His faithful hand has held me all this way
Faithful hands
Pregnancy Birth, and Postpartum Services
Even there you shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me
psalm 139:10
my story
Hello, I'm so glad you are here! My name is Darcy Gerhart. I am a mother to two beautiful boys and wife to a wonderful husband Sean. We are Christians who feel deeply convicted that we are called to be vessels that show the love of Jesus Christ. My calling to work as a doula is something the Lord has been growing in me ever since I began my birth education journey.
I used to be covered in fear about birth, but through education and surrender, I put that fear to death.
When I was pregnant with my first in 2019, I knew I wanted to have a water birth. Having limited options at the time, we decided on WellStar North Fulton Hospital.
Despite having the birth I wanted, I still walked away with trauma. I had a post-partum hemorrhage and I dealt with some PPA, PPD, and developed horrible death anxiety.
As bad as all of that was, we still wanted more children. So I came to a decision, and knew I just had to rip off the band-aid and do it (no pun intended). We got pregnant quickly after we began trying, but ended up having an early miscarriage known as a chemical pregnancy. This did not help my death anxiety. I was heartbroken that I didn't get to see our baby on an ultrasound or even hear their heartbeat.
The next month we get covid, and you might have guessed that did not help my death anxiety. Thankfully we did not have it as bad as many did.
Even though I was still struggling, I shoved it down (don't do that, it’s not healthy) and we got pregnant the following month. Originally, I was planning on having another water birth at North Fulton; but my heart wanted to be at home. That's where I felt safe. Unfortunately, we did not have the out-of-pocket cost. So, we prayed that the Lord would provide a way and He did. I was able to transfer to a home birth around 25 weeks, and it was the best decision I've ever made.
During my labor, I was so tired and felt defeated. Then the song No One Ever Cared for Me Like Jesus by Steffany Gretzinger came on. The lyrics "His faithful hand has held me all this way," pierced me and I started crying.
You know how in the movies the character has flash backs on memories of their life? If you’re a Stranger Things fan, it’s like when Max was trapped by Vecna until she heard Running Up That Hill. She started to remember her life and the good times. She started to remember who she was, and that's when she could break free from the evil Vecna. Well, that's what happened in the birth tub. I was trapped by anxiety and fear, until the Holy Spirit showed up and reminded me he is with me and has never left my side.
A couple days post partum I was putting some of my laundry away and gratitude came flooding over me. It was in that moment I realized that I subconsciously thought that I was going to die in labor. But there I was putting away my laundry and was so happy to be doing it (if you know me, I have always hated laundry, just ask my husband). But all the little things I had taken for granted started to become huge for me. Throughout all my life up until that moment, God was working in me a tangible gratitude that I didn't have before. Joy, unspeakable and full of glory, was now mine.
My calling is to now live this out. To live out this joy and gratitude, share it with others, and to support, love, and care for families during one of the most sacred and vulnerable seasons of their life.
Check out my homebirth video here. Credit to Abby Johnson.
why im a doula
I decided to be a doula because of my own birth experiences. With my hospital birth, I dealt with uninformed consent. That experience grew a deep passion regarding informed consent. I want to empower moms to be able to ask for the risks, benefits and alternatives to anything a provider offers. With my homebirth I felt so safe and from that I learned how much of how you feel and your mindset contributes to your birth experience. I want to help mothers feels safe, no matter the birth setting; be that hospital, birth center, home or what have you. Women have even given birth in the ocean on a beach! I digress, you get the point. I also had a doula present at both of my births. So I've experienced first hand the benefits of a doula, and I've experienced how beneficial a doula is during an emergency. When I had my post partum hemorrhage, my sweet doula was a huge part of why I did not pass out. She was giving me food and drink to keep me stable as possible while the staff was working, and my husband was taking care of our newborn. Pretty crazy stuff and she was a rock in that storm. Shout out to you Amy James, you are part of my inspiration. In between my pregnancies, one of my best friends became a doula and it was a no brainer; I had to have her for my homebirth. She and my husband as a team were helping me get though my intense back labor. She brought me food, more hot water for the tub, picked up cracker barrel for us the next morning, and the list goes on and on. Most importantly, she showed how a doula can bring the partner into the birth space. Partners matter. Shout out to you Victoria Long.
Becoming a doula is a calling of my life. The Lord has been building me up since before I was born. From trauma I experienced as a baby in utero, to being born, to thankfully being adopted, and many other things in my life have shown me just how VITAL support is for families. Also, how pregnancy and birth experience shape so much of our life. The statistics here in the US speak for themselves. We have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developing world, and Georgia is one of the top states for maternal morbidity in the USA; with the highest in Georgia being among African Americans. So, we've got work to do. This is mission. This is life or death. The system is broken. But, with support, education, empowerment, and lifestyle changes, I believe that we can turn this ship around. Despite these stats, you can have a positive birth, and its time to speak up.
YOU
PARTNER
My hospital birth with my son
My home birth with my
husband and doula (Victoria Long)
WHy have a doula
The word "doula" is a Greek word that simply means "a woman who serves." In pregnancy a doula provides educational and emotional support support, helps you prepare for your labor, and works through any fears you will undoubtedly have. Each labor looks different depending on your birth setting, relationship situation, and who you are individually as a woman. What one woman might need, another might not. On the left you can see a picture of my husband massaging my back. He's giving great counter pressure through my back labor and my doula is massaging my hand for relaxation and distraction from the intensity. We as a team, before labor, went over comfort measures and things I knew would help me when I was uncomfortable. Touch is one of those for me. For you, that could just be words of encouragement, or just to be present with you. No matter what it is you need, my job is to be that for you.
Doulas are there for your partners too. I'll never forget when we met Amy with our first pregnancy. We left and my husband said, "I actually feel seen for the first time." His questions and care for me were important and he was able to be poured into with education and empowerment so he could be there for me.
I'm passionate about informed consent, so I believe having a doula is vital to empower you to ask the right questions and to ask for the things you want and need. I have lost count of how many women have told me "I didn't know I could say no to that," well I'm here to tell you that YOU CAN. We all work for you, including your OBGYN.
Doula Support
poSTPARTUM
AddiTional services
- (2) Two Hour Prenatal visits-
during these we get to know each
other and dive into your birth plan,
education, comfort measures, any
fears or concerns.
- (2) Two Hour Post partum Visits-
these are whatever you want them
to be. Clean, cook, let you and your
partner take a nap, go to the grocery
store, you name it. These are to
support you however you need as
you adjust and bond with baby.
- 10 Custom Birth Affirmations- I
make beautiful affirmations that
will give you great encouragement during your labor!
- 24/7 Contact
- On call starting 37 Weeks
50% down to book. The Remainder
due by 37 weeks
$800
- Two hour Post partum support-
aka the 4th trimester. This time is
be a joyful time for parents. You just
welcomed a beautiful new life! It can
also be overwhelming. With my
support, I can cook fresh meals,
clean, care for baby so you can catch
up on sleep, grocery store run,
whatever you need during this time! At this time I offer $40 per hour at a minimum 2 hours. I would love to add more postpartum
care options in the future!
- Two hour Prenatal Support- are you
not interested in full doula support
or you are not pregnant yet and want
to start preparing? Whatever the case
may be, it never hurts only helps to
educate yourself and prepare for labor.
These are the same prenatal visits that are
listed under doula support. Get one-on-one education and support for all your
pregnancy, birth, and post partum
"wanna knows." $40 per hour at a minimum 2 hours.
- Custom birth affirmations $4 each or
10 for $35
- Emergency doula support. If you are 36 or more weeks and I am available.
Contact me to discuss.
Getting involved
I hope we get to meet, but before you go I want to leave you with this. There's work to be done. Life changing, society changing, world changing, eternal significant work to be done. I want to ask you to be praying for birth workers and families that will be having children. I also would like to challenge you to donate to your local pregnancy crisis center and homeless shelter.
Here is a link to the Bartow Family Resource Center Located in Cartersville GA. Here is also a link to Good Neighbor Homeless Shelter also located in Cartersville Ga. You can donate formula, diapers, and clothing to both and good neighbor takes house wares and furniture for when families get a home. You can also give a cash donation.
As we all know there has been a huge formula shortage which has been devastating for families. If your a pumping mom, check out the Facebook page Human Milk 4 Human Babies - Georgia, USA and connect directly with a family in need of milk to feed their baby. I personally have had to have milk donated to me with my first and have had the honor of being able to donate with my second breastfeeding journey. They have a page for each state.
If you have any questions on anything above please contact me!
If you would like to donate any of my services to a family, please contact me and we can put something together.
Educational resources
Here are some helpful resources. Your birth experience matters. Coming out alive is great, but you should ask for more!
Here is a website called Spinning Babies. They have a lot of great info on pregnancy and labor. Different positions and things you can do that are beneficial for you and baby in preparation for labor and delivery . Many refer to this website when baby is breech or in another position that's not preferred.
Here is a website called Evidence Based Birth. This is a non-biased website about different testing's, procedures, interventions, and issues that can arise in pregnancy. I highly recommend reading their stuff so you can make informed decisions.
If you are one to listen to podcasts I high recommend The Holistic OBGYN Podcast with Dr. Nathan Riley. You can check out his website here.
If you are having a boy, even if your not but especially if you are, circumcision will come up in conversation. Here is a great resource for information on intact care and circumcision info at this website Your Whole Baby. There is also a great Facebook group where you can get peoples personal experiences with circumcising verses not. It is called Your Whole Baby: A Community for Learning. I highly advise if you want to circumcise or if you are on the fence to check out this video. You have the right to hear and see what actually happens with babies during the process. Don't let the medical community lie to you. I morally have to share because yes I'm a advocate for mothers, but I also advocate for babies. If having this video here saves one baby, its worth it.
Lastly if you are not on Facebook groups, join them. We were created for community. I know Facebook groups get a bad wrap sometimes and people don't want drama. So here are some groups I've been apart of for the past 4 years. In these groups you can find providers, ask for peoples experiences and so on.
Midwife Assisted Homebirth In Georgia- Great place to find a midwife for homebirth and ask questions about home birth. I found my amazing midwife, Stephanie Crunk, on here. You can also find doulas and photographers in this group. If you would love to learn more about homebirth, definitely join!
Georgia Moms For A Better Birth- This Group has a little of everything, hospital, birth center, and home birth experiences. You can also find doulas, photographers and midwives here. You can also get great recommendations for hospital birth providers and read others experiences.
ICAN of Atlanta Pregnancy and Birth Support group- ICAN stand for International Cesarean Awareness Network. Its a great group for VBAC info and finding VBAC experiences. The group for the whole USA is called ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network).
Lastly, always ask for risk, benefits, and alternatives to anything offered to you by your provider. I do hope to hear from you! You've got this!