Krista Dragun is a certified Childbirth Educator and Birth and Postpartum Doula. She is a trained Birthing From Within Mentor and her childbirth education certification is through ALACE. Her doula training was taken through The Center for the Childbearing Year in 2002, and she started attending births shortly after. Krista is committed to helping families prepare mentally and emotionally for and experience the birth of their child and the birth of themselves as parents.
In her personal life, Krista is the mother of two beautiful children, Kazimer who is 6, Aviana who is 3, and wife to Nick, an artist and photographer. As a family they love to go camping, hiking, canoeing, swimming (a favorite of both), gardening, and raising their chickens and goats (another favorite of the kids, collecting the eggs).
Krista came to help us the first week after I had our son.
Having a new baby, with no family close by to help, was overwhelming. But Krista made things easier!
She made sure I got some rest, cooked and brought meals to my bed, set relaxing baths for me, and was wonderful with our baby.
She has this amazing quality of knowing what you need before you even ask for it! This was tremendously helpful!
I only wish I also had Krista with me when I gave birth to our son. I will defiantly have her as my birth doula (as well as post-partum) next time."
E.H. Ann Arbor
Following the birth of my first child in a highly medical, highly managed fashion I knew I wanted my subsequent births to be different. I saw, first hand, how unnecessary medical interventions hindered more than aided my body in its ability to handle this natural process, and my slow recovery only emphasized this fact. Upon deciding to try for another child, I came across a parenting group listed on a midwife's website. It was there I met Krista. I knew right away that I wanted Krista to be our doula from her personality, knowledge, and honest concern about my pregnancy.
After a tough first trimester, I, thankfully, had a generally uneventful pregnancy. During this time, Krista helped me work through my anxieties stemming from my first birth, primarily my fear of losing control of the pain of labor. She had me work through scenarios and potential outcomes, asking "…and then what would happen?" This helped me come to terms with the fact that labor is not something I will always be able to control and to just go with it.
Somewhere around 33 weeks gestation, I was experiencing contractions and the baby descended into the pelvis. Krista gave me support and advice when preterm labor seemed imminent with instructions and permission to let myself relax, which I feel ultimately led to the full-term birth of my daughter.
While I was in labor, Krista knew exactly when to hold back, and when to step in and take charge when I really needed it. The birth of my beautiful daughter was the most amazing experience. Knowing that I did it without the aid of medical interventions makes me feel like such a strong person. Having a strong support person with me, who was completely confident in my ability to give birth naturally, helped so much! I feel very positive about the entire experience.
Katie, Brighton
June 1st, 2010
To Whom It May Concern:
We are happily writing this recommendation letter for the Doula services provided by Krista Dragun. We hired Krista in December 2009 for the birth of our first child in March 2010 and could not have been any happier with the amazing services that she provided.
Krista carries herself with a presence and energy that puts you at immediate ease. After first interviewing Krista and learning that she is well versed on the philosophy of Birthing From Within as well as being a class instructor, our decision making process was quite effortless.
Krista conducted both pre‐ and post‐natal consultations with us as well as making herself available by both phone and e‐mail for any questions or concerns we had along the way. She was both prompt and thorough in all of her correspondence with us. Krista's response time is exceptional. Her demeanor during the appointments was both professional and relaxed which made it very easy to ask personal questions without feeling uncomfortable. Krista made it clear that our birth experience was just as important to her as it was to us. She took the time to understand our birth plan and provide advice when called upon. Krista always made it clear that the decisions were ultimately ours and she was merely arming us with information.
When the time for the birth arrived, Krista was readily available and let it be known that she was primed to meet us when we desired. Along with offering advice and words of encouragement as we prepared for our journey, she also provided a list of things we could do to help expedite the process and ease the transition points.
At the hospital, Krista was professional, compassionate and ready for action. She arrived armed with essential oils, aroma therapy, homeopathic remedies, pressure point techniques and her "bag o' tricks". Krista remained calm throughout the process, kept others calm, and served as an informed instructor. She was a strong advocate for us with the nursing staff and shared open discussions with our CNM. Krista knew exactly what essential oils to apply at the right time and what pressure points to focus on. She communicated wonderfully with both of us and was with us at each step of the birth. When our son was born, Krista was right there to monitor that our wishes were followed and to whisper words of encouragement and welcome in his tiny ears.
Krista truly treats her clients as if they are family. We could not have been happier with her services and highly recommend her without hesitation. Krista made our first birth experience a wonderful one and we would hire her again without question. We cannot tell our 'birth story' without making it known what an integral part of the process she was. Krista provides incomparable service and compassion and we are blessed to have had her as a part of our son's birth.
Pete & Sarah Anderson
Brighton, MI
