Sam, mum of Audrey, May 2013
For the birth of my second baby I decided I needed all the help I could get to achieve a natural birth, especially since I'd had a caesarean section the first time round. Despite the reassurance from midwives at the hospital that I would be treated in the same way as a first time mum, I wanted to ensure my birth plan was kept to as much as possible! Sarah was not only the guardian of my birth plan but a calm and reassuring presence. She encouraged me when I was tired and even made me laugh during my labour! My husband was also reassured just knowing that she would be there when I went into labour, and it meant that he could focus on supporting me, while Sarah took care of some of the practicalities. I had an amazing birth experience, it wouldn't have been the same without her and we cannot thank her enough.
Amy, mum of Guy, born August 2012
When pregnant with our second baby, our midwife recommended we talk to Sarah to discuss labour and ways to cope naturally as the birth of our first son had been induced, resulting in a highly medicalised labour and birth.
We found Sarah’s calm, pragmatic and positive approach to birth really reassuring and when we discovered she was also a doula it seemed natural to want her with us for the duration of labour as we knew she would bring a calm and gentle approach. We had never even considered using a doula before as we didn’t think it would be our cup of tea and previously never appreciated what a reassuring and supportive role a doula could play in a birth, and in our case, ensuring that we had the labour we wanted.
Our second labour was very long and drawn out but with Sarah’s help and encouragement we were able to handle the contractions and found the whole process to be a very powerful and rewarding experience. It was also incredibly bonding for my husband and me, as well as with our emerging baby boy - which is a testament to Sarah’s sensitive approach. Sarah did not leave our side for 3 days. She basically moved into our house, timing every contraction and helping with breathing techniques.... she only slept for an hour when we insisted after having been awake for 36 hours!
When we arrived at hospital we were all exhausted. Sarah was able to update the midwives and miraculously managed to convert a bright, clinical hospital room into a much more relaxing, comfortable place to be in 30 seconds flat! It was particularly reassuring to have Sarah at this point as she was familiar with the midwives at the JR, who seemed to know and respect her opinions. While our midwife was brilliant, it was Sarah who pulled everything together having been with us from the start - she even mopped up my broken waters!
If we had not had Sarah as our doula we are sure that we would have set off for hospital and been sent back a number of times and generally spent a lot more time in hospital rather than at home. The whole experience would certainly have been far more medicalised and stressful. Sarah’s presence ensured that we could labour at home in a calm and natural way. Sarah stayed with us until baby Guy was safely in our arms, feeding well. We could not recommend her highly enough and will always feel indebted to her. Importantly, she has an ongoing place in Guy’s life by giving us baby-massage classes, which he really seems to enjoy.
