The Jones’
We hired a Doula to help us with our journey as first time parents. Renee Bratton was an amazing teacher that quickly turned into a friend for both Ashley and myself. She was an incredible resource during the entire experience for both of us to utilize and learn from. Her way of managing to teach us what we needed to know, while balancing all of the input from our family and friends, and trying to navigate our own journey was incredibly helpful. From our first meeting to all the way through Ashley’s beautiful birthing process, Renee’s services were invaluable. She worked seamlessly with our midwife and the fantastic people that helped bring our beautiful baby girl into this world during the entire delivery process. She even managed to be able to help and teach my stubborn/hard headed self how to be a part of this amazing chapter in our lives. I HIGHLY recommend reaching out to Renee if you are blessed in the near future with the most wonderful gift that God can give you. Whether if it’s your first blessing or 5th, she can help your family during this crazy experience.
The Mather’s
Renee was the doula we chose for the birth of our second child. I wanted to have a natural/ medication free birth in a hospital setting and she was so supportive from our first meeting. Early in pregnancy she helped us form a birth plan that was succinct and complete. Renee provided advice and book suggestions for labor preparation for both myself and our husband. Throughout labor she was a continuous source of support and encouragement. She provided direct support and assisted my husband by showing him pressure/massage options. She stayed after our baby’s birth to help assist with first latch. Her postpartum visit was unhurried, she answered my question, asked questions I had not thought to ask and encouraged us to contact her as needed for further questions. Renee was kind, knowledgeable and supportive; we highly recommend her as a labor support doula.
The Sweet’s
Renee was the biggest help ever on our delivery day. There are many aspects of her assistance during my labor but among the biggest was her knowledge in the delivery room and home after delivery. I am a very strong willed person but an 18 hour delivery can make anyone tired. Our experience would not have been the same without her by my husbands and my side. Renee was able to be informative yet give us space to make our own decisions During the delivery process. She also was able to encourage me to stick through the toughest moments and continue to be strong with sticking to our birth plan. She was very comforting in every moment and helped us to remain calm throughout the entire Day. She has since brought us many tips with our new baby. I have to say I am successfully breast-feeding because of her and her assistance. Not only will she be with us for any deliveries in the future she is now considered our friend. Hiring her was the best thing we ever did during our pregnancy.
The Schmelzenbach’s
Renee was absolutely amazing! She is very knowledgeable and helped qualm my fears of a hospital birth. She was always easy to get in contact with and answered any questions we had any time. When I went into labor she met us at the hospital and was the perfect coach. My birth went almost exactly as I wanted it to. A huge part of that is because I was able to feel at ease with the team around me and Renee was a huge part of making that happen. She is also very knowledgeable about cloth diapering and breastfeeding and answered my many questions as a new mom. I would highly recommend Renee!
The Horrell’s
My husband and I decided to hire a doula for the birth of our first daughter, and after interviewing some other doulas we clicked with Renee. She made us feel very comfortable about the whole process. Although I was induced a week after my due date, and wasn’t able to start labor on my own, I am very happy with my birthing experience. Renee was very kind and informative through the entire process. I had back labor and was in a lot of pain so I did get an epidural. She was there the whole time with alternative options and positions for me to try and ease my pain. I think the best thing was that my husband had a support system and was able to comfort me better. Thank you Renee for helping us bring our little girl into the world!
The Heisner’s
Renee was wonderful! She is very knowledgeable on all aspects of the birth process. She answered any questions we had & supported all our decisions, even when they changed. She helped me write a birth plan that was clear & contained all my wishes. During labor she was kind & supportive. She helped me labor my way. She gently made suggestions during labor that were very helpful such as different ways to breathe & positions. My husband & I both agreed that this birth experience would not have gone as well without Renee there to support me. I did not use a doula for my 1st birth (this was my 2nd), but based on our experience with Renee, for any future births we will have a doula. She also supported me & my decisions after the baby was born. She makes herself easily available to answer questions. I would recommend her to any mother looking for an experienced & knowledgeable doula.
The Goetchius’s
Recently, my husband and I were able to secure the services of Reneé Bratton as our doula. We sought out a doula for the birth of our third child (2nd pregnancy) as our first pregnancy was a high risk twin delivery requiring interventions outside our control. We really wanted to experience the joy of childbirth on our own terms. Reneé prepared us to do exactly that. She was a wealth of information on resources for everything from reading materials, labor positions, pain management, and much more in the months leading up to the birth of our son. Her visits to our home to answer questions and develop our birth plan were relaxed and very informative. Reneé is open and honest about all of the different options, while remaining completely unbiased about any preference that she may have. To our surprise, labor progressed very quickly and our son was born within 30 minutes of arriving at the hospital. Reneé arrived shortly after our son was born and stayed to assist me initiate breastfeeding. Although labor didn’t go as planned, my husband and I were confident in our birth plan and were able to communicate our wishes to the medical team during a highly stressful time thanks to the invaluable education Reneé provided during our prenatal meetings. In the weeks following his birth we experienced a lot of difficulties with breastfeeding. Renee was able to provide support during that time as well and we were very grateful to have such a knowledgeable resource available to us. I highly recommend her services to any family or mother in need of such an invaluable support person.
The Ray’s
Having Reneé assist us as doula for the birth of our first child brought a piece of mind and comfort that I am forever grateful for. Not everything went as planned, but at the end of it all I was satisfied with the path and felt informed along the way. Renee was a constant essential part of my labor. I can’t imagine not having her there to provide physical and mental support, knowledge, and assistance during pregnancy, for the labor, and postpartum. Renee is a great doula and a truly kind and loving person and mother. When she speaks about the doula role you can tell she is knowledgeable and passionate about helping mothers and families navigate through the birthing process with information and confidence.
The Kim’s
I knew I wanted to have a natural birth at the hospital, but also knew I would need support when it came down to labor time, since it was my first baby. I did not want doctors to force me into procedures I knew were not the safest for my baby and me. Reneé met with my husband and me to discuss our birth plan. She was extremely supportive and knowledgeable. When labor began, I called her to let her know it was baby time. For the first 12 hours my labor was mild (so mild that I went fishing). Renee provided support along the way by checking in to see how I felt. She reassured me things were progressing naturally. My body knew exactly what to do. When contractions got closer she came over to my house. I felt safe knowing she was there because of her extensive knowledge and experience. When hospital time finally came she accompanied me there, reminded me of my birth plan, and provided encouragement every step of the delivery. I would recommend Reneé because she is reliable, flexible, and supportive. She not only “knows her stuff” medically, but it is evident that a mother’s birth wishes are of utmost to her.
The Boyden’s
Reneé served as doula for my first pregnancy in August 2016, and I can’t say enough wonderful things about her. After our second meeting, I was in the process of creating the birth plan when I had an emergency C-section a month early due to complications with pre-eclampsia. She couldn’t make it to the hospital in time because of how quickly events transpired, but she was there immediately after to help with breastfeeding and to check on me for the weeks following birth. She ended up counseling me through multiple breastfeeding issues that began with an overactive letdown. Then one month postpartum, I was in a real panic because breastfeeding had gone from manageable to a disaster as my milk regulated and my son began losing weight. She dropped everything to come to my house and help me. Not only was the emotional support invaluable, but she was able to recognize tongue and lip ties that were impeding his ability to transfer milk. She used favors with her personal contacts in the lactation world to secure me a next day appointment with a lactation consultant. I really must emphasize how helpful this was, as I had already called multiple consultants and couldn’t get an appointment for a week. Not to mention having spent hours phoning hotlines and internet searching. Then, throughout the process of revision and healing, she checked up on me and offered encouragement. She helped make breastfeeding a success for me, and I will always be grateful for that. Even now, four months postpartum, she explained the tummy pooch I have as Diastasis Recti (something I had never heard of), and provided me with exercises to help reverse this abdominal muscle separation condition that resulted from the C-section. She supported me beyond what was expected of a doula because she loves her job and truly cares for her mothers. Needless to say, I hope to employ Reneé for the birth of a second child someday.