juliamnurse@gmail.com
(415) 572-3081
The birth of my daughter was a four day affair that started with an induction and ended in a c-section. What could have been a stressful and frightening experience was, overall, calm and filled with many moments of joy. I felt well-informed and confident in my decisions at every step of the labor thanks to the wealth of knowledge Julia shared with me prior to my labor. She provided gentle guidance both over the phone and in person during the birth. Prior to delivery, the stress relieving techniques she taught my spouse provided us with a new way to bond as we prepared for parenthood. And postpartum, she created a loving space to debrief and process my experience. Overall, she brought together a community of experts, resources, and experience that bolstered my existing community of friends and family that made the birth of our first child an event brimming with love. I felt so held throughout the pregnancy, birth, and recovery.
Julia Nurse was an incredible doula. We are SO grateful that we were able to have her there at the birth of our first child. When she came into the birthing room, I had gotten totally shaken out of my birth zone by the transition to the hospital and she re-centered me and my partner. I think if she hadn't been there, I would not have been able to do the unmedicated birth that I had hoped for. With her support, I was able to work through the contractions have a really wonderful experience. She not only helped me, but helped my partner help me. She was so good at interacting with all the other medical staff as well. Several of the nurses and doctors asked about her after she had left because they were so impressed by her. I think the thing that stood out to me was how minimal and effortless her interventions seemed. For example, when she first walked in she just breathed slowly with me and that calmed me. At every stage, she was a calm and steady presence. Thank you for everything, Julia.
Julia was such a calming and knowledgeable presence at all our appointments and during the birth. Some of the most valuable parts of her support were: walking us through what to expect in early labor and getting us in the mindset to enjoy this time together at home as long as we could, helping us make a birth preferences sheet and understand the likely decisions that might come up, and loaning a TENS unit which really helped me manage pain in early labor. She provides the perfect balance of evidence-based recommendations and thoughtful inspiration for making birth a special and meaningful experience. If we have a second child, I would work with Julia again in a heartbeat!
Julia brings a knowledgeable, calming presence to the birth space. Both my partner and I got great value out of working with her—me feeling supported as the birthing person and him feeling like he knew better how to assist me. Julia did a great job making sure my needs and desires were met, asking for confirmation of my agreement before the medical team took interventions. Afterwards, the primary nurse who supported the delivery was very complimentary and told Julia to come back any time. 10/10 would recommend and would work with her again if we have another child in the future. I had a very positive birth experience and would say Julia was a key component of making that happen!