Candace M. | Doula in Colorado Springs, CO

Westside Birth Connection

    Practice overview

    I entered into the childbirth field for two main reasons. First, I wanted to empower women through the natural methods of childbirth. I remember the feelings of strength and control that I encountered when I had my two children at home in the presence of midwives and I wanted to pass this on to other expectant mothers. With my first pregnancy, I was alone and thinking of giving my baby up for adoption. Then one day, along comes the most incredible woman who ended up changing my life. She was a midwife who said she would take me on as a client for the fee of $50 (for supplies) in the hopes that a home birth would convince me to keep the baby. Well, her plan was a success and she has given me a gift I have yet to repay. Now I have a twenty-two-year-old daughter, a seventeen-year-old son, an eight-year-old daughter and the most wonderful husband in the world.

    My second reason for getting into the birthing field was because I want to eradicate the general public’s misconceptions about pregnancy and the birthing process. A woman’s pregnant uterus should not be treated as a tumorous growth to be controlled by medicine, but rather a natural event that women have been participating for many years before doctors. In most cases, birth can be accomplished safely and satisfactorily without intervention, such as drugs and surgery. The need for patience must be practiced in the presence of a laboring woman.

    Years experience

    19

    Families supported

    1000

    Birth Rate

    700

    Care philosophy

    I believe that each labor and birth is a unique and miraculous experience. I also believe that there is more than one good way to have a baby and that parents should have the proper tools available for effective informed consent and informed refusal.

    Services

    • Childbirth education
    • Birth doula support
    • Lactation support
    • In-home lactation visits

    Specialties and Experience

    • Addiction recovery
    • Cesarean birth
    • Clients on bed rest
    • Domestic violence
    • Expected stillbirth
    • Families conceiving with ART and IVF
    • High-risk pregnancy
    • Induced and high medical technology labor and birth
    • LGBTQ
    • Multiples
    • Over 40
    • People of color
    • Plus size
    • Postpartum mood disorders
    • Prematurity
    • Previous birth trauma and/or birth injury
    • Previous life trauma
    • Single parents
    • Surrogacy
    • Survivors of sexual abuse
    • Teen parents
    • Vaginal breech birth
    • VBAC
    • Waterbirth

    Care settings

    • Birthing center
    • Home
    • Hospital

    Languages

    • English

    Credentials

    • Certified Birth Educator (CBE)
    • Certified Labor Doula (CLD)
    • Certified Lactation Educator (CLE)
    • NRP & CPR Certified

    Connect

    Pricing packages

    Labor / Birth Doula Services
    $ 700
    The $700 fee is for attendance at your labor and birth only. Any prenatal or postpartum visits are $50 each.
    Contact for additional pricing options

    Childbirth Preparation Classes
    $ 325
    Per couple for an 8 week course. Group classes include multi-dimensional instruction, a ten chapter student notebook and unlimited phone / email support.
    Contact for additional pricing options

    Breastfeeding Classes
    $ 40
    You will learn breastfeeding basics, including benefits, how the breast works, when to feed baby, how to know if baby is getting enough, technique video, overcoming hurdles, how partners can help, etc

    Location

    Areas served

    • Pikes Peak Region
    • Pikes Peak Region

    • Sarah
      December 10, 2020 at 6:23 am | Client review

      Would you climb Mount Everest without a guide? Would you jump from an airplane without a parachute? That is how critical Candace was to my birth experience. I will not, to my best of my ability, go thru another birth unless she is my doula. Candace is a caring, loving, kind expert. She is confident, calm, and stands firmly in her training. I highly, highly recommend Candace.

      • Candace
        December 13, 2020 at 2:55 pm

        Thank you so much Sarah! I have just as much confidence in you as you do in me. I cannot wait to do it again!

    • Shelby
      December 10, 2020 at 6:50 am | Client review

      Candace is absolutely amazing in her expertise as a doula. Her passion shines through in her ability to teach as well as her compassion for others. She makes learning easy and comfortable. Her years of experience made me so comfortable. She is fun and caring and I highly recommend her as a doula!

      • Candace
        December 13, 2020 at 2:58 pm

        Thank you so much Shelby! You are an absolute pleasure to be around. Thanks for laughing at my attempts to be funny!

    • Courtney
      December 10, 2020 at 7:36 am | Client review

      Candace leads the best birth class program in my town, and it was amazing to go through it with my husband before we went into labor for the first time. We used her as a doula for both of our babies, and she was a comfort and great help both times. Candace is also great for postpartum support questions and breastfeeding help! I recommend her ALL the time.

      • Candace
        December 13, 2020 at 3:00 pm

        Thank you so much Courtney! I am so honored that you choose me to go on this journey with you. You are such a great mom!

    • Brooke
      December 11, 2020 at 3:33 am | Client review

      After not having an ideal experience in the hospital for my first delivery, I decided to get a doula for my second. I read several reviews for doulas with no luck and finally got a referral for Candace from a friend who had used her several times. The difference her help made was night and day. She is well educated and able to help me plan my best response for anything that might come up during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and afterward. She was able to liaise with hospital staff and support my decisions/desires so I could focus on labor. She was also helpful in hands-on assistance, comfort, and suggesting positions and breathing to help. I was, in fact, so pleased with her services that I hired her again for my third birth where she caught the baby at an accidental home birth. Hiring Candace is one of the best decisions I’ve made on my birthing journey.

      • Candace
        December 13, 2020 at 3:04 pm

        Thank you so much Brooke! You are such a instinctual, powerful birther of babies. I am glad that you got to stay in the zone this last time around!

    • Amanda
      December 11, 2020 at 4:08 am | Client review

      Candace has been part of all 3 of our births. It says a lot that when you can only have 2 people in the delivery room during COVID, you choose your husband and your doula! Her knowledge to prep you for childbirth and breastfeeding goes unmatched. She is authentic, supportive, informative, energetic, and a team player. She brought such a calming energy to the delivery room and helped coach me through the hard physical & emotional moments. She always informed me of the risks and benefits of health choices whenever I asked. Candace was an incredible asset to our birth experience – we can’t imagine not having her be in the room with us!

      • Candace
        December 13, 2020 at 3:08 pm

        Thank you so much Amanda! You are such a fierce and determined lady. Thanks for trusting me in those intense moments!

    • Alyssa
      December 21, 2020 at 12:14 pm | Client review

      I have had three home births with Candace and she is absolutely amazing! All of my experiences were different, but my most recent delivery was more unexpected. I was able to deliver a very large 9.5 lb posterior baby at home with Candace’s quick action and guidance. I am certain if not for her and my midwife, I would have had a c-section. She has so much experience, that I felt completely comfortable during the whole process. Throughout the prenatal appointments, she never judged or was pushy- just very down to earth and friendly. When offering testing, she always explained risk/benefit and alternatives without bias towards her opinion or judgement. She’s very empathetic and you can tell she loves what she does. There’s so much more I could say, but I’m eternally grateful for Candace for all three of my births. I will not have a birth without her by my side. She is a gift to moms.

    chat
    Add a review
    Get Started
    keyboard_arrow_up