What recent clients are saying about Elaine’s doula support in the PDX area

Britanee and Brandon’s Birth Story

On August 19th, 2017, I welcomed my first-born baby girl into the world. The day started out with so much excitement as we headed to the hospital for our scheduled induction.  Equipped with my birthing team, by 11 am it was full steam ahead.  Contractions kicked in fast and became overwhelming very quickly.  I began contractions that were 30 seconds long and only 30 seconds apart. 

I grew exhausted very quickly by the amount of effort by body was putting in.  At one point, I asked to go sit in the bathtub in search of just a small amount of relief.  This worked for a short period, but from sitting in the crouched position in the bathtub I began to experience numbing.  It started out small with just slight numbing and tingling in the legs, but very quickly it grew and soon I was numb all the way to my upper lip.  I can remember sitting there with my husband on the side of the tub and my nurse buzzing around my hospital room, saying over and over I need to get out of this tub.  Everyone kept telling me that I could get out when I was ready and as I would start to sit myself up a contraction would begin.  I could not fight through the pain, I just needed help. 

I was exhausted and hurting more than I ever had before and that is when my luck changed.  Elaine Richwine, my doula, came to my rescue.  She walked into that bathroom and lifted me right out of the bathtub.  She wrapped my arms around her neck and supported all my weight through my next few contractions as I stood wrapped in a towel in the middle of my hospital room bathroom.  She timed my contractions and found the break where she could get me back to the bed where she helped me into every position change, I requested.  She found the perfect pressure points to push in my back that helped relieve the pressure during contractions and before I knew it at 10:58 p.m.  my beautiful 7-pound 13-ounce baby girl was in my arms, and I had made it through! 

I truly believe that I would have not had the strength to make it through this labor without the support of my amazing doula.  She made sure that my birth happened exactly as I wanted it and I was able to deliver my daughter 100% all natural and trust me I begged for a C-section towards the end!      

Fast Forward to October 15, 2019, when I went into labor with my second child.  Elaine once again was my rock through this pregnancy.  Although a lot easier than my first, her support again is what got me through the birth of my son.  Again, the labor was intense, and it was her rubbing the right spots and talking me through my breaths that made me face every contraction, no matter how hard the last one was.  My second labor was much faster than my first, but I can still remember two times when Elaine received my vote for best doula award while I was laboring, I was experimenting with many different pain relief techniques, one being the gas that the hospital offers.  One of the major side effects to this form of pain relief is nausea.  From being tired and concentrating on keeping my breathing under control, I at one point forgot to remove my mask for natural air and I inhaled to much of the gas.  This made me very nauseous and with barely any warning I grew very sick and threw up all over my poor doula.  Through all of it she kept encouraging me that I was going to be OK and that this would pass. 

She kept telling me to focus on my breaths and get myself back into a good breathing rhythm.  We all know that labor, while an amazing experience is not always glamorous.  I feel it takes a very strong character to take on all the messes that come with birth and labor and to walk right through it like nothing is happening. 

Her tone never changed she never stopped talking to me or encouraging me the entire time she was covered in my vomit!!! This labor much like my first, was very intense and progressed very quickly.  At one point during the time that I was pushing, I was informed that my son was stuck on my pelvis bone and that I needed to roll onto my back from my side so that my pelvis could open, and he could continue out the birthing canal.  This was already after I had birthed his head and the though of trying to reposition myself at this point in my labor was not something I could find the strength to do.  I remember crying and telling the doctor that I wasn’t moving. 

At this point, Elaine was standing at my left knee, she looked down at me and said “well, that’s not an option” and cupping behind my leg she picked me up and rolled me on my back.  This one motion opened my pelvis, and my 8-pound 15-ounce beautiful baby boy entered the world. 

My kids are now 4 and 2 years of age and still to this day I tell everyone that I talk to about my births that if it were not for the love and support that I received from Elaine and her amazing doula services my births would not be something that I would be happy sharing about.  Her tips and tricks carried me through two very strenuous all natural births and if I had to do it again, I would not hesitate with her by my side!

Katherine and Dan’s VBA2C Story

I have had 2 cesareans with a history of abdominal surgery. This made a trial of labor/ vaginal birth extremely risky for me. I desperately wanted a vaginal birth. Elaine helped me to formulate the right questions to ask my OB. She made sure to understand my history and my wants for this birth experience. She was available 24/7 to answer questions and she checked on me daily to see how I was doing t\and give me emotional support and encouragement. With her by my side I was able to accomplish the impossible and have a successful vaginal birth. She even took photos and a timeline to document the experience, which are amazing memories to have. I am 2 weeks postpartum, and she is still checking in on me and baby. She also provided amazing support to my spouse during labor. She helped calm him and help support my needs, while also making sure his needs were met as well. I have already recommended her to several people in my life and will continue to recommend her. I could not have accomplished this without her, and she will forever be an important person in my life after this experience. Words don’t seem sufficient to get across how much having her there meant to me and my spouse. Elaine is an absolutely amazing, knowledge\able, compassionate, and relatable doula. She is approachable and made me fill instantly comfortable. If I have any more kids, I will definitely have her there with me! ~ Katherine