I Got In Touch with my "Primal" side...

I hired Marie-Paul as a childbirth educator to work with me throughout my pregnancy with my first child. We met in a yoga class and immediately I was drawn to her kind nature. I contacted her when I was about 14 weeks pregnant and we began our first sessions using hypnosis to ease me through my pregnancy and plan for the labor and delivery, which I was planning on doing without pain medication Hiring her as a childbirth educator was the best thing I did for myself and the baby.

One of the most important things Marie-Paul introduced me to, was the Midwifery Practice at UCLA. Prior to meeting with Marie-Paul, I had been going to an obstetrician for my prenatal care. Even though my obstetrician said she supported my decision to have an un-medicated delivery, she was skeptical. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, she made me feel as if I would not be able to accomplish my goal. Because my pregnancy was uncomplicated, I felt it was better for me to transfer my care to UCLA Midwifery Group. There, I felt my goals and desires were completely in synch with my primary care providers, relieving me of much stress, and giving me the extra support I needed.

As a physician myself, I understand the scientific aspects of pregnancy and labor. This was a double edged sword. The knowledge I had both helped me feel confident, but also increased my anxiety about the birth. Marie-Paul helped me to get in touch with my "primal" side, if you will, which I felt helped me feel I had the strength to have a natural birth.

Like most people in this media driven era, I have grown up in a culture where having an epidural at the least is encouraged; sometimes, even an elective caesarean delivery is encouraged for no real reason. Having a husband who is an anesthesiologist and a father who is an obstetric anesthesiologist, I felt much pressured at times to have an epidural. Many of my friends, of course, advocated the same. To make matters worse, my own fears of labor were real. Marie-Paul helped me overcome these fears while at the same time, connect with my baby in a loving way. These lessons were invaluable.

After getting to know Marie-Paul through these sessions, I came to trust her so much that my husband and I decided to additionally hire her as a doula to be present on the day of the birth. We did have a very beautiful, natural childbirth for my son, Ethan with Marie-Paul's help at UCLA Medical Center on August 21, 2008.

From personal experience, Marie-Paul is an excellent "coach" to have throughout a pregnancy as well as doula. She has an innate ability to sense not only what the mother is needing, but also the baby and even my husband, on the occasions where she met with him.

Best wishes to you,
Justine H. Park, MD
Assistant Professor of Dermatology, USC, Director of Pediatric Dermatology, CHLA
and Jun Park,
Anesthesiologist student at UCLA