The RN and Dr. Dad

Hiring Beth as our Doula was by far one of the best decisions we made for our son‘s birth. With my husband and I both being in healthcare, we weren’t sure what exactly it would look like to have a Doula, we just knew that both of us had seen far too many births go poorly with too much medical intervention and we didn’t want that to be our story. I had the goal of a natural hospital delivery, and with this being my first baby, I knew that Id need all the support possible to make that happen. As soon as we met with Beth, we knew she needed to be our Doula. She was confident and professional, yet had a comforting and nurturing presence. When I went into labor, I had strong contractions for about 12 hours and then, to my dismay, they started spacing out and going away. Beth knew exactly what to do and helped my labor pick up again.  When I got to the hospital, I was already 7 cm dilated and was coping well with the help of Beth and my husband. After laboring for another couple hours, they checked me again and I was still 7 cm. Again, Beth knew exactly what to do and helped me into a birth ball and coached me with movements to help dilation. The last stretch of labor proved to be the most difficult, and that was when I was the most thankful to have Beth there. Long story short, her experience and knowledge helped me not only achieve my goal of an unmedicated birth but also avoid a c-section. Beth was worth her weight in gold and we are so grateful that she was a part of my birth story. If you are considering a doula, Beth is the cream of the crop and I promise you will not regret having her on your team.

Marie-a Birth Wise risk out

We are so glad to have had Beth’s support during my labor & delivery! She took time to get to know myself & my husband, my birth preferences, and was available anytime I had a question in the weeks leading up to the birth. Her expertise was so valuable to have by our side during the labor and delivery, as she knew what to expect and offered reassurance. Beth also provided many forms of support such as counter pressure, making the environment comfortable, and addressed any needs or concerns from myself and husband. We definitely would not have had as good of a birth experience without Beth!

Corrin-the cholestasis surprise

Beth was so wonderful for helping me to meet my birthing goals and to have the birth experience that I desired. She was responsive, caring, and informative. She advocated for me in more ways than I knew she would. Because Beth was apart of my birth experience, my labor was quick and I had almost no tearing. She was by my side comforting me and telling me exactly what I needed to hear. She gave me the perfect mix of encouragement, comfort and instruction during my labor. I was able to tune out the room and just listen to her which helped my labor to move quickly and smooth. She also gave my husband suggestions on how to help me. This was really important because he wanted to be helpful during my birth but it can be hard to know how to help. She empowered him to know what to say and do to be helpful and included him in everything that was going on. She was also helpful in letting me know what options I had during my birth and what the benefits to each one was. I cannot recommend Beth enough. I am so thankful that we decided to get a doula and that we got one as amazing as Beth. My birth would not have been the same if she was not apart of my team!

Luciana-the second time mom

We are very grateful to have found Beth and had her by our side during the birth of our second baby. Beth was an excellent doula and we wholeheartedly recommend her.
We had already had the experience of having a doula at the birth of our first baby, on the East Coast. Our second baby was born in August 2021. My husband and I are foreigners and due to the pandemic, our families could not be with us. We did not want to leave our oldest son alone. My husband managed to be with me for a few hours, while our son was at school or with friends, but most of the time Beth was my main companion. At the time of delivery, it was me, Beth, my midwife, hospital nurse and baby! Beth gave me all the support I needed! Beth, all our gratitude for being a significant part of this special moment!

Melissa-the experienced birther

Beth was such an important part of the birth of our third baby. It’s such a relief having a competent doula in the background as you inch closer to labor. I felt reassured knowing that an expert in birth, positioning for optimal delivery, and comfort measures was going to be with us. Beth was just what we needed and worked very well in our hospital birth with the providers, my husband, and me. She was instrumental in helping me achieve the birth that I had a hoped for.

Jordan-an early preeclampsia surprise

There is no denying- Beth is gifted in what she does and I feel really fortunate to have had birth experiences with a doula who truly does what she does because she loves it and is (in my opinion) fulfilling her true calling. Beth has helped deliver two of my babies- the first was premature due to severe preeclampsia and ended up being a really complicated and long labor. There is no doubt in my mind, without beth’s assistance and guidance, I would’ve had a c-section. But despite all, I was able to deliver a healthy 35 week baby boy vaginally! My second baby was a Covid delivery. Due to logistics/regulations, I ended up hiring someone locally, because Beth was unavailable, but when the time came, Beth ended up being the one on Skype with me through my whole transitional labor and delivery. She had zero obligation, but because she’s amazing, stayed with me for over 3 hours to help me get through another really intense delivery. There is something really special about a doula and mom connection. If you’re fortunate enough to experience that with Beth, she will be an essential and unforgettable part of your birth story- for you and your partner! Not only did she support me in the best way possible, but also empowered my husband to be incredibly involved in the whole process. I would recommend Beth to anyone who is looking for a compassionate and empowering birthing coach, a deeply knowledgable educator and a trusted advocate in any sort of birthing situation.

There is no denying- Beth is gifted in what she does and I feel really fortunate to have had birth experiences with a doula who truly does what she does because she loves it and is (in my opinion) fulfilling her true purpose. Beth has helped delivery two of my babies- the first was premature due to severe preeclampsia and ended up being a really complicated and long labor. There is no doubt in my mind, without Beth’s assistance and guidance, I would’ve had a c-section. But despite all, I was able to deliver a healthy 35 week baby boy vaginally! My second baby was a Covid delivery. Due to logistics/regulations, I ended up hiring someone locally, because Beth was unavailable, but when the time came, Beth ended up being the one on Skype with me through my whole transitional labor and delivery. She had zero obligation, but because she’s amazing, stayed with me for over 3 hours to help me get through another really intense natural delivery. There is something really special about a doula and mom connection. If you’re fortunate enough to experience that with Beth, she will be an essential and unforgettable part of your birth story- for you and your partner! I would recommend Beth to anyone who is looking for a compassionate, yet honest birthing coach, a fiercely knowledge educator and a trusted advocate in any sort of birthing situation. There is truly no one better.

Matthew-a surprise breech

Members of our extended families have used doulas and we were recommended a doula for (at least) our first pregnancy. We found Beth Mathis online and were excited to meet her. Beth did not disappoint. As Christians, Beth was sensitive to our faith, and provided excellent professional care throughout pregnancy, labor, and post-birth. She has an engaging, intentional personality and we always felt well tended during each interaction.

Near the end of our pregnancy (38 weeks) our baby flipped into the breech position. Beth provided us with several proactive activities for us to practice in order to coax our baby to reorient into the correct direction. We ended up having an External Cephalic Version procedure in the hospital, which resulted in a success. We believe the activities and suggestions Beth provided were helpful in preparing us for the Version and more than likely contributed to procedural success. This enabled us to go though the natural labor process, which was our hope for the pregnancy.

During labor Beth was irreplaceable. She provided suggestions on adjusting our comfort levels for Christina as she went through the beginning parts of the difficult stages of labor. As labor maladies increased, Beth coached Christina in controlling her breathing, positioning, and other aspects of pain management. We can’t imagine the experience of doing labor for the first time without a coaching.

Overall we highly recommend Beth to anyone who is interested in having professional assistance beyond medical staff. The medical staff will help in certain ways, but will not coach through the whole pregancy and birth process in the same way having a doula will. We are grateful for Beth and the excellent care she provided. Thank you, Beth!

Sanchez-first time mom

We were so lucky to have Beth as our doula! Beth supported us through the pregnancy and birth of our first child. I was very nervous to give birth and be in a hospital setting. We interviewed a long list of local doulas before choosing Beth. It was one of the absolute best decisions. Beth’s support during labor eased my worries and lowered my husband’s stress level. He was able to be fully present knowing we had such an amazing support team. Beth fully supported my wishes for our baby’s birth, while coaching me through major decisions as a first time mom. We couldn’t have done it without her and would recommend her to any family looking for a positive, empowering birth experience.

Charlotte-a prodromal labor

We had a particularly long labor (3 days) and could not have gotten through it without Beth! We interviewed a few doulas early in the pregnancy and realized after meeting Beth that we wanted someone direct, mature, and take-charge. She was confident from the get-go and answered all of our birthing questions clearly. As soon as I went into labor, Beth made herself available 24-7 (she fully expects to be called at 2 in the morning) and texted me regularly with tips and check-ins, and even stopped by.

During our very long labor with a baby that kept turning around, Beth took such amazing care of us. She had a magical ability to be a fly on the wall while anticipating our needs and revealing the perfect tools from her “bag of tricks” (like a massaging tool, a neck pillow to coax my husband into a nap after three days of not sleeping, and essential oils). We made it through three different shifts of midwives and nurses and she made friends with all of them (I even overheard them asking her for tips).

Most importantly, when my particularly difficult labor was at it’s hardest, warm little Beth turned into tough Beth and she physically and mentally supported me in a way that will make me forever adore and appreciate her. She breathed with me and locked eyes to help me focus for my hardest contractions and between contractions helped me regroup and remember that my baby was coming soon. If I was squishing her hand with my grip, she never showed it. When the labor needed to change course, the three of us would take the Midwives suggestion and discuss the options together. I think we ended up making all the right decisions and they would have been scary, veering so off course from my birth plan, without someone who knew our wishes and had tons of experience, to support us. Beth was meant to be a doula, and you absolutely won’t regret having her by your side to make any type of labor something magical.

Manuela-mandatory unmedicated birth

Anyone who knows me reasonably well knows that I do not tolerate physical pain well.  Knowing this about myself, when I got pregnant with our baby girl, I began to worry about how I would handle the birthing process.  For this reason, I thought I should get all the support available to me, including hiring a doula. Although the thought of a vaginal birth without epidural appealed to me from a theoretical perspective–I would avoid the risks related to the epidural injection and the side effects of the medication–in my heart of hearts I believed I could not endure a natural birth and I would surely have an epidural.  My husband agreed pretty wholeheartedly… We even began asking around about what nurse anaesthetist to avoid and we had two solid names down! I researched doulas in the region and Beth Mathis was recommended. We met with Beth and both my husband and I thought she would be a good fit for “a little extra support.”  

As it turns out, Beth became the single most important support to me in the delivery room in the hardest moments of my life so far.  As it turned out, I had NO CHOICE but to have an unmedicated vaginal birth. Through a fluke development, my platelets suddenly dropped dangerously low so I could not get an epidural or spinal.  My only option was C-section under general anesthesia as a last resort due to risk of bleeding. I was not dilating, so I ended up getting the maximum dose of pitocyn, as well, which I’m told makes the contractions a lot more painful, and I believe it.  I received pitocyn and labored progressively for about 48 hours, and then pushed for about 4 hours. It took 1.5 hours to suture me up at the end. When it was all over, everyone was congratulating me, saying, “Wow, you did it, I did not think you had it in you!  I kept on saying, and repeat it today, “No, I did not have it in me. I feel that I could not have done what I’ve done without Beth.” Beth coached me through the pain and helped me control the urge to push. Holding her hand, looking in her eyes, and breathing as she was instructing me was the only way I felt I could make it through each contraction.  At one point, I remember focusing on just one of Beth’s eyes. I was assigned a very competent, experienced, and kind labor and delivery nurse, but I found that my already established relationship with and trust in Beth was very important to me during those moments of crisis. I could not respond to anyone else.     

Beth also helped me write a birth plan, gave me a list of things to pack for the hospital, and followed up with us and offered her advice multiple times after we came home with our baby girl.  I feel I did not even take full advantage of her expertise before and after birth–before because I stayed way too busy, and after because I was in survival mode and was listening to no one. But the truth is that I hired Beth to help me with the delivery and she became my Godsent deliverer.  

If you are considering an unmedicated vaginal birth, OR ANY KIND OF BIRTH, because you can never predict what will happen, meet with Beth.  She will gain your trust (because she is trustworthy) and will provide highly competent support during birth, as well as expert advice during pregnancy and postpartum.