This was our first baby. Juan was committed to being present at the birth. As a nurse, I had an inkling that I wanted a doula but wasn’t sure. We were very lucky to find Stephanie and now I can’t imagine having done it without her.

We had multiple sessions with her before the birth, which helped to establish an easy rapport and sense of trust. She was a wealth of knowledge and prompted us to reflect on our preferences for the birth. I wanted a natural birth but what I loved about Stephanie was that she made it very clear from the beginning that she was there to support us no matter what we preferred.

When I went into labour it meant so much to me to have someone I knew and trusted to talk to about what I was experiencing.

I have no doubt that I was able to labour for as long as I did because of Stephanie’s support both physically and psychologically. Her hands-on approach literally increased my pain tolerance and had it not been for her guidance and support I would certainly have felt much less control and possibly even discouraged by the experience. As it was, I have come away feeling so empowered and with only positive associations with my birth. It has been such a beautiful place to come from to begin raising our son. This is a particular testament to Stephanie, because things did not go as I had anticipated and I ended up getting an epidural, then shortly thereafter an emergency c-section 17 hours after being admitted to hospital.

Words cannot express how grateful we are to have benefited from Stephanie’s wisdom and experience during my labour. She worked tirelessly and was able to anticipate my needs, suggest positions, and serve as a role model for my husband, all while providing a calm presence, positive energy and much needed vocal support. My husband did an amazing job supporting me, and in retrospect it would have been foolish to expect him to support me at the level that only a doula can.

I highly recommend Stephanie as a doula. She is passionate, skilled and truly has a calling to help women in labour.

Laura – 2013

I naturally wanted to provide the best possible support to my wife during the birth of our first child. This responsibility also came with some apprehension and anxiety given my complete inexperience in the matter. I have never witnessed a birth or been close to a pregnant woman in labour. The certainty of having Stephanie present during the birth helped me feel more relaxed. Stephanie helped us prepare and encouraged us to think ahead about a birth plan.

We wanted to have a natural birth due to the medical benefits it brings to mum and bub, and Stephanie supported and respected our choices. Stephanie is neither militant on her views nor follows or promotes any agenda. She was always supportive of our own choices during the process.

When my wife was in labour Stephanie and I were very busy supporting her. Stephanie worked tirelessly for hours ensuring the well-being of my wife. Importantly also, Stephanie’s presence allowed me to take regular breaks during my wife’s labour. Those breaks were crucial as I feel that otherwise I would have felt exhausted and unable to properly help my wife. I felt confident leaving the birth centre for a few minutes knowing that Stephanie was caring for my wife.

Stephanie was always calm during the birth of our child, even during the most frantic moments.

Juan – 2013