home birth wouldn’t have been possible without her. She is an incredible woman and her ability to be an advocate, sister, friend, support, and a true professional is so very amazing. She is an incredible doula and I would strongly suggest her to anyone embarking on the journey of pregnancy and birth.

Anthea's and Max's Birth

After a traumatic experience with my first birth, I knew that I wanted to attempt a VBAC with our second child. During my third trimester another doula recommended Whitney to us. After briefly meeting it was obvious to me that to succeed with a natural birth it was going to take a tremendous amount of strength on my part and an exceptional team. That team would have to include a supportive and knowledgeable doula as well as a supportive staff of midwives. Whitney fit the bill perfectly since she is dedicated and passionate about her job which resonates in her constant availability and coaching. She also led us to an exceptional midwife practice since my OBGYN was not supportive of me attempting a VBAC.

I was diagnosed with Prodromal Labor aka "false labor" weeks before my due date and Whitney spent several nights answering my questions and being on call. She was so supportive and even after my numerous visits to the triage she reassured me that my body was doing what it needed to do to and that I was doing a great job. When I finally went into true labor, Whitney met us at the hospital and coached us through the birthing process. She made sure that my husband and mother had roles as well.

I was in labor for a total of 19 hours. Whitney did what no one else on the team could do- she helped me discover a part of myself that I never knew was there. She called it my inner Warrior. I not only succeeded with my VBAC but I also experienced a spiritual journey within myself. I will be forever greatful to Whitney for taking my hand and guiding me through my fear to an unchartered place of strength within my own self.

Wendy and Javier's Birth

Javier Manuel's Birth

Around 6:30 my water was broken in the hospital, as my doctor had planned. By 10:30 my contractions were strong enough to really use Whitney's expertise in the area in which she specializes. Although she has a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience, Whitney also has the ability to coach at a comfortable and non-invasive distance and was able to teach my husband what he needed to know in order to be a stronger, more valuable labor partner.

Through the thick of labor (as it progressed in strength) Whitney was able to coach both my husband, Dan and I through the contractions and keep my focus on the task at hand (to tend to my totally natural birth plan in a hospital setting). Not only did we succeed in having a totally unmediated and natural birthing experience, but when my body soared from 7 centimeters to the crowning of my son's head in a matter of minutes, Whitney kept her cool and continued to guide me through the experience.

After the delivery, Whitney was supportive in both my after-care and of Javier's health, as well. She was willing to be of assistance for as long as needed and conveyed true care for the outcome of our health.

My husband and I are very thankful for our relationship with Whitney and feel strongly that without her professional support, we may have missed out on our opportunity to experience a beautiful and natural childbirth experience. She is a blessing and because of her presence during labor we now have a healthy baby boy as the result of an amazing journey through labor.

Debbie and Aleia's Birth in Pictures!

Ineke and Levi's Birth Story!

I had had mild contractions earlier in the evening, but took Whitney's advice to try to go to sleep (especially since I had had two false labors within the prior couple of weeks). I went to bed at around 10 pm and woke up about half past midnight when my water broke. I called Whitney who told me she would meet me at the hospital within the hour since my contractions were less than 5 minutes apart and the doctor on call told me to come on in.

Whitney arrived a few minutes after we did, while I was still hooked up to the monitoring machine. Unfortunately, the nurse assigned to me was unable to find my cervix and was unaware how dialated I was and told us all to go walk the halls for an hour. Whitney was terrific while we did this, helping me breath and providing great reassurance and coaching through my contractions. I was doing great! However, just as we were returning to the room for the next check-in, I hit transition labor and the real fun began. Having no real desire to experience the pain of a natural labor, I had very much wanted an epidural and had communicated this strongly to the hospital staff. However by the time they checked my cervix for the second time (and actually found it this time!), it was time to push. The hospital staff ended up scrambling to get my OB to the room on time because they had no idea I was that far along. Unfortunately, I wasn't mentally or physically prepared for the incredibly intense pain, and having Whitney there to help guide and calm me really helped me keep it together.

While Whitney felt bad that my labor didn't go as planned, I actually had MORE of a need to have her there because I was unprepared for a natural birth. My labor was only 4 hours long (though very, very intense because of that) and Levi was born at 4:32 am, just 4 hours after my water broke. I know I had what many people think of as a dream labor, but the short labor made it very painful and, compounded with the mix-up of the hospital staff, I just wasn't prepared for it. I might have survived a labor with an epidural without Whitney, but I would have likely fallen apart with my unexpected natural labor (and missing OB) without her help.

My son was incredibly healthy, weighed in at 8lbs 12 oz, and scored 9 and 9 again on his Apgars. He had no problems latching on and went straight to work when put on my chest and was alert for about 2 full hours after the birth. I highly recommend Whitney, and using a doula, to anyone who asks!