Prior to getting pregnant I was not at all keen on giving birth naturally - I didn't want the pain and I thought it would 'ruin my body'. Once I fell pregnant and started researching, I became absolutely intent on achieving a positive birth experience - ideally a natural labour without drugs. We are really into health and fitness so it seemed a no brainer to have our own support person/coach to help us prepare for such a huge event in our life!
What I loved is that Cheryl talked us through both sides of different scenarios and options in an objective way, being caring and understanding while also being experienced, knowledgeable - knowing she was a midwife for so long and knew the ins and outs of the hospital system also really put me at ease. We did a lot of preparation with her in our home which was amazing - on topics such as a healthy pregnancy, labouring at home, the birth process, the hospital environment and different pain relief options, breastfeeding, the partner's role, the list goes on. She is a strong and confident woman - exactly who you want by your side particularly if a decision needs to be made and you aren't sure, or if someone is trying to push you toward a certain procedure/intervention.
Having Cheryl's support throughout and when I went into labour was absolutely invaluable! She helped my husband (through many text messages!) time our hospital arrival so perfectly - 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 - also after the birth she made sure we were looked after which was such a relief.
We really could not recommend Cheryl more, and greatly appreciate her encouragement and support through such an exciting time in our lives - it has made a world of difference for the three of us. If you are considering having a doula in your birth journey, I would say absolutely go for it! We would 100% have her with us for our second baby. Thankyou Cheryl, with love from Sarah, Ross, and Lucy x
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.
