Violet Angelov the doula

AMAZING! Violet was so wonderful to work with. We interviewed 3 other doulas and we knew right away we wanted to work with Violet. She is very knowledgeable and warm. She does not pressure you one way or the other in which way you want to give birth but only offers a source of comfort. I am so grateful I found her… she really helped me stay with my goals on my birth plan. My husband and I really liked working with her. She really is great and words don’t do justice.

‘Violet’…just the name brings the memories of her comforting presence during my pregnancy and labor. It was late into my 2^nd pregnancy (week 36) that we decided to hire a doula. My husband was working out of town and I needed all the help I could get in case I went into labor when he wasn’t around. That’s when I got to know Violet.
Violet is an extremely warm and affectionate person… a very good listener. She never judged or influenced me and was rather very respectful of my birthing choices. Unlike others who hire doulas, I was not very persistent for natural birth. I had no hard and fast rules about the way I wanted to give birth… I simply desired to go with the flow and let things take its natural course. I am a person who cannot work under pressure and Violet was just the friend I needed. She even accompanied me during my prenatal visits and met several times other than the 2 – 3 home visits just to hand over informative material. The home visits were very patient and focused on knowing each other better.
When the day came we were not sure if it was actual labor but Violet still stayed with me the whole time. Luckily my husband was by my side too and felt great support of Violet’s presence and knowledge. She made the atmosphere at home very casual and relaxing which would otherwise have been extremely tensed. Other than helping me do the relaxation poses she suggested that we go for a walk. And I guess that was the best part as it made my irregular contractions somewhat regular :-). She gave me counter pressure on my back during each contraction and that helped immensely. Later when my contractions started getting more intense she advised that I try to lie down and relax and within 30 mins my labor progressed rapidly making me dilate 9 cms by the time we reached the hospital. She made sure that I ate well and was comfortable in my car before we left for the hospital.
Even the hospital room felt so pleasant (at least to others!!!) with the aroma fragrances that all the nurses were happy to be serving me :-)… this was my husband’s observation. She very well knew how best to interact with nurses and sought all permissions beforehand like aroma therapy, shower in the room, fetal telemonitoring etc. More than anything else her gentle and caring touch worked wonders for me. That along with my continuous talking to my husband (…mostly yelling and even occasional hitting :-)) helped me to cope with the labor pains and deliver ALL NATURALLY… to my own surprise. :-) My mom is grateful to Violet too for taking her place during my 2^nd delivery while she was busy taking care of our toddler.
Thanks Violet for making my birthing experience so special. Love you!!!

Having Violet at my birth was like having my best friend there — well, a best friend who wasn’t hundreds of miles away in graduate school with her own life, guy troubles, and schooling to be preoccupied with.
Violet was sweet, gentle, caring, and was a great resource for me as I was considering what I wanted for my pregnancy and birth. She is trained in cranial sacral therapy and reiki, and the essential oils she brought to my labor were very helpful and soothing as well.
One week before my due date, we changed from hospital birth to a homebirth, and with such a drastic, last-​minute change, I was comforted in knowing that at least Violet would be there — a familiar, comforting, presence whom I had gotten to know quite well during my pregnancy. Many doulas have the exact same package: 2 prenatal visits, labor support, and postpartum visits. Not Violet — I had many unhurried prenatal visits with Violet, and she even accompanied me to my Bradley classes when my husband was out of town so that I wouldn’t have to be alone for those. The prenatal visits were leisurely and unhurried, so she could really get to know who I was and what I wanted for my birth so she could best support me.
I went into labor in the middle of the night, and by early morning, we needed the pros to come. Violet was the first person on my birth team, and she was the first to arrive on the day of my son’s birth. I am so humbled and grateful for her presence and her help.