Introducing some more of the members of our Ideal Birth family ...
 | Thirteen (because it's my lucky number) reasons to choose the most experience doula availableExperience brings with it a wealth of value to families choosing doula support for their pregnancies, births and their early parenting days.
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 | Birthing with trauma January 2023'At the end, what I feared would be a traumatic birth ended up being the most powerful and beautiful experience I could have ever imagined. I truly never dreamt I would be able to walk away from the birth of my child feeling happy and empowered, at most, I’d hoped I’d walk away from it only mildly traumatized.'
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 | Vanessa, John and baby Zac May 2023There is more to doula support than the hours spent supporting at home and in birth suite. The development over time of trusting connection contributes to successful outcome.
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 | Belinda, Dave and baby Matilda successful vbac February 2023Energy, effort, preparation and a united team is what it takes to have a positive birth. Huge congratulations to Belinda and Dave on the spectacular birth of little Matilda.
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 | Andrea, Dylan and baby Alex October 2022It's very satisfying when our preparation and plans result in a spontaneous no intervention labour and birth. This can happen in a Private Hospital with a private obstetrician as it did for this family. It takes a family that has researched their options and negotiated well and then of course a little baby who decides to make that happen.
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 | Hannah, Nick and baby Maia November 2022Being prepared to follow whatever path your birthing takes is so important. Preparation mentally and physically is important but so is respecting your baby will choose the best path for them.
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 | Sazel, Gulshan and baby Krish October 2022 (Baby Rae December 2020)Supporting a family with their second birth is always such an honour
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 | Britt, Chris and baby Jack August 2022At the end of the day when all the preparation has been done physically and emotionally babies will choose how they wish to birth. Weighing up pros and cons of all the options and choosing what feels best for the couple results in a positive experience. Congratulations to this beautiful new family.
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 | Jennifer, Nate and baby Lottie October 2022There are times when a medical situation during pregnancy dictates a change of plan. At challenging times and with the unpredictability of labour and birth we are always grateful for a positive birth where everyone feels safe and supported and everyone on the team works towards this outcome. Huge congratulations to this new family.
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 | Chantelle, Josiah and baby Stella August 2022Congratulations to Chantelle and Josiah who proactively worked towards a successful vaginal birth following a previous caesarean section.
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 | Sarah, Angus and baby Sybella...baby sister for GeorginaIt's always an honour to support a family multiple times as they grow their families. Congratulations to this special family.
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 | Eva, Jonathan and baby Eleanor July 2022It isn't often the birth support partner brings to the table as much enthusiasm and excitement as Johathan did. He put into practice so many encouraging skills on the day of his baby girl's birth. We love being able to support our dads to step into this role with confidence.
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 | Samantha, Dan, Hugo and baby RupertDoula support isn't only about the few hours spent together in birth suite. It's working closely with all family members as they grow into their new dynamic and explore and prepare for the physical and emotional challenges that lie ahead. Doula support is family support.
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 | Lauren, Jordan and baby Theodore June 2022The unknown length and challenge of a first birth is something we can only prepare for to a certain extent. The challenge is then to work with whatever our bodies need to do to birth our babies. Beautiful experience here from Lauren.
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 | Sam Father of baby Remi and MiraIn short doulas are not only for women but for their partners and children. Supporting many births in the same family is an honour. Thanks Sam for sharing.
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 | Nadia, Manuel and baby Petra January 2022Choosing to work with Cheryl, was one of the best decisions Manuel and I made as a couple giving birth for the first time.
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 | Emma, Ace and baby Francesca September 2021Celebrating yet another beautiful intervention free birth of baby girl Francesca in 2021
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 | Hannah, Steve and baby Sloane November 2021Having a first baby will bring with it many unknown challenges. Working our way through them in a positive, evidence based way is the way we achieve best outcomes.
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 | Catherine, Preetesh and baby Kishen October 2021At the end of the day there is much we can do to facilitate the birth of our babies but the journey is always their choice. No matter what the circumstances or outcome are we are very focused on a positive experience for everyone.
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 | Emily, Darren and baby Lyla August 2021Planning for a first birth is always and exciting adventure although working through the challenges of a pandemic is something else again.
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 | Niki, Sam and baby Grace April 2021We are always needing to have a flexible approach when supporting families birthing during a pandemic. At the end of the day we will give it our all to ensure everyone has the most positive birth possible.
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 | Louise, Alistair and baby Eilidh June 2021A positive birth is always our plan. It's especially satisfying following a challenging vbac labour with a beautiful big baby girl.
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 | Nick and baby Milo July 2021What a special time becoming a father for the first time is. So often we don't acknowledge the emotional roller coaster they ride as they transition into their new role.
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 | Talisha, Nick and baby Milo July 2021First births for all families are filled with mixed emotions. We are so happy and grateful when the experience is empowering and positive.
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 | Ann, Alex and baby Oliver January 2021Doula support is invaluable for all births whether it is your first or fourth baby. All babies and births are different and with that come different challenges. It takes support to a new level when a relationship already exists between a family and doula.
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 | Alece, Peter and baby Cohen April 2021First pregnancies and births are an exciting journey and it was such a pleasure to share this experience with this lovely new family.
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 | Brandon, Emma and baby Elkie March 2021Sometimes birth doesn't go to plan. We are always grateful for empowered, positive experiences for mothers fathers and their babies.
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 | Sarah, Ross and baby Lucy March 2021we timed our hospital arrival so perfectly with guidance from Cheryl - an absolute godsend as otherwise we would have gone to the hospital 4 hours earlier! We arrived, my waters broke, and our daughter arrived in 1 hour 27 minutes - we achieved an incredible natural labour without pain relief and a wonderful transformative start to our daughter's life. Cheryl's presence was so calming and reassuring
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 | Sazel, Gushan and baby Rey December 2020It's so satisfying to see someone expecting their first baby go from a place of fear and uncertainly to one of confidence. To birth intervention free less than a hour after arriving at the hospital was an incredible experience for this family
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 | Gulshan and baby Rey...just in time for SantaThe positive birth journey of a new father is a very powerful one and can't be underestimated.
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 | Ben and baby Ezra who just missed Santa this yearIt's special sharing second, third and even fourth births with families. Congratulations to Stevie, Ben, baby Ezra and big sister Rose.
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 | Shannon, Dan and baby Archie December 2020Anticipating a first birth can be daunting. However, good preparation builds confidence in couples and in particular the partner who is always the primary support person. It is so important for all births to be positive experiences. Congratulations to this lovely family.
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 | Nicole, Darren and baby Charlie October 2020First babies can be challenging at the best of times but during a pandemic and major life challenges even more so. Huge congratulations to this new family
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 | Bel, Phil and baby Archie July 2020Supporting and mentoring two pregnancies for the same family is something very special.
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 | Sarah, Angus and baby Georgina August 2020On the day we welcomed Georgina into the world Cheryl was a huge part of why it was so successful and a positive experience for me as a first time mother.
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 | Marly, Ben and baby Evie June 2020It is a very special day when a first time mother is able to experience the birth she planned, hoped and worked towards. It is possible even in a hospital setting. Congratulations to this special family it was a privilege being on their team.
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 | Rhiannon, Dave and baby Corrie May 2020It's always a privilege to support more than one birth with a family. To welcome little Beth in 2017 and now baby Corrie in 2020 in very different circumstances has been such a pleasure.
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 | Kristie, Andy and baby Harvey March 2020 Birthing during the Covid - 19 pandemicBirthing your first baby is always a challenge when you face so much uncertainty. In addition to that add the uncertainty of birthing during a pandemic when your birth support team is threatened to be compromised. Congratulation to this amazing new family.
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 | Sarah, Dean and baby Samuel March 2020There are times when we plan for an intervention free labour and birth but a medical situation dictates this is not going to be the best choice. A positive birth experience with a supportive team is what is really important.
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 | Olivia, Ben and baby Esmae February 2020Sometimes when you meet a couple very early in pregnancy and then work though the challenges with them you hope everything will be perfect when they meet their baby. Sometimes it is almost better than perfect. Congratulations Olivia and Ben on the beautiful intervention free water birth of your gorgeous baby girl.
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 | Kristi, Luke and baby Xavier February 2020It fills me with happiness when I read words like this from someone who has experience a previous less than positive birth. The transformation for this family and their ability to move forward confidently and lovingly is so satisfying. Thank you Kristi for sharing so openly. I hope and trust this will help other families to find the resources they need.
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 | Luke - new father February 2020A father's experience at the birth of his baby is as important as his partner as she births. Men have an incredible ability to step into and embrace that role at a level they never expected when they have someone to guide them.
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 | Kelly, Matt and baby Archie January 2020What a perfect way to begin the year with a New Year's Day baby. Congratulations to this new family who welcomed their little baby boy on the first day of 2020
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 | Dajana, Sam and baby Mira January 2020What happens when a pregnancy continues past 42 weeks. Sometimes plans need to be adjusted to fit with special circumstances.
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 | Megan, Ian and baby Veronica December 2019Congratulations to Megan on the birth of her gorgeous Veronica. Whilst births frequently don't go "to plan" we know we can ensure the experience is a positive one by how we care for women, their partners and their babies.
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 | Muira Taylor Postnatal SupportMuira contacted me for support with her second baby as she had found transitioning to life with her first baby a challenge. This is very common for most women and this time she found additional support allowed her to focus on her own self care, feeding and falling in love with her baby. It was a pleasure to be welcomed into their family.
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 | Jelena, Siuon and baby Ragnar August 2019I truly believe that it was because of Cheryl that I was able to prepare for and achieve my dream birth; a natural birth with no intervention.
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 | Ren, Adam and baby Vincent September 2019Following a difficult birth experience with her first baby boy Ren changed her model of care and hospital during her second pregnancy hoping her experience would be very different ...and it was. Congratulations Ren you made choices that felt right for you and achieved a beautiful birth.
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 | Katrina, Devon and baby Bryson successful vbac July 2019Katrina's birth was strong and powerful as well as a very healing experience following a previous disappointing one. Congratulations what a beautiful outcome for this family.
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 | Tara, Al and baby Sienna July 2019It is beyond exciting and satisfying to know one of my girls feels this way post birth. There was much planning and working directly with a supportive obstetrician so we were all on the same page and our focus was the outcome this beautiful family wanted.
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 | Daniella, Daylyn and baby Layla May 2019Best decision ever! I was lucky enough to have a rest while the contractions ramped up and about 6 hours later our baby girl managed to turn around and was calmly born undisturbed and with no pushing, no tearing and no c section!
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 | Sophie, Andrew and baby Mia April 2019I got to labour in the warmth of our home for the first 10 hours, which was fantastic, with my amazing husband who was an incredible hands on birth support partner, and with Cheryl whose calming voice and presence helped me stay focused, calm and breathe through the contractions.
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 | Kelli, Jaime and baby Abigail April 2019My partner and I both felt reassured with Cheryl by our side during the birth
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 | Jono, Kylie and baby Joshua July 2018Another beautiful intervention free first birth. Big congratulations to this very special new family
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| Jasmine, Tim and baby Ethan November 2018For anyone seeking a supportive and experienced doula I would say Cheryl is really the only choice!
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 | Anna, Niklas and baby Finn February 2019Anna was able to achieve her ideal birth by taking the time to choose her model of care carefully and prepare well for her birth with Finn
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 | Written by a father, for fathers-to-be Ben, Stevie and baby Rose February 2019Hiring Cheryl was the best decision we made with our pregnancy, as through her recommendations we had a
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 | Lauren, Adam and baby Richie January 2019Lauren was met with some challenges navigating the hospital system with her second birth. We worked closely together to ensure she had the opportunity of birthing the way she wanted. And she did.
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 | Ally, Lenny and baby Elliott January 2019 Image Little Button PhotographyWhen I fell pregnant with my second child, I was DREADING the pregnancy journey - even though I felt blessed.
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 | Lillie, Dan and baby Noah January 2019Lillie was very proactive during her pregnancy in preparing herself for a positive first birth. She was able to achieve her ideal birth water birth at exactly 42 weeks gestation. Congratulations to Lillie, Dan and baby Noah on giving themselves the best possible start on their adventures together.
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 | Christina, Kev and baby Harry November 2018"I left feeling excited and more empowered about the birth experience and that continued well into the fourth trimester." Kev following the birth of his first baby.
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 | Kristina, Guy and baby Ayala November 2018Thanks to Cheryl’s and my husband’s guidance and support, I was able to have an empowering birthing experience.
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 | Alana, Scott and baby Josephine November 2018I ended up having a calm, controlled and pain-relief free birth, something I had hoped for throughout my whole pregnancy.
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 | Gemma, Xavier and baby Leo September 2018"Despite being raised in an alternative household, I found that what made me calm about my birth was Cheryl's down to earth but professional guidance based on her extensive previous experience as a midwife"
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 | M, J and baby Emma September 2018A bit anxious by nature, you allowed me to sit back and let nature, and bub, show us the way with the best outcome possible.
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 | Corryn, Richard and baby Maya October 2018Congratulations on a gorgeous baby girl. She will love having two big brothers.
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 | Laura, Kirk and baby Marcella July 2018I was under the care of the Birth Centre, RBWH who are a fantastic team, but as a share care model there was little continuity in the support I received in the lead up to my birth and particularly during a long labour.
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 | Jane, Gavin Baby Holly October 2016 Baby Lachlan 2018Cheryl has supported us through 2 drug free labours.
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 | Luke...father of baby Alex July 2018Cheryl changed our whole experience of childbirth.
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 | Susie, Luke and baby Alex July 2018Cheryl has such a gentle but confident manner, I trusted her implicitly as did my husband to support us through something that was completely unknown to us.
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 | Holly, Scott and baby Hugo July 2018I am so proud of my vbac and I know it was my own inner strength that got me there, but having a doula who can help create the right environment within the medical model meant I could just focus on giving birth, and my husband could also just be in the moment with me.
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 | Sophie, Dale and baby Alma June 2018Cheryl was with us during the whole birth...30 hours
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 | Sarah, Alex and baby Henry March 2018Cheryl is a wonderful addition to any birth team.
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 | Catherine, Sean and baby Layla February 2018"At almost 42 weeks the doctors wanted to induce me but I declined."
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 | Gayle, Derek and baby Eilidh January 2017I also felt having Cheryl there kept it real, I got a different view other than what I heard during antenatal appointments.
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 | Jess, David and baby Georgie May 2018The statistics on the benefits of doulas really do speak for themselves. You cannot discount the value and comfort of having another woman with you that has so much wisdom and experience around birth.
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 | Kym, Kieran and baby Hugo April 2018Our two ideal births were thanks to having Cheryl on board.
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 | Renee, Lincoln and baby Ethan March 2018Having Cheryl as an advocate was our best decision.
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 | Melody, Michael and baby Magnolia Feb 2018I felt safe and informed and my husband felt supported all throughout my labour.
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 | Kirsty, Cam and baby Edie December 2017I feel blessed that I found Cheryl and she was able to support me throughout the process, both physically and emotionally.
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 | Christina, William and baby Cyra February 2018Cheryl worked flawlessly with the hospital midwives. At no point did I feel scared or not listened to by Cheryl.
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 | Cindy, Charles and baby Amber December 2017I can genuinely look back at the birth of our beautiful daughter with no regrets.
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 | Caroline, Jamie and baby Oliver November 2017Cheryl's support and advice started as soon as we enquired about her services even though we were two months pregnant and living overseas at the time.
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 | Susheel, Hemesh and baby Arjan October 2017Cheryl was our buffer and knowing she was there while birthing gave us both peace of mind and made me feel safe.
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 | Toni, Richard and baby Theodora September 2017 A dads perspective."I didn't even know how to spell doula. I googled it and felt like my job was being replaced."
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 | Ann, Alex and baby Theodore November 2017Cheryl's support of my husband and myself allowed us to be happy with our decisions and work with what we had in front of us - which was nothing like our plans - but still in the end was an Ideal Birth.
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 | Cherie, Leland and baby Diwa November 2017Cheryl had helped emotionally support myself and my husband, helped us stay 'in the zone' while the medical professionals did what they needed to do - and we had our drug free VBAC birth
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 | Dessi, Ben and baby Alexander July 2017 Ben's perspective."Cheryl was the only baby-related-professional we've seen., ever, who half way through a meeting with my wife turned to me and asked (actually asked, not small talk) - so, how are you doing with all this? I hadn't even asked myself the question. What it showed me that her visibility was far greater than my wife. It is the first time my emotional and psychological needs were ever considered even by me."
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 | Adriana and baby Xavier at 8 monthsCheryl was my birth coach, that person in my corner who believed in me (long before I believed in myself) who on the day intuitively knew what I needed.
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 | Danielle, John and baby JulesWedding planners and birth planners....we have so much in common.
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 | Danielle, John and baby Jules June 2017"Cheryl was worth her weight in gold and in hindsight I would have paid double for her service" - John
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 | Rhiannon, Dave and baby Beth July 2017We had so hoped and with the help of Cheryl, fully prepared for a natural birth but our birth plan changed late on...
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 | Rebecca, Ben and baby Vivian May 2017Cheryl's known in the field as one of, if not the best doulas in Brisbane, with obstetricians and midwives happy to work alongside her.
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 | Catherine, Craig and baby Chester June 2017We had planned for a calm water birth, but events took an unplanned change of direction! Instead of being stressed about this, with Cheryl's assistance I was able to remain calm and positive...
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 | Marcella, Shane and baby Samuel April 2017"I am an emotional person and the extra support from Cheryl really helped me."
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 | Elna, Dale and baby Liam December 2016Cheryl's caring nature and wealth of experience provided us with the information we needed to make educated decisions.
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 | Adriana, Marcus and baby Xavier February 2017Whenever I think back on my labour I smile
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 | Rosie, Gobes and baby Eleanor December 2016Cheryl's light touch massage was so wonderful and calming - her hands are worth her fee alone.
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 | Carmen, Rob and baby Elijah December 2016Cheryl was instrumental in ensuring that we had the natural birth we were hoping for despite the many unpredictable twists and turns that unfolded.
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 | Brooke, Richie and baby Georgia October 2016From her advice in the early days with finding a VBAC supportive obstetrician, to helping me prepare mentally for labour, to the awesome support at the birth itself, Cheryl was invaluable every step of the way.
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 | Samantha, Steve and baby Asher July 2016Without Cheryl’s support, confidence, expertise and her amazing ability to lovingly hold a sacred space for birth within a hospital environment, I would not have achieved my beautiful intervention free, drug free birth.
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 | Thania, Trent and Ari August 2016"We could not have had this type of birth without the support of Cheryl, who walked alongside us through the pregnancy, middle of the night visits to the pregnancy assessment unit and an overall 66 hour labour."
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 | Tonya and baby Harlan...I knew I had to find a way to rid this fear so my bigger fear of never experiencing motherhood didn't become a reality.
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.JPG) | Chloe, Jono and baby Gracie January 2016Well, once again Cheryl's doula services and supportive friendship was invaluable during our second pregnancy and the birth of our baby girl, Gracie.
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 | Carly, Alex and baby Isla February 2016
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 | Penny, Mark and baby Ardie January 2016Your kind and gentle presence was the perfect comfort and reassurance for both myself and Mark, we are so grateful. You are passionate and genuine and we are so grateful to have met you and shared this experience with you.
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 | Nicole and Riaz baby AliyaWhile we had prepared well for our birth by doing a hypnobirthing course, reading a lot and getting a private midwife, my husband and I both feel we couldn't have done it as confidently and easily if it hadn't been for Cheryl.
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 | Lynn, Aaron, Nate 2013 Joshua 2015One amazing thing happened that night; I had a hospital birth without any internal assessments. No attempt to mark active labour, I'm not even sure anyone noted the time I hit transition. I trusted my body and my baby and together they got it so right!
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 | Elizabeth, James, Noah (2008), Holly (2013), James (2015)Cheryl is one of those amazing people who is living and breathing her passion. 7 years ago I had never heard of a doula. I wanted an intervention and drug free natural birth within a hospital setting, an idea which I was soon to discover was almost laughable.
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 | Sara, Jason and baby Vander… even though we couldn't really afford a doula, we also couldn't afford not to as there was so much fear surrounding giving birth naturally again. Having a doula is not something I felt like I deserved but as time went on I had to let go of this. I now believe that every woman deserves a birth partner.
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 | Eva, David, Chloe and WilliamMy baby was in a posterior position throughout my labour which meant that the pushing phase was particularly challenging. Cheryl's calm, knowing presence assisted us in remaining calm and relaxed and able to focus on drug-free pain management strategies.
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 | Rebecca, Turei and baby KymaniWhen I found out I was pregnant with our first child, a girlfriend recommended I contact Cheryl for doula support. I’d never heard of a doula before, and knew of no-one else who’d used one with their pregnancies. After a little research I was intrigued to know more, because positive birth stories amongst our friends and family were rare and the idea that we wanted a drug free calm birth was most often laughed at.
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 | Mel, Richard, Edward and AlisterThe skills we gained via Cheryl will serve us well in life and in the years of raising our boys. She taught us how to negotiate within the healthcare system and how to get a positive outcome and have our views heard.
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 | Em, Hugh and MarloweAfter being accepted into the birth centre at RBWH I was a little unsure thinking we were going overboard hiring a doula as we already had a team of 3 midwives; looking back I am so happy we did. The midwives were great but having that having a Doula really tied everything together.
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 | Juliana, Darren and baby Bianca July 2014
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 | Emma, Ben, Hudson, Ewan and GeorgiaWhat Cheryl offers is so much more than just having someone there holding your hand. The advice and support that Cheryl gave before, during and after the birth helped put me in the best frame of mind and I truly believe I was then able to have the birth I had hoped for...
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 | KimberlyI had a horrid time with obstetricians prior to Edith's birth, with doctors adamant I book in an induction from 39weeks with no medical reason besides scheduling. I was bullied, called a 'problem', informed many times I was killing my baby, and told because I had a birth plan I was setting myself up for a terrible birth.
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 | Bronwyn, Glenn, Sam and OliverI am so proud of the work I did to birth our children and I fully credit Cheryl's support for ensuring that these births were all that I wanted them to be…
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 | Catherine, Sean and baby Owen…What all this potential ‘help’ failed to do was acknowledge my natural ability as a woman to give birth in my own right…
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Give yourself the best chance of a positive birth in a hospital setting. A new book by one of Australias leading doulas, Cheryl Sheriff.
Sharing wisdom from her 30 years experience as a midwife and doula, and her presence at over 1000 hospital births.
After reading this book you will have more direction, and feel confident, excited and less daunted by the experiences to come.
