way I can."
Julie
Testimonials
"Dear moms and dads-to-be,
I am more than happy to recommend Julie Benedetti to you as a proficient, caring, and skilled birth doula.
My husband, Steve, and I hired Julie to be our doula for the births of both of our children. There are two main reasons why we initially decided that we wanted her by our side. First, childbirth comes with countless “unknowns”. This is true certainly with a first child, but it is true, too, with subsequent children. Regardless of what you want your birth experience to be, someone who can help you navigate your way through the unknowns to the experience you want is of enormous value. And in the event that things don’t go exactly as planned, it is a great comfort and reassurance to have someone with you who is there solely to make your birth experience the best it can be. Neither of the births of my children went exactly as planned, and yet neither of them was in the slightest bit disappointing. On the contrary, I count both births as some of the most perfect and memorable times of my life, and I believe this is more than partly due to Julie’s guidance, sensitivity, and positive attitude.
Second, we wanted Julie as our doula because we wanted to be able to really cherish every moment of the process. We knew that we only had one chance to bring each of our babies into the world, and we wanted someone who would, in doing her job, allow us to really treasure the experience. For example, in the weeks leading up to each birth, I worried much less than I would have, because I had Julie as an advocate, educator, and assurance that everything would turn out fine. We enjoyed these weeks more because we worried less. During the birth, my husband never felt pushed aside by Julie. Rather, he was able to be an even greater supporter, comforter, and motivator because of her presence. When he needed to take a break, he didn’t feel guilty because he knew Julie was with me. And in the moments after our babies were born, Julie struck the perfect balance between giving us our space and making sure we were taken care of (and making sure we got some really great pictures!). These are just a few examples of things she did that allowed us to cherish and soak in this time we would never get back.
There are a few other specific things that I greatly appreciated about Julie’s care. She is a great listener. From the first appointment with her and sharing my desires for my births, to the phone calls in the days leading up to the birth, and in the post-natal appointment with her in reflecting on the birth, she helped to clarify things in my own mind while validating my feelings and desires. I also appreciate that she is sensitive to the people and things going on around her and appropriate in her responses. Finally, I know that Julie genuinely and deeply cares for every one of her clients, as well as their babies.
For these reasons and more, Steve and I will not hesitate to ask Julie to once again be by our side when we decide to have another baby.
We would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Please do not hesitate to email us at steveandsarabeth@gmail.com. "
Sincerely,
Sarabeth and Steve
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"We decided to have a doula because we thought it would be helpfull to have a woman who can really empathize with
the pain and emotion of delivering a baby. Julie was very relaxed and encouraging and was a huge support for me and my husband during my delivery. Her presence seemed to take some of the pressure off my husband and we were
both able to relax a little. I would highly recommend Julie as your doula."
--Dawn
"It was great having a liaison that my wife could realate to. I was worried at first about having someone else ata such an important event in our life, but Julie was a professional. She did an excellent job at communicating with BOTH of us and she really brought order and a sense of control to such a stressful event. I would strongly encourage you to include her in your birthing situation."
--John
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"Wonderful to have the comfort and knowledge of someone who has been through labor.I could not have made it through the delivery without her. She made me feel comfortable and helped to keep me calm during the hardest partof my labor. I would recommend to anyone to have a doula--the extra support was wonderful. Julie did a great job with my family, making sure everyones needs were met. A wondeful experience. "
--Jesse
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"As a first time father, I wanted very much to be able to support my wife in every way possible. We had been to childbirth classes, but Iʼm not sure that I would have been very useful on my own. When we were at the hospital, the doctors and nurses werenʼt in with us all the time- there were long stretches when we were on our own. Julieʼs presence, however, was a constant that we came to rely on and appreciate. She was able to provide the constant feedback, information and support that really allowed us to be comfortable during delivery.
For me personally, I felt like I didnʼt have to be everything all the time, which certainly allowed me to be a lot calmer and much more directly helpful to my wife. Without her, I would have felt overwhelmed with all that was going on (and my wife surely didnʼt need to have to worry about me on top of what she was dealing with!) I had a very positive birth experience because of Julie.
Additionally, she took lots of pictures and notes, allowing us to remember an important time in our lives- one which we were otherwise too busy to really appreciate then, but have wonderful memories of now. I’d certainly recommend Julie to anybody who wants to be best able to help their partner through childbirth."
Kyle
"Julie helped make my birth experience exactly what I wanted. My doctor recommended her and from our first meeting I could tell Julie has a passion for being a doula. She was very easy to talk to and incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of birth experiences, from the emotional changes leading up to and after the birth to the best pain coping strategies. She was available to answer my questions as my due date approached and as labor began. Every time I talked with Julie she gave me her full attention and provided the perfect support and advice. In the labor room Julie made sure I understood all medical procedures and had the nurses explained what was happening. As the labor progressed Julie and my husband made a great team, helping me through contractions and keeping me focused. Having an extra set of hands really helped me through labor and helped my husband better support me. When I felt ready to push Julie had me call the nurses. Julie provided knowledge and as the laboring mother-to-be this empowered me to stay in control of my birth. Although I was uncertain of having photos during labor and delivery, I am now extremely happy Julie was there to capture the first seconds of our son’s life and photos of the new family. After the birth of our son Julie helped with breastfeeding, something very important to me, and made sure we were all comfortable before leaving us to bond with our new child. Julie’s down to earth personality and knowledge made her a wonderful asset to my birth experience. "
-Nicole
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"Julie supported our birth plan--with mine and the baby's health in mind. She made sure that she knew exactly what my husband and I wanted during the birth process so she could advocate for us if needed. Julie has an incredible gift! Her intuition as to how to help a woman transform into a mom is flawless.
She was sensitive to our needs. She was by my side, yet knew instinctively when Alan and I needed a few moments alone. She knew when to encourage, when to calm, when to let yelling and crying occur, when to take pictures and when to get snacks. She handled visitors with a firm yet gracious tone.
If you are looking for someone to help create a peaceful atmosphere for your child's birth, to handle the detailswhile you do the laboring, to reassure you and help make your birth experience a safe, wonderful time, call Julie."
--Kathi Dorow
"Having Julie there to help out Kathi and me during our son's birth was an enormous help. It was great to be able to take a break from coaching and encouraging Kathi, knowing that Julie was there to support her. Julie also gave support to me by getting drinks and food and running errands for us. She also kept family and friends informedof the progress. She was very knowledgeable of different birthing situations and techniques, a big help for me as we went along. I will definately want Julie there when our next child is born."
--Alan Dorow
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"My husband John and I hired Julie Benedetti to be our doula for the birth of our first child, EmmaLia, in 2005. John was very hesitant about having someone else in the delivery room that was there to care for HIS wife. He was afraid he would be told how to help me, when he thought he should KNOW how to help since he was the husband.
We met with Julie to see if there was a good connection and within the hour, John decided that she would be a great person to include in our birth process. She put us both at ease, and appeared willing to follow our wishes even though we had some unusual requests.
I was in touch with Julie throughout the rest of my pregnancy, via email and phone, able to ask questions and get her thoughts on the various changes that I was experiencing. I felt very comfortable sharing everything with her and she was always positive and supportive.
My labor and delivery was a long process due to some unforeseen circumstances, but Julie was with us every step of the way. We began with phone contact from the hospital, and as I wasn’t in labor at the time, we made the decision that it would be better for us all to wait, so that when Julie was truly needed, she would be at her best. She did come for several hours one day when my husband had to finish up some things at his job, but otherwise we all felt we should wait for the “big finish”.
Even from home, Julie was a godsend. She made the calls to our close friends and family that we were not able to contact from the hospital, and kept everyone updated on our progress. She was available for advice and as a sounding board as we made some decisions that we hadn’t been prepared to make in regards to medical intervention through the labor. I never felt that Julie was telling us what to do, or even telling us what she thought was right. In every instance, the options were laid out before us, and Julie would occasionally add information based on what she knew of our plans for childbirth.
When it came to the actual delivery, Julie was there, up all night with us, ready to help. I had strong back labor, and Julie seemed to have an endless bag of tricks from which to pull techniques to provide relief to me. She had a wonderful ability to make my husband feel in charge and responsible for my comfort, while being present and providing relief when he became tired. At one point late in labor, we were all trying to get a little rest before pushing, and Julie sat right by my head on a stool, and put her head down nearby so she would hear anything that I needed. She was truly on duty through the entire experience. Her voice and presence gave me a sense of calm that was otherwise completely absent in the chaos that was going on inside my head! She would help me breathe, rub my back, offer sips of water, and remind me that it would be over soon! I can still picture her face inches from mine as she reminded me to relax, breathe more deeply, and focus.
The delivery was miraculous and we were all overjoyed when it was finally over! Julie took pictures of us without making me feel uncomfortable, and was present when needed, and able to drift into the background, as my husband and I shared our first precious moments with our daughter.
Julie was the second person I told, after my husband, when I found out I was pregnant for the second time, 9 months later. Again she saw me through the pregnancy and the wonderful, easy, happy, relaxing delivery of our second daughter, Maia.
We have now moved to the other side of the country, and are expecting our third daughter in a matter of weeks. My only regret about Julie is that we were unable to convince her to fly out for this baby’s birth! Julie has become a friend and a mentor to me, and I will always be grateful for knowing her."
-Joanna
