As we prepared for our first child, we were unsure whether we needed a doula, but as the time drew nearer, we decided we needed the help. We had the very good fortune to work with Shelia Kandeler.

Shelia met with us twice prior to the labor, and was kind and competent from the very beginning. But you never know how someone will react in a stressful situation until you find yourself in that situation. My wife’s labor was difficult, long, and did not progress normally. Shelia was a rock for us throughout the entire experience. She provided emotional support, advice, and information. She also had a very good sense of when we needed help and when we needed space.

If we choose to have another child, we’ll definitely ask Shelia to work with us again. With luck, your experience of labor and delivery will be smoother than ours. Even in a relatively easy labor, you’ll be happy you hired Shelia. But should you find yourself having a labor experience that doesn’t go as you hoped, you’ll wonder how you ever could have done it without her. We highly recommend Shelia to anyone thinking about hiring a doula.