"I contacted Rachel very last-minute in my pregnancy, I think I was around 35 weeks. I didn't think I was going to need or want any extra help but as my hypnobirthing class came to a close, I realized I was still wanting some extra guidance, this being my first pregnancy. I contacted Rachel and she seemed very knowledgeable and caring the first meeting we had. She was thorough in the preparatory information she gave, including some great website resources for birth plans. When I went into labor, I ended up having contractions in my back, something I was not expecting or prepared for. Rachel was essential in helping me get through them! She not only helped hands-on with back and hip pressure and rocking, she also was able to direct others in the room as to how they could help me. This included my husband. Even though I knew he was very capable of helping me had we been on our own, there was no way for him or I to know exactly what to do. Rachel anticipated my needs and remained proactively engaged the entire labor. I never had to ask her for anything, she was always right there with a suggestion or question about how to make me more comfortable. She was encouraging of my own style of relaxation, something she got a feel for at our meeting a few weeks prior. Her questions during that meeting allowed her to recall what helps me relax and what doesn't help me relax. This type of individual care was so essential for me. She even introduced me to a breathing technique that I didn't know of previously and with EVERY contraction that I can remember she was guiding my breathing by breathing out loud like I should. I was resistant to make any noise because I thought I would be embarrassed. But I was in so much pain that having someone else making noise helped me not care about how I sounded and just focus instead on the breathing and the sounds, and not on the pain. At one point, I was so anxious about things that I said something like "I don't think I can do this anymore!" to which Rachel replied gently "You ARE doing it! You're doing it right NOW!" That was exactly what I needed to hear. And 6 hours later I had my beautiful perfect baby boy on my chest, naturally and with no intervention. After the delivery, Rachel stayed to help with initial breastfeeding attempts. As I still had problems with that, she followed up with a postpartum visit and a few phone calls to suggest lactation consultants and to offer her encouragement. She provided even more resources for postpartum care of not just the baby, but for myself also. These included books, websites, and direct contact information for other professionals. I feel comfortable now almost 3 weeks later contacting her with questions. The only thing I regret is not contacting her sooner in my pregnancy!" -Lauren Nielsen
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