Berkeley-based Betsy Appell was our doula for our first child, born in October of 2004. We selected her after doing extensive research on doulas in the area and interviewing a few others and we were thrilled with our decision to work with her. My husband and I were looking for someone with whom we felt comfortable, inspired confidence, was willing to work well with BOTH of us and see my husband and I as a birth team, would support our decision to strive for a natural childbirth, AND would be supportive of us should certain issues arise during the birth that might indicate that drugs would be helpful. She satisfied our requirements on all five of these points.
During her two extensive prenatal visits with my husband and me, she provided us with critical information, support, preparation exercises and coaching, even before the labor began. She offers both yoga and hypnobirthing classes, for which you can sign up in addition to her standard package of doula services. And while we did not opt for either of those extra services, she offered resources and instruction concerning both hypnobirthing and yoga poses in our prenatal work with her.
Betsy was very, very accessible and responsive throughout the pre and post-natal periods, responding promptly to all of our inquiries via either phone or email. She also provided critical support and resources as different issues came up as we approached the birth. I had high blood pressure throughout and was being threatened with induction starting at 38 weeks, something that I didn’t want at all. She coached us expertly in the meditation techniques that she’d shared with us and I truly feel that, due to her, we were able to buy ourselves 2 and a half extra weeks of gestation. I ended up being induced at 40 and a half weeks (due to continued high blood pressure) and Betsy was incredible in advising us about how best to handle the induction and what induction processes to request.
The induction really threw a wrench in our optimal birth plan, and Betsy was great at adapting to this new situation. We really didn’t know what the pitocin would bring and, as expected, the contractions were fast and furious. Still, with her tremendous assistance in preparing for the birth and the incredible skill she exhibited during the labor, I was able to deliver our daughter naturally. There were a number of times that I felt that I really needed some pain relief and just as I was about to request drugs, Betsy would pick up on this and provide me with just the right encouragement and change the techniques we were using. These shifts helped tremendously and really allowed me to continue without pain medication.
My husband was quite pleased with Betsy’s work. He was somewhat hesitant to work with a doula when we first considered it. He was concerned that the presence of one might usurp his role in the birth. After meeting Betsy, he felt more comfortable with the concept of working with a doula. Soon thereafter, he recognized how much better he felt about having a knowledgeable person in the labor room with us, thus taking a lot of pressure off of him and allowing him to have his own experience of the birth.
Once we actually were in labor and at the hospital, Betsy was very flexible about roles in the birthing room. My husband ENDED UP being my main coach, right at my side. Betsy ended up coaching both of us – with the meditations and breathing, later with very helpful chanting, and all the while with her incredible bag of tricks she brought to the birth. We also knew that she was open to whatever role configuration worked best for us. Ultimately, this entire set up was really wonderful and enabled both my husband and I to feel comfortable and included in the birth in important ways.
Betsy’s expertise, perceptiveness, responsiveness, friendly manner and support directly contributed to a larger baby, a natural childbirth and incredible confidence and peace of mind for my husband and me – both going into and the actual birthing process. She’s really, really, really great and we recommend her as highly as possible.
