"You once said that giving birth naturally gave you the feeling that you had the
ability to stand in front of a moving train and make it stop. This painting,
done by my sister (Heather Whitlock) for you, is to thank you for the guidance and support surrounding
the birth of our son that made me feel as though I could stand on those tracks with
you." |
About Birth Beginnings Doula Services
"From the initial consult to the weeks post baby, she was there if we needed. It was comforting knowing we had help and support. It gave me and my husband a sense of calm and reassurance that all would be okay." - Anita, mother of Shayla
"Doula's are essential for a positive birth experience." - first time mom
"Michelle was an incredible Doula. She was extremely focused throughout the entire process. Michelle was cool, calm and collected." - birth partner
"She was our rock. Michelle was there to help us deal with the stress, pain, questions and comforting both of us when we really needed it. We truly recommend having a doula." - first time parents
"Labour was 10 times more manageable, plus you armed us with tons of good information and taught us many cool things about the pregnant body." - Christine, second time mom
"I would recommend this for those fathers to be that will need to be peeled off the ceiling during the birth." – Chad, first time dad
"My doula was amazing in helping me reinforce the positives of having a lovely baby with my wife." - Matt, first time dad of Amelia
"You are an awesome doula. Anyone who is lucky enough to have you at their birth is going to be treated very special. You have shown such dedication." – mother of four
"With family/spouse you may have certain inhibitions as you feel they see you a certain way. With your doula it’s okay to "bare all". – first time mom
"You calmed me down a few times. It seemed like you always knew when I needed someone to talk to." – father
"If birth becomes challenging, Michelle's calm and assertive (yet caring) nature helps mom stay focused and relaxed. We will forever be grateful for your support as we welcomed our first born into our arms. Michelle you are a gift and we are blessed to have shared this experience with you!" - Tara, first time mom of Logan
"The only way she could have been more effective would be to move in with us and provide support 24/7." - Jess, first time mom of Amelia
"Michelle truly made our 'birth experience' a wonderful one and she gave me the confidence I needed!! She was like my security blanket." - Julie, first time mom
"Having a doula helped me focus on Jen 100%. There was not any pressure wondering what to do next or if I was forgetting anything." -Jeremy
"Michelle was the complete package: she had the knowledge, experience, kindness and just the right amount of authority to be my birthing coach. Her e-mail response time was quick and when I called her she was always available. She was supportive, down to earth and informative." - Jen
"Having professional support is priceless. The doula was great." - first time dad
"Michelle showed me good pain management techniques for Christine... made me confident in my ability to help Christine, reassured me and helped me realize when contractions
were starting." - Peter, dad of Jonah
"Michelle is the sweetest, friendliest, calmest, most creative, knowedgable and accomodating doula we could have hoped for." - father
"I felt like I needed someone there to comfort me about what was going on with my pregnant body. To reassure me that things were normal. Whenever I had questions she was there - a true wealth of information. She was always available." - Jocelyn
"It was wonderful being able to talk about and prepare for the birth before it happened with someone that had been through it before and has extensive knowledge in the field." – first time mom
"She helped me stay as involved and helpful as possible… With our previous pregnancy, I felt so hopeless. I didn’t understand what was going on or how to help in a way that was meaningful for (wife’s name)" – second time father
"I would never have another baby without a doula and would recommend the same to other women."
– mother
"You were such an integral part of my birthing experience. You helped me through the birthing experience, both beforehand as I geared up for the unknown and during the moments before I accepted and prepared for the inevitable reality of an experience contrary to my ideal." – Julie
"Michelle was always very open, very receptive and respectful for our feelings about the birthing process. Her experience and expertise were invaluable."
– Dana, first time mom
"This was our first birthing experience, and we didn't know what to expect. Jocelyn was really terrified, so I was willing to do anything to ease her through it...The medical staff at Credit Valley couldn't be there for the whole process, so having someone with an incredible amount of knowledge of what we were going through really helped. She had a perfect, calming voice and explained and encouraged so much." - Tyler
"You taught us how to communicate with each other." - father of two
About Prepared Childbirth Education Classes
"Michelle is very passionate about what she does and it's obvious that she really cares about her students." - Kim Mlekuz
"The most helpful part of our class was when we talked about interventions and how to recognize and avoid them, should we wish to."
"Michelle held no bias toward one practice over the another. She was not pushy and let us explore what was comfortable for us."
"It's a great way to gain a lot of insight into many unanswered questions, rumours, speculations, old wives tales that everyone tends to share. Learning about the whole process from beginning to end really puts your mind at ease and makes you feel better prepared." - Andrew and Amanda Tachauer
"Everything was excellent, we felt that our time and our money was well spent. Every topic was relevant and explained clearly. Michelle introduced us to other techniques and what to be aware of which was very helpful, not a right or a wrong way approach but a what works for you support approach."
"I liked the activities that involved role playing and communication incorporating questions/scenarios. I really enjoyed hearing what Simon (husband) had to think and his opinion on certain things." - Lisa
"It was apparent that through her work as a doula, instructor, etc. that she had enough hands on experience to be able to apply the theories taught to real-life experience through her work. Michelle also had a way of explaining the material in a very common sense manner that was easy to understand and remember, which is
important."
"I would totally recommend Michelle's classes. It is really beneficial for the Dads. I have been reading about the whole process since I found out I was pregnant but for the guys, I think, they need a much more hands on practical "need to know" information session. The classes are perfect and I know it has helped my husband understand. He quizzes me now!"
"She has a good sense of humour, flexible presentation style, is open to questions and makes you feel at ease." - First time mom
"She is passionate about the process of both education and childbirth in addition to being highly informed and orgnaized." - Tiffany, first time mom
"The manual was a great guide to refer to (even in the labour room!)"
"We gained a base knowledge about childbirth and the 'natural' side of the human body to not only prepare us for this birth but to give us a level of confidence."
"I would definetely recommend 'Birth Beginnings' as I found the information was 'real' and useful, as compared to the info we got from prenatal classes five years earlier, which was very textbook." - Martina
"I always left the class feeling informed and confident that I could do this instead of scared and overwhelmed."
"I was very, very impressed about the manual and the handouts during class. You cannot find such well put together information in this detail. Thank you for that. The manual alone is worth the price of the class." - Barb, first time mom
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