"Everyone needs an Emily at their birth. In the beginning I really had no idea what a difference having a doula was going to make! REALLY! In the first few month we created a birth plan all together, where Emily had us inquire as to what we wanted. This helped in itself making sure our values and idea were going to be met, and we were both heard. This already helped Kevin and I come together in creating what we wanted. Nearing the Birth I wasn't sure what symptoms were what, and what all the different sensations in my body were. I called Emily A LOT! Emily was always very calm and patient with my ups and downs. She even took me for a walk up the side of a small mountain, which I didn't even think I could do. The first night I was in labour, Emily sat with me all night, not only did I feel more comfortable with what was happening, my mom and Kevin both were able and took relief that I was being taken care of properly. Even though I had a midwife, Emily could be there for me as often as I needed. My birth was long and there were times I wanted to give up on my birth dreams. Emily was not just a cheerleader, but an intuitive support, always seeming to know what to say or do to help Kevin and I. In the end we got exactly what we asked for, which was a healthy baby born at home in a pool with both Kevin and I in the pool together. Kevin was overwhelmed with tears of joy, and he still drops a tear when he remembers what a difference Emily made for us. I'm sure we would have ended up in the hospital on painkillers ~ I never took prenatal, I never went to any classes, I didn't even do yoga. I sort of read books, but I much prefer to ask a real person questions. After my daughter came out we were at the midwife office for a check up, a pregnant woman came in and began to ask me what books I could recommend. I replied " All you need is a Doula!"