Testimonials

THANK YOU FOR THE KIND WORDS

Having Andrea with us basically freed me up from worrying about all the infinite details that take place before and during labor, and allowed me to focus on being present and supportive of my wife.

Nikki:

One of the greatest benefits to working with Andrea was that she managed to stay one step ahead of the hospital staff. Just about every time I worried about getting Pitocin, Andrea would come up with a holistic method to encourage labor and fend off excessive interventions.  

Andrea really listened to us when we defined the sort of labor experience we wanted. When my water broke and things went down differently than we expected she rolled with it and walked us through various potential scenarios, always remaining sensitive to our desires.

Sam:

When Andrea came over for a pre-labor meeting, she went over what the process would be like. It seemed a little overwhelming. I remember that she mentioned hydration is key. I grasped onto that concept and made it an area that I could be in charge of during labor. It helped me stay focused and actually made me feel like I was contributing to the well-being of my wife and our baby.

I think one of the things that I loved about having Andrea as our doula was her experience as a labor and delivery nurse. Beyond her expertise as a doula and her incredible support during the process, her previous healthcare experience as a nurse was a great added bonus.

...the thing I recall most distinctly is Andrea’s calm strong and loving presence. As I crushed her hand ...she stayed so still for me, so present and assured. It was exactly what I needed to keep going.

24 hours later, I had not slept or eaten and was absolutely exhausted. It was at this point that I saw Andrea’s bright cheerful smile as she entered the room. Her shift had started once more and she had actually requested to be my nurse, upon finding out I was still in my room. And while I had the great support of two wonderful people, it was was a real bonus to get Andrea back on my side. Her ability to communicate with the hospital staff, and be a sort of liaison for me was so valuable. But it was the next few hours which truly indebted me to her I think, forever. At 8:30 my doctor checked me once more, and though my water had broken, my cervix was still at 3 cm. I finally decided I couldn’t take it anymore and would receive an epidural. As I sat there...Andrea held my hand and told me to squeeze her. She told me I’d be fine, and kept supporting me. I honestly thought I would break bones in her hand, and kept apologizing. She said, don’t worry, you won’t hurt me. Just squeeze. She looked me in the eyes and distracted me from my fear and my pain. She was so calm and safe. I was so scared and tired. And I don’t know what I would have done without her. Even though I had hired a doula I really loved, it was Andrea I wanted to  help me through that moment.

Once relieved of the pain, we got back to our business of cracking jokes, reading trashy magazines, and dealing with the bathroom trips. Andrea took her break, returning with fresh lipstick and some lavender spray for the room. She kept her hopes up that all would proceed, and we’d be able to avoid a c-section. Around midnight, I began to feel a throbbing in my lower back. When I asked Andrea, she immediately called the anesthesiologist...feeling the pain get stronger with each contraction, I consulted the team. It seemed the best option at that point was a c-section, since I was still less than 4 cm.

So, we moved into the operating room, with my doula and Andrea. And for the second time that night I had to receive an epidural – the first one apparently never thoroughly took. And my memory of sitting on that table with a room full of people waiting to operate, and a needle poking my back...

Andrea was a breath of fresh air. She was funny and down to earth and I immediately felt in wonderful hands. With the doula and Andrea I was encouraged, supported and felt very secure.

We wanted someone who could be both knowledgeable and supportive in a positive way....

Andrea was perfect.

wonderful ideas and a calming you can-do anything attitude that really made us feel empowered. We were so happy to have Andrea with us for the labor and delivery of our beautiful son. She has such a calming presence that is so important in the throws of labor. Both my husband and I couldn’t imagine having achieved our goal of laboring at home for as long as possible and achieving a completely natural childbirth experience without Andrea.  A week following the delivery of our bundle of joy Andrea came to visit and enjoy the baby.  Andrea gave our son an amazing letter detailing our birth story, we will treasure it forever. We are happy to consider Andrea a friend and highly recommend her doula services.

-M & M McAvoy

After meeting Andrea at a local coffee shop we knew she was the one. We were instantly comfortable with her warm, calm and nurturing personality.

We were fortunate enough to have Andrea Crossman recommended to us by my acupuncturist. After meeting Andrea at a local coffee shop we knew she was the one. We were instantly comfortable with her warm, calm and nurturing personality. Andrea was open and available to answer many questions ranging from what’s Strep B to what kind of things to pack for the hospital. We met with her a few times before our delivery date and discussed our goals and birth plan and our ideal labor and delivery, again Andrea offered

This is a letter I received recently from a woman I took care of 2 years ago as a labor and delivery nurse

In late July 2007, I was admitted into the hospital for an induction. It was my first baby, and I was 5 days post my due date. I had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and thus had been on a strict regime of testing my blood and fetal monitoring, and this was also the reason for my induction. I had a doula with me upon entering my hospital room, but was also granted a great gift by the universe in having Andrea as my nurse. In the course of that evening, I was poked and prodded and had my blood pressure checked every 30 minutes, my blood drawn, an IV, and a dose of cervadil. I was excited to be in the final stages of the pregnancy process and unsure of how it would all pan out. I had wanted as natural a childbirth as I could have, but moreover I just wanted my baby to be healthy and for me to come out healthy.

Andrea was our Doula for our baby Avina. We are first time parents and were striving for a natural birth. We wanted someone who could be both knowledgeable and supportive in a positive way. We knew that once labor got started, everything we learned would flee from our harried heads and we would need someone to focus us. Andrea was perfect. She simply emanates this amazing energy. She is super proactive. Sharing ideas and suggestions in a non-intrusive, loving manner. She is easy to trust and to be straightforward with. Even after I opted for the epidural and pain management was no longer an issue she still figured out a way to enhance the whole experience with the kind of feeling and sentiment she knew we wanted. I would highly recommend her.

-Julie & Ross

My husband and I were ecstatic at the news of being pregnant, we immediately jumped into learning as much as possible about our birthing options, what it takes to have a baby in NYC, childcare and child rearing tips and techniques for developing a well-rounded, healthy, happy baby. There are many resources and sometimes too much information out there. However, we learned early on of two documentaries, “The Business of Being Born,” and “Orgasmic Birth.” We watched both in amazement and afterward really began to research and talk further about having a natural childbirth with the assistance of a doula.  We were not sure how to approach the search for a doula given the fact that this person would be sharing one of, if not the most, amazing personal experience between my husband and me.

Andrea seemed to have a natural gift for providing that kind of powerful serenity and knowing –someone who understands all the factors but most importantly is completely focused on her patient’s needs, their feelings and encouraging their own sense of strength.

At 2:30 AM, 30 hours after being admitted to the hospital, My baby girl was born. We all rejoiced. I gave her a regal name and felt so relieved we were all ok. My birth partner got Andrea’s name and email so we could send her the birth announcement. I thought of her so often in the next few days, missing her presence tremendously. In retrospect I know that Andrea must have had many other patients to attend to, but in my memory, she gave me all the time I needed. There is no doubt in my mind that she is an outstanding doula now. Having her nursing experience I think provides a very important side to what she is capable of providing for a woman, either at home or in a hospital. I would recommend her in a heartbeat. Any woman would be tremendously lucky to have her holding a hand, offering support, cracking jokes or freshening up the room with scents, smiles and love.

-Jenny L