Speaker: Nicolette Cirasella
How has working with Leslie made a difference in your pregnancy, birth or postpartum experience?
Nicolette Cirasella: Hi, my name is Nicolette, and I worked with Leslie with Birth by Faith for the birth of my first son, JJ. Um, we worked with Leslie starting when I was pregnant. I'm not sure exactly which month, but it was early enough that we were able to really use and utilize everything Leslie has put together in her birth course from the information that she provides on her presentations, our phone conversations, or off-topic conversations, any texts that I had with any questions, I truly felt that I was coached. I was taught. I was prayed over and I truly felt that Leslie genuinely cared about my well-being and felt it was a privilege to her, even though it was more of a privilege for me to be a part of my journey with my husband and preparing for and birthing and taking care of our first born son and before having a doula, I didn't really understand the Their purpose. I just knew how I wanted to have my birth and my pregnancy go, and I wanted someone to advocate for me. So I think having an advocate was my main goal in terms of hiring a doula. And not only did I have an advocate, I gained a friend and I really gained, you know, a mentor. And I had endless questions, and Leslie answered every single one with a smile on her face, and the more we spoke, the more I saw how aligned we were and how, you know, we view birth and how we wanted to birth. Well, she already has children, but how I want to birth and how I want to raise my children, so. I was able to have Leslie be my advocate. I was able to have her be my friend, and I feel that going forward I will continue to use Leslie. I can't wait to use her for my next children, just seeing how she handled being there for the birth of my son and creating the birth plan with Leslie. I already started to feel OK. Everything's going to go according to plan, you know, this is. Just, it's going to go exactly how I wanted and like with most things, it went 90% how I wanted, but we did have to change course a bit. Um, so I was supposed to deliver at the birthing center and my labor was extremely long. Um it was about 44 hours and um I had my husband with me and We had Leslie, and Leslie was there for the majority of the time, and I knew that my husband was going to play his role, which he did, and he was super incredible, but I think he was able to play his role so well because we had Leslie behind us and supporting us, and she was in our tripod. She was there, who we consulted with with any decision we had to make when we had, you know, private discussions, Leslie was included. And I truly felt that having her support allowed my husband to play the role as my husband, and I knew that I was secure in birth. I knew I had Leslie behind me and my voice when I didn't have one with contractions and when there were questions that were asked, I would consult Leslie and then make my decision from there, but having her there is the most The most secure I think I ever would have felt while giving birth in such a vulnerable time of my life, I felt the most empowered, and I know that I had God with me, of course, but I believe God sent Leslie there to give me that encouragement on Earth. And I am beyond appreciative for the support that she had given me from when I was pregnant with the baby in my belly to postpartum when she comes and checks on you and makes sure that, you know, everything is, is going how you wanted. We reflected on my birth experience. I got to hear it from someone who was present because I was obviously exhausted. My husband was exhausted. Um, Having Leslie and the delivery with us was I truly feel that I was able to have the birth that I wanted, even though it didn't go exactly to plan. Leslie helped it go to plan 1.0. And or 1.1, and I am just beyond grateful that I was able to come out of my delivery and my experience with the way that I did, um, and I feel that as a first-time mom, we don't always know our exact We don't know how much of a voice we truly have, and fear can oftentimes get in the way of What you're experienced because you've never experienced it before, you know, you've never felt contractions before, and obviously the main outcome is that you're healthy, your baby's healthy, and you know, the delivery is how you envision it takes a backseat, but of course you still want it to go the way that you've envisioned it because you only get that one chance and I am so grateful that I was able to have the delivery how I wanted to have it. Um, I was able to have my pregnancy go ultimately. As close to how I wanted it as possible, and all those little hiccups just made me stronger as a woman and as a mother, and I'm grateful for all of them because I feel truly that My next birth will be. Exactly how I want it and if that goes an opposite way, then it goes an opposite way, but I also know that I'm going to still have Leslie there, you know, with that next birth and the following one if that's, you know, God's will. But I'm truly, truly grateful. I can't recommend Leslie enough. I've already recommended her to everyone I know that's pregnant now, and I'm a huge advocate for having a doula, but not only having a doula, just any doula, but having a doula that truly aligns with. You and I wanted someone who was faithful, um. Leslie is that and more, and she, she made my delivery. As faithful as it could be. Um, God was present throughout the entire Experience and he was my strength through everything and like I said before, I believe that he brought Leslie to give me that extra strength on Earth and I am so fortunate to have crossed paths with Leslie. I'm so fortunate to know her. I'm fortunate to work with her again and I can't recommend her enough, so if you want to have the birth of your dreams. I would say work with Leslie every time. Thank you so much, Leslie. I'm truly, truly, truly forever grateful, and I can't wait to work with you again soon, hopefully. Have a blessed day.
What was your biggest fear/worry about birth? How was the support in handling that fear?
Nicolette Cirasella: I think my biggest fear of birth was that I was going to need a C-section, um, and I know that that happens in some instances, just the way that, you know, things happen in in life just regardless, um, but that was my biggest fear and I felt that, you know, I could handle the pain, I could handle um the whole experience, which I did, but I Got to a point where the fear almost did take over, um, and I thought that I was going to need to go that route, um, but I had constant reassurance from, you know, my husband, I had Leslie there to just reassure me that everything is going away, going to go the way that it is meant to go, that God is with me, and that, you know, whatever the outcome is, I'm going to have a baby at the end. Um, she was my advocate through, you know, when I had to be transferred to the hospital, um. And I was able to have the delivery that I wanted. I had my natural birth, um, I had, you know, the support of knowing that Leslie is there sitting. Beside me, and she's going to be my voice. She's going to make sure that I get exactly what I want or as close to exactly what I want, and that's exactly what she did. Um. I was able to. More confidently give birth having Leslie by my side.
