Reviews & Testimonials
Jen & William
As a first time mother, many fears and trepidations come up throughout the course of your pregnancy. Many of these thoughts and feeling can be discussed with your significant other but in my case as a single mother I had no such person to turn to in my time of need. I decided to reach out to a social worker at my delivering hospital after being handed his business card twice in one week. After speaking with him I realized my greatest fear was being alone in the delivery room. I mean how was I supposed to get through the most intense moment of my life with no one by my side. The social worker was kind enough to pass my number along to a local doula in my community and within a couple of weeks I was driving to meet up with her.
From the moment I saw Courtney I knew that life had brought us together for a reason. Here I am in serious need of some support and here she is needing that one last birth to complete her studies and become a certified doula. Her calming presence and outright honesty put me at ease immediately. Courtney was very organized and concise in explaining what the weeks leading up to my due date would look like. She asked me questions to get a feel for what I was looking for from her. For the first time in my pregnancy I felt at ease about the birth.
Over the next few weeks Courtney and I talked often and had another meeting to go over my birth plan. I learned so much from her about the various options available to me surrounding my labour and birth. She also provided me with books to read to further my knowledge of active birth and breastfeeding. In the final days leading up to my due date everything was ready to go; bags packed, birth plan typed up and printed, house cleaned and organized; now we just needed a baby.
So I waited, and waited, and waited…
Okay so now I’m over due. Overdue and everyone calling and messaging me asking where the baby is. So frustrating!!!! Once again Courtney was my main support. She called one-night sensing something was going on personally for me that may have been blocking my body from going into labour. She was able to give me a few suggestions to remove those blocks and I followed her instructions. Thanks to her intuition and coaching my contractions started naturally less than 24 hours later.
Courtney and I were in contact from the first contraction. As soon as I said I was ready for her to come she was on her way. We laboured a bit at my house and then headed to the hospital together once my contractions were 5 minutes apart. My first assessment showed me to only be 2 centimeters dilated so we were sent to walk around for a couple of hours. Within a couple of minutes walking became too difficult so the birth ball was brought out for me to use. For the next 1 ½ hours as each contraction came and went I squatted on the ball with Courtney behind me applying pressure to my pelvis to allow the baby more space to move down.
My second assessment just 1 ½ hours later showed me at 8cm dilated. There was concern with the baby’s heart rate being quite low so I was immediately wheeled into delivery.
I’ve always heard that transition is the hardest part of labour and I’d have to agree. With every contraction I could hear Courtney’s calming voice coaching me and feel her holding my hand. Although the heart rate remained a concern I never felt a moment of panic.
Courtney and I had already discussed that in the event of any such complications the birth plan would be adjusted to keep the needs of the baby first. This did in fact become a reality but I wasn’t upset or distressed about it because of the preparations we had already taken.
Before I knew it I was holding my little baby boy. I was so proud and overwhelmed with emotion. I had succeeded in my birth plan in the biggest way and that was to have a completely natural childbirth with no pain medication. I believe that this was made possible due to Courtney’sexpertise and assistance during my labour. I truly believe I couldn’t have done it without her.
My postpartum visit was arranged for the week following my delivery. Courtney showed up with a care package for me including products that she herself made to aid in my recovery. If this wasn’t enough she even offered to help me out by doing any light house work, I may have to be done.
Before I got pregnant I had never even heard of a doula before. I am eternally grateful to the universe for bringing Courtney and I together. I am honored that I was able to share my journey with her and help her through her journey as well. She will always hold a special place in my heart.
Sondra
Courtney is passionate about what she offers and works very hard to ensure your experience and the information you need is exactly as it should be.
Laura, Trevor & Oliver
Our journey with Courtney began about 2 weeks before Laura went into labour with our son Oliver. At the last minute we decided we’d like to have a doula on our side to help us navigate our anxieties about the labour process, to coach and support us through it, and to vouch for us when dealing with hospital staff. Courtney did all of this and more.
When Courtney heard that we needed a doula she immediately met up with us. Our first encounter with her was warm, professional and well put together. She spent roughly two hours with us going through her services, answering our questions, and making sure we felt completely comfortable and prepared. We could tell right away that Courtney is someone with a real, honest passion for her work. She’s kind and patient in her approach and willing to take the extra time with a client to make sure their needs are met. She’s a wealth of knowledge about the labour process and will do any extra research needed to answer a client’s questions. We use the word “client” but our relationship with Courtney felt much more like a friendship from the get-go.
In the days leading up to Laura’s due date Courtney let us know she was on call for us 24-7 for any questions we had and for support in the event that Laura went into labour. When Laura’s water broke the first thing we did was call Courtney. This was the beginning of a 44 hour labour and, from that first phone call, Courtney supported us non-stop all the way through it.
From the time we arrived at the hospital to the moment Oliver was born, Courtney was there with us the entire time. She brought with her a bag of tools and snacks. She worked tirelessly with Laura through a frustratingly slow labour process. Laura wanted to have the most natural labour possible, and Courtney used techniques to help move the process along. Courtney also helped Trevor with his role, providing him techniques and guiding him through the process of supporting Laura during labour.
The other important service Courtney provided was that of “translator” for the hospital staff. She explained in terms we could understand what was going on when nurses and doctors would speak to us so we fully understood what was going on all the time. She vouched for us and helped us communicate what we needed to hospital staff as well.
When Oliver came into the world there was such an incredible energy in the room. It was an amazing accomplishment to share with Courtney, and we are so happy and proud to have had her there with us in that moment.
In the hours following Oliver’s birth, Courtney helped guide Laura through the new and unknown concept of breastfeeding.
Courtney provided support in the weeks after the labour as well. Once we were home with baby Oliver, Courtney came to visit us to see how we were doing, to provide us information and answer any questions we had about the baby and about being new parents. She was extremely generous with her time and knowledge, and even helped us with household chores while we spent time resting with Oliver.
We couldn’t be happier with Courtney’s services. From the moment we met her, to the moment we said goodbye, she worked tirelessly to make sure we were as comfortable with the entire labour process, and everything that comes with becoming a new parent, as possible. We feel absolutely blessed to have met Courtney. She’s an extremely kind and gentle soul and perfect for her chosen line of work. She’s someone we grew to trust very quickly and for good reason. As vulnerable an experience as pregnancy and labour is, we couldn’t be happier that we let Courtney in to share in it with us. We highly recommend Courtney to anyone looking for a doula. You won’t be disappointed.
