Full Birth - Bonu deCaires
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Reviews (11)
- ISO birth doulaBonu deCaires is amazing, amazing, amazing. She was with me for both my deliveries and is the reason I was able to have a VBAC with my second last June. Her info is here: https://www.fullbirth.com/
- Re: Birth Doula recommendation?We used Bonu deCaires and cannot recommend her enough!
- Review submitted September 2024We can't imagine how we could have had our baby without Bonu! From our first meeting, Bonu immediately put us at ease: we were drawn to her easygoing nature and humor, the depth of her knowledge and expertise, and her confidence. She was very helpful answering our questions and concerns throughout the pregnancy at virtual meetings, and an in-person meeting closer to our due date. Once labor began, our original plan was to have her join us at home and travel with us to the hospital, but things progressed suddenly overnight, and we ended up just meeting at the hospital. Labor at the hospital ended up taking nearly 24 hours, and Bonu never left our side. She coached my wife through different labor positions, gave massages, and even looked after me and made sure I was taking breaks and eating. She helped us communicate with nurses and doctors, talk through difficult decisions (which sometimes need to be made very quickly), and know when to push back to ask for more options or more information. It greatly reduced the number of things to think and worry about so we could focus on what really matters. The baby was born totally healthy, and we are very very thankful that we had Bonu to help guide us and support us during the dramatic ordeal and make it much more manageable. We can't recommend her enough!!
- Review from the Spring 2023 Birthing SurveyWhat month and year was your child born? January 2023 Review: Bonu was absolutely wonderful. Incredibly knowledgable, approachable, warm.
- Review from the Spring 2023 Birthing SurveyWhat month and year was your child born? December 2022 Review: Bonu was beyond fabulous, and made a huge difference in my birth experience from the moment I hired her. I was with an OB-GYN practice that was giving me pause, and Bonu advised me to consider switching, and recommended two practices at my hospital (I wanted to stay at Cornell), one of which ended up being my practice and was a great fit. She has extensive experience of not only all the major NYC hospitals but also many specific OB-GYN practices, and was able to give me a picture of the NYC birthing landscape that empowered me to choose a practice that was right. Bonu is holistic, in the best sense of the term: she has a wide network of pregnancy and postpartum practitioners from acupuncturists to pelvic floor therapists, and I felt that a major part of working with her was not just the birth, but the way that she helped me care for myself during pregnancy. She was key in helping me make decisions around late pregnancy, and, crucially, when I disagreed with her suggestions (I didn't want to take castor oil to try to induce labor, for instance), she was respectful of my choices. In labor, she was an incredible rockstar. I ended up being admitted to the hospital with some bleeding, so she met me and my husband there. I had been given pitocin and was experiencing unbearably intense contractions; while I waited for the epidural, Bonu worked through the contractions with me; her touch and physical support helped ground me when I was in a very intense place. She also helped put me and my husband in physical contact during labor, which meant an enormous amount to both of us. After I had the epidural, Bonu worked with the nurses to make sure that monitoring was going well; there were a number of moments when the medical staff was having trouble getting the baby's heart rate, and I feel that Bonu's presence and knowledge was crucial in making sure we found a position where he could be monitored so that we did not have to progress to C-section. After the birth, Bonu stayed with us for two hours, helping us get started with skin-to-skin and breastfeeding. She made an enormous difference in my birth, and I would choose her again, every time. Any advice for people who are considering using a birth doula? As with many things in the birth world, it's all about fit. Do you feel listened to in your initial interview? Is there any attempt to convince you to do things a different way? Sharing knowledge of alternatives is wonderful; but, for instance, if you're committed to a hospital birth, you want a doula who will fully and joyfully support that. How much experience does the doula have with NYC hospitals? It made an enormous difference to me to have a doula with nearly two decades of working in New York City, who knew not only every hospital but could also give me detailed information about specific doctors at practices. One of the most important things my doula did was work with my medical team in the hospital, keeping an eye on the various monitors and helping get me into positions that allowed the baby to be monitored when they were having trouble finding his heartbeat—you might want to ask about how they like to work with nurses at the hospital.
- ISO Birthing DoulaI just gave birth last week and Bonu deCaires was my doula, she was Amanda and I could not have done it without her support. She’s really knowledgeable with decades of experience and supportive postpartum as well.
- Full Birth - Bonu deCairesOne of the best decisions I made was hiring Bonu. I had no idea how to hire a doula so I asked a friend who recommended her. Working with Bonu showed me what it means to work with a true professional who clearly has a passion for what she does. From nutrition to breast feeding, to postpartum care and all the intricacies of labor, Bonu had it covered. I loved the amount of evidence based research she had on had to guide me in making my own informed decisions. Having her in the delivery room with my wife allowed me to fully focus on the task at hand. Her postpartum follow up visit was key to ensuring that my wife and I felt empowered to care for our new baby. When you read that she's attended over 700 births, it shows. She was able to anticipate all our needs and attended to them with care and grace. I cannot recommend her highly enough and am so thankful that she was on our team. PS. I also reached out to our OB team when looking to hire a doula and they gave a glowing recommendation of Bonu. As did our NYU lactation consultant who complimented me on how easily I was breastfeeding right after birth. I credited Bonu who the consultant joyfully recognized and referred to Bonu as ""the real deal.""
- Review from the 2020 Birthing Experience SurveyBonu is an incredible doula. She has decades of experience and is armed with knowledge. Her approach is gentle, yet confident and she is so physically strong that it helped significantly with pain relief during labor.
- Review submitted via the PSP Birth SurveyExcellent class over the course of 2 days that gives you a great foundation on the birthing process and what your options are in the hospital/birthing center/for your home birth. I found the class a great addition to my own reading and a key factor in making my husband more comfortable about what we could both expect as first time parents. Based on a June 2017 birthing experience
