"Courtney was my doula for the birth of my little girl Cecilia. Wary of having a hospital birth after having had my previous child at home, I went in search of a protector. Courtney's name was passed to me along the channels of sisterhood as one who carried an aura that was profoundly bright, powerful, tender, and energetic. Within minutes of meeting Courtney I knew she was the woman I needed because her strength and openness, while seemingly oppositional, were beautifully balanced. Together we made a birth plan and prepared ourselves emotionally for what seemed like an impending battle. But the struggle with nurses and doctors over epidurals, fetal heart monitors, and IV's never came to be (at least from my perspective). During those hours when I wanted to leave behind the rational and appropriate to instead sink into a primal role, Courtney sat, just as I had hoped, in a corner of the room like an angel. There were moments when she rose and left, undoubtedly to intercept a nurse or to arrange for me to transition to different phases of the birth, but I was never wise to the struggle around me as she would re-enter the room alone as silently as she had left to resume her tranquil vigil. I needed her for nothing else, but this feeling of being watched over was the ingredient missing in my previous two birth experiences. And to this day I do not remember experiencing any pain during my daughter's labor. I remember dancing with my husband to Gillian Welch in a dark room, sitting in a warm tub and smiling at my sister Sarah who was also present, and finally climbing on the bed and, with my daughter pushing as hard as I did, welcoming my little girl without fear. That's the birth that Courtney was a part of. Now I tell pregnant mothers who seek my advice: hospital? home? it doesn't matter as long as you HIRE A DOULA!"~ Anne-Marie Serres, Oregon City



The birth of Cecilia