Doula Bangkok – First Birth – Kristin
My beautiful healthy baby boy, Arlo is nearly 6 months old. Its true what they say about time moving quickly, but I haven’t forgotten my amazing birth experience and often think of Mandy and the role she played in Arlo’s life.
We are American expats living in Cambodia and decided Bangkok was the right place for us to have our first child. I started planning my birth immediately after finding we were pregnant and hiring a doula to support us was at the top of the priority list. Desiring a low-stress birth, and hoping for a natural one, I knew that a doula was an essential part of that. The other important pieces for me was choosing a supportive doctor (Dr. Amy was awesome) and choosing a location close to Samitivej so that I could labor at home as long as possible. In the world of birth where things aren’t always in the mother’s control, I did the best i could with the pieces I could plan and it couldn’t have gone better.
Mandy arrived at our rented apartment just a few blocks from the hospital in the late afternoon as my contractions picked up. Her and my husband supported me through labor positions into the early evening when I went to Samitivej for a waterbirth. Mandy was essential in helping us judge when to transition to the hospital, offering us confidence and comfort. Her manor was relaxed, loving and knowledgable. She offered my husband tools to support me, wasn’t intrusive, but was always available. After labor she helped make sure Arlo and I had skin to skin and helped him latch immediately. (as you can see from the photo, he is a very good eater!)
She was the perfect doula for our birth.
I would not hesitate in recommending Mandy as your doula. I believe having support to help guide your birth is essential, and I can’t think of anyone better than Mandy to be there for this amazing life experience. Had things not progressed as smoothly as they did, I know Mandy would have been a wonderful support in making decisions and understanding the options for intervention. I am forever grateful for her. My only regret is not asking her to take photos, as I’ve since seen her beautiful work and would have loved to capture the moment through her lens!
Thank you Mandy, we love you!!
Kirsten, Andy and healthy baby Arlo
