Labor Support with Ronnie Falcao, LM
Postpartum Feedback

These are some responses to my postpartum feedback questions from my labor support clients:
 

Q: Did you feel taken care of and cared for at your birth?

Yes, considering my semi-lucid mental state.  I wasn't aware of much else "outside" of myself.  But I'd say I felt cared for. - ML

Yes!  The combination of your support & my husband's really made me feel safe and "held". - SK

Definitely - very much so! - AM

Yes, we felt confident with you there that we would be well guided and advocated for, if necessary.  You took a lot of the stress and nervousness away by remaining calm and confident in the natural process. - HV

Absolutely - without your help, I wouldn't have had a good understanding of  what was going on at all times. - RB

I felt well taken care of and felt absolutely confident that I was in very good hands.  - HS

Very much.   I felt calm and confident because I felt a knowledgeable and unflappable presence at all times. - LB

Very much so.  Your assistance made it possible for my husband to stay within reach at all times. - AS
 

Q: How did you feel that my services helped you?

You helped in so many ways:

1. Valuable and clear information
2. Helped me solidify what I wanted
3. Built my confidence in my ability to do this without mds
4. Felt supported throughout - MK

I was able to relax and focus on the labor.  I knew with you present I had a professional who was totally supportive of my birth choices and would take care of getting me to the hospital and any complications that might arise.  I also felt that it was good for my husband so that he didn't have to have the whole burden of taking care of me along.  Also, your warmth was very reassuring. - AM

Great support during labor - especially during the toughest part - good balance to take some of the weight off my husband and help me focus on what comes natural. - JE

You gave us a thorough understanding of the process from the experiential aspect along with important medical information and discussion we would not have otherwise known.  You gave us the wholistic and natural perspective you don't get at OB visits or in the birthing classes given at hospitals.  You gave us confidence and definitely reduced our stress and nervousness during the whole process.  We especially felt confident in you, Ronnie, because of all of the continuing research and education you immerse yourself in and how open you seem to new developments, etc.  Also, we would have been lost without you given the clinical procedures you needed to do to assess the posterior birth position and helping to turn my baby around.  And we also had the benefit of your familiarity with the hospital and hospital procedures when we finally went and needed to be attended to immediately. - HV

I appreciated the chance to talk about natural childbirth options with someone who really practices them.  You were very supportive of my wishes and helpful in making suggestions about how to negotiate the medical system.- BW

I think we avoided a cesarean due to your help with my breathing and keeping me calm during a few critical moments. - RB

You gave my husband much info and insight in what to expect.  It also gave him good ideas about what to do during birth.  Your services hoped me by gaining confidence and knowledge about the birthing process.  During birth you helped me relax and took my  mind off the pain. - HS

I felt confident that I could trust my body and you and my husband to give me the help I needed.  That freed me from a lot of worries and let me focus on relaxation. - AY

I want to thank you for being there when I found out about the c-section.  It was helpful having an additional opinion that had some experience and knowledge.  It was a frightening time.  I also appreciate your support afterwards while I was still drugged up. - CL

You helped me achieve my 2 major goals of drugfree birth and skin-to-skin contact and nursing at birth.  It's amazing what you get when you ask - and thank you for remembering to ask the nurse at the right times! - MM

Your support removed a huge amount of fear from the experience.  It allowed a longer labor at home.  It creased the general good cheer of staff in the labor room.  It helped allow for more debate on interventions. - LB
 

1. Freed my husband to focus entirely on me
2. Reinforced & refreshed info from our childbirth prep classes months before
3. Gave us confidence about pursuing a minimal-intervention birth at a hospital.
4. Helped us stick to our inclination to have a limited intervention birth & keep the baby with us after the birth.
5. Comfort & knowledgeable care during labor, especially once we'd arrived in the unfamiliar setting at the hospital.
6. Supplies provided including tub at home, birth ball, spiky balls to squeeze, etc.
7. Your knowledge of hospital procedures and layout of room made us comfortable and helped get us what we needed faster. - AS

Q: Do you have any suggestions for how I can improve my service?

Not really - I just wish that natural childbirth had a higher profile among women as a good option. - BW

Maybe mention that the hospital suits itself and one really needs to know what one wants ahead of time. - MM
 

Additional Comments:

My husband was very relieved, impressed, thankful for your service.  I'm sure other husbands have been and will be as well. - ML

Ronnie, you are wonderful at what you do!  Every woman should have the support of someone like you when they give birth! - SK

The information you provided on newborn testing, etc., was very helpful.  It was concise & clear and helped us make better choices.  Also, I really appreciated your help in getting my baby to nurse soon after birth.  I think it got us off to a good start and contributed tremendously to our breastfeeding success.
My husband initially was concerned that a third person (the doula) would interfere with our intimacy during this incredible event.  You were great at making him feel very much a part of the experience and after it was over I knew he was very grateful for your presence.
Thank you, Ronnie, for helping us make our birth experience such a good one! - AM

You were Great, Ronnie!!  Thank you, thank you! - HV

I almost wish I had just decided to have the baby at home.  Laboring at home was great. - BW

Even though things didn't quite turn out as planned [induction for broken waters], I had an oerall positive birthing experience and I know I couldn't have done it without pain meds without your help!  - HS

You were great! - AY

You did a fantastic job helping me and my husband navigate the surprises & anxieties of my premature rupture, hospital stay, high-risk delivery & premature birth.  Every time I talked to you I felt calmer and more able to handle what was going on. - HH

Thanks for the detailed insurance info.  Also, I appreciate your restraint as labor was very slow - - you never "labeled" me as dysfunctional in labor.  Nothing alarmist was said even when things became alarming.  The whole experience was therefore as positive as it could be w/the exception of the epidural being so enormously powerful at first.  Anyhow, I regard your services as priceless in many intangible ways.  Keep up the good work! - LB

With regard to the epidural, I felt you offered exactly the right amount of support and encouragement to avoid it, but helped facilitate its administration when I'd clearly made up my mind to have it. Thanks so much for everything.  You were terrific.  Our birth experience was wonderful.  We hope to work with you again when we're ready for #2! - AS

Ronnie - You were great!  Thanks for all of your sage advice and comforting presence! - AS's husband