Hope Balfa Birth Doula in Waco, TX

My name is Miriam and I first met Hope in our Intro to Social Work class
in Spring of 2010. Just from what she shared in class and with me, and 
how she lived her life, the things she was passionate about, and the 
people she spoke up for, I sensed that I could trust her. I am now a
 Licensed Clinical Social Worker and confidently affirm that Hope is a 
huge asset to any support team because her heart and soul are all in
 no matter what she does. She believes in people and calls out their
 strengths even when they can’t see it. Hope offered to be part of my birth team with my first daughter and I 
happily said yes! I was in early labor for 3 days and was scheduled to
be induced on a Saturday (January 12, 2018). I came to the hospital
 that day in fear of what induction could mean. Would things just
snowball? Would I need to end up having a C-section?
Contractions/early labor hard started Wednesday and Hope helped
 me get through those hard 3 days before my baby arrived.
Contractions would get worse at night, and became so unbearable 
that I could not sleep. I was going on 3 days of little to no sleep and
Hope would stay up with me, coach me through contractions, coach 
me on what to do - get on the ball, take a warm bath, breathe. During the hardest time for me mentally she was there coaching me
 through it. On the day of delivery my water was supposed to be
broken, but it broke on its own as I was getting on the bed for my OB to
 do it. I labored all day and Pitocin was introduced later in the evening
 when I was not advancing. I was tired and we said yes. At this point I
 had been laboring for 4 days and I wanted her to come. Hope knew
 what to do. She helped create a calm atmosphere in our room. We
 had calming essential oils going, music that meant something to me,
 she was there coaching me through breaths, applying pressure on my
back that was the best relief I could ask for with back labor, rubbed my
 arms through the contractions and at times sensed what I needed 
without me having to ask mid contraction. At one point I started trembling when lying on the bed with a peanut
ball between my legs. Hope stayed close and spoke calmly to me. It
helped me stay calm and focus on contractions even though my body
 was shaking uncontrollably. My baby arrived later on, but Hope stayed
 through all of it. She was the support person I needed in that room.
When our baby came out she even snapped photos which I treasure
 dearly. Hope went above and beyond to make me feel at peace and
 empowered to have my baby on my own terms. Our second daughter Camila was born during the pandemic (August
22, 2020). Hope had volunteered her time to be there again with my
 second baby as the faithful friend she is. Then COVID restrictions came
 and we could have no one in our room. My mind was feeling
overwhelmed. The day I knew she was coming because my
 contractions started feeling painful while nursing my toddler. I was
 getting aggravated just nursing her and knew something was going to
 happen today. We went to the hospital with the intention of staying 
there and having the baby. I was not going to do multiple days of labor
 again. Camila came that day 6 hours after I went to the hospital. During those 6 hours and before, Hope had given us her care package
 with affirmations, her birth ball and all the necessities that helped me
 last time. I birthed with my husband and he was the best support 
person, but it didn’t feel the same this time. I didn’t have my mom. I
didn’t have Hope. Hope added such a calming and supportive
 presence the previous time. She advocated for what I needed and I
 was missing that. She anticipated what I needed and it was a relief to
 not have to think and ask for those things during contractions. This time
 it was different. Hope couldn’t be in the room and I was feeling that. Contractions felt
 harder. I felt tense. I felt like I couldn’t concentrate. I had this mental
block because my other support people I felt I really needed weren’t
 here. I would tense my body and anticipate each contraction with fear.
Previously I was in my zone because I knew all my people had my back. I
 needed all of them and not having them physically there made me feel
 less than peaceful. Towards the end I had my husband Richard call Hope and she talked
 me through contractions and lifted my spirit. She gave me a pep talk
 and I don’t know what she said, but it helped me get in the mindset to
 have this baby. I went from fear to determination after talking to Hope.
Our baby was born less than an hour later, and I give so much credit to
Hope for mentally helping me through a really hard experience. Although my labor was way shorter, it felt more painful and my mindset
 made all the difference. While I was stuck in fear it felt more painful. After
 talking to Hope, I knew what I needed to do and something shifted. I will
forever be grateful for her and the peace she brings to a delivery room
 in person and virtually. My girls are here and we’re all healthy, and
 Hope had lots to do with that. Miriam Hernandez, LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker

— Miriam H.

My pregnancy was not easy. But through it all, Hope walked beside me. She was a steady support system. When labor began at 4 a.m., I didn’t want to disturb her sleep, even though I knew she would have come without hesitation. By the time she arrived, she stayed with me for 18 of my 21 hours of labor. Eighteen hours of her presence, her guidance, her gentle voice reminding me to breathe, to trust, to lean into the strength I didn’t believe I had left. One of the things I will always treasure is the way she didn’t step in to replace Athena’s father, but instead guided him to help me. We never went to birthing classes, so we were learning in real time. With her steady coaching, he knew how to hold me through contractions, how to breathe with me, how to advocate for me when I couldn’t speak. Hope’s presence meant she was supporting not just me, but us three—mother, father, and baby—as a new family came into being. And she gave me a gift I will cherish forever. Hope quietly took “undercover” pictures of my delivery. One of those pictures shows Athena, still attached by her umbilical cord, legs lifted in the stirrups, taking her very first breath. The exact moment I became a mother. Because of Hope, I don’t just remember the struggle of those 21 hours—I remember the beauty, the strength, and the transformation. She gave me hope, she gave me strength, and she gave me the memory of the very first breath that made me a mother.

— Esther Z.

In 2015, I had the honor of photographing the home birth of Hope’s daughter, Esther, and I was so inspired by how beautifully Hope handled her labor and birthing experience with calm, patient strength. When I became pregnant a year later, I asked if she would coach me through my own experience, and I’m so glad I did! Hope helped me think through all aspects of my birth plan ahead of time, including what I definitely did and did not want, what I was flexible on, and what I would decide in the moment, so I went into the experience feeling calm and empowered. I felt more confident knowing I would have someone I could trust to advocate for me and my wishes during my most vulnerable moments, and talking through everything ahead of time meant she was well-prepared to support me and my decisions on the big day. Hope was such a calming presence in the labor and delivery room, and she did a fantastic job of not only supporting me herself when needed, but also encouraging my husband and offering suggestions for how he could support me so he felt more involved in the whole process. She also managed to snap really special photos that I will forever cherish. I think every mom-to-be can benefit from hiring a doula for the birth of their baby, and Hope’s own birth experiences and hands-on experience coaching others (myself included), combined with her professional doula training, make Hope a great choice. Amber Bracken

— Amber B.