Bernice Aguilar - La Doula Madre

Reviews (1)

• Review submitted February 2024

  February 2024

  Bernice Aguilar (La Doula Madre) is an absolutely incredible doula, and I cannot recommend her highly enough. Initially, I was on the fence about whether I wanted a doula because I felt confident in the support my husband provided, but I’m so grateful that I worked with Bernice. She has a calm, confident energy, a wealth of knowledge, and is incredibly generous with her time and expertise—not just during my labor but throughout the pregnancy. In terms of cost, her rate was very affordable compared to other doulas I interviewed. Plus, she’s an amazing person! Personally, I was looking for a doula who would be an advocate for me (I was concerned about not feeling empowered and feeling pressured into unnecessary medical interventions that would extend my recovery time). I appreciated that Bernice was comfortable working within hospitals (my pregnancy was high risk and then I dealt with a complication in the third trimester, too, that required more monitoring and ultimately an induction). That’s to say, I understood my labor would be highly medicalized. I was also looking for someone who understood movement and ways to prepare the body for labor. I wanted to work with my baby to progress labor as much as possible. In addition to offering a few in-person sessions, Bernice offers weekly sessions (basically private yoga classes) to work on breathing, movement, and relationship-building. I did extensive research and didn’t find anyone else who offered this service. For me, it was a great opportunity to unwind and get support, and it meant that we had a strong relationship going into the labor. After each session, I felt confident in myself and my body, which was really important to me. When I dealt with a challenging complication in my third trimester and ended up having to change my birth plan entirely, Bernice helped me accept the change and go into the induction with a positive attitude. She helped me see that I could still have the birth experience I’d wanted even if it looked different. On the day of my induction, I was in touch with Bernice and she came to the labor as soon as I needed her. When she arrived, we tapped into the movements we’d been practicing and relied on the relationship we’d built over time. She wasn’t a stranger. She was very present and helped me move for hours overnight, using massage and positioning to move the baby down and alleviate the pain of contractions. Her expert touch was something I hadn’t considered. I practiced massage and movement with my husband, but we’d never been through the birth process before, so we quickly discovered that in the moment, we weren’t experts. Bernice is such a pro and having her there, to support me and give my husband a chance to breathe and sleep a bit during the labor was so vital. When nurses and doctors pushed for interventions, Bernice helped me create space to take the time to consider the options. She was an incredible advocate, supporting my husband and me. With medical staff, she was firm but always respectful. And, towards the end of the labor, when the pain was immense and I questioned whether I could do it, Bernice coached me to continue on, dig deep, and stick with it. I could never have delivered without an epidural (my personal goal) without her support. But more importantly, throughout my pregnancy, one of my biggest fears was having a traumatic birth, and not feeling empowered or in control of my body during labor. But, with Bernice, I look back on the experience, and despite the challenges, it was really positive. My husband and I have her to thank for our beautiful birth story. We’re so grateful we chose Bernice to share the most vulnerable experience of our lives with us.