Mariel’s VBAC Birth with a Doula Experience
The following is a local Atascadero mother’s experience working with me as her doula during her VBAC birth at Intimate Journey Birth Center in SLO. It was an absolute honor to support Mariel and her husband during her VBAC.
“I am so thrilled with my birth experience! After a c-section with my first, I was REALLY hopeful that I could have a VBAC the second time around. We didn’t hire Nikita until a few weeks before my due date, but we are so thankful that we did! After a long “midwifery induction” at home, I ended up laboring all night at the birth center. Nikita set up the birth suite beautifully with galaxy lights and essential oils, both of which made it feel like OUR space that night. The biggest challenge came when we realized I had a cervical lip and my contractions had slowed down significantly. Nikita encouraged me to do some Spinning Babies exercises that proved to be some of the most challenging moments of my entire labor. She knew they would be super intense for me, but she also knew they might be my best chance of getting rid of the cervical lip, and ultimately, achieving the birth experience that I hoped for. A short while after following Nikita’s suggestions, I felt the urge to push during a contraction and things shifted. The cervical lip was gone and within a few hours, I birthed my baby boy in the tub at the birth center, just as I had envisioned, and with Nikita cheering me on and sharing in our joy at the moment of his birth!
Preparing for labor is nerve-wracking. You have no idea when it will happen, how long it will take, or what the process will look like. And you don’t know what road blocks you’ll encounter along the way. I just prayed that God would provide the right people for our journey, and my husband and I agree that Nikita was certainly instrumental in the success of my VBAC. Her suggestions before and during labor were very helpful. And without those exercises she encouraged me to do, I’m really not sure we would’ve had the outcome we did. She has a warm, happy demeanor and she is easy to get to know (even in a short period of time). She is knowledgeable and truly works to achieve her clients’ goals. She supported not only me, but my husband and older son throughout the entire experience. She (discreetly) took tons of great pictures for us that we will treasure for years to come. I could go on, but the bottom line is that we are so thankful for Nikita, and we wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for an amazing birth doula!
Mariel’s birth tub with relaxing lighting to create a calming environment during her labor. (Intimate Journey Birth Center, San Luis Obispo.)
