Introducing some of the newest members of our Ideal Birth family ...
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My wife and I had such a great birthing experience with the help of Cheryl, that I felt obliged to share my
experience - and written by a father, for fathers-to-be.
Hiring Cheryl was the best decision we made with our pregnancy, as through her recommendations we had a
great experience, got some great care and people on our team. We also massively reduced our confusion,
anxiousness, and ‘fear’ around the pregnancy and birth - this peace of mind is just priceless.
Why we chose to use a Doula
My wife and I had always wanted a birth that was as ‘natural’ as possible - in our words, that was with as little
medical intervention (especially pain relief / drugs) as possible.
This is because we read and agreed that having these chemicals in my wife’s, and therefore the baby’s
bloodstream, doesn’t do them any benefit during their welcome into the world.
We knew this wouldn’t be easy to achieve given the physical requirements from my wife, and also the
preference and trends of births for more medical intervention and to unnecessarily control the timing of
everything through induction or surgery.
Reviewing our journey with Cheryl over the past 9 months, we’d have to say there was a number of things we
found of value to us:
Sounding Board
During the pregnancy, my wife and I both had access to questions if they popped up for Cheryl - related to the
pregnancy, or the birth.
This was great, as often we would receive or read conflicting advice on certain topics, and it was great asking
Cheryl, given her breadth of experience with births and pregnant mothers, along with keeping up to date with
research on what’s best for babies and mums.
It gave my wife great peace of mind having that non-emotionally involved sounding board to bounce those
questions off. This in turn gave me peace of mind, by knowing she was supported and not confused given such
conflicting, and often unrequested advice.
Planning the Birth
Cheryl met with us a number of times to discuss different birthing options, and also provide evidence and
research based recommendations and suggestions for what we needed to plan out.
She had some great templates for birth plans, and walked us through what to expect during labour, and the
birth.
We were determined to have a different experience with our second baby but didn’t quite know how to navigate the hospital system to get an intervention free birth. Cheryl showed us how and with her support and expertise we literally had the dream birth I had only imagined could happen. We couldn’t be happier and certainly have Cheryl to thank.
If you’re reading this and wanting to know if Cheryl is the right doula for you, then the answer is 100% yes!
My last pregnancy resulted in me having a rare complication and quite a traumatic birth experience. I ended up suffering both Antenatal anxiety and Post Natal Depression. My journey was not easy.
When I fell pregnant with my second child, I was DREADING the pregnancy journey - even though I felt blessed.
My pregnancy once again wasn’t an easy one. I suffered ongoing sickness, severe reflux and once again, I faced another rare complication that landed me in hospital. This time, it was different as I had Cheryl by my side encouraging me, believing in me and supporting me.
I truly can say, I wouldn’t have been able to survive this pregnancy without Cheryl’s calming ways. For somebody who has generalised anxiety disorder - I needed a strong support network and someone who could help me at my most vulnerable time.
Cheryl did all of that and beyond. When it came to birth - it was so reassuring to have her by my side keeping me calm and focused. Anybody who suffers anxiety will know the shear panic and the “what ifs” that are constantly circling in your mind , especially when you’re at your most vulnerable . To have her present, supporting me and reassuring me is something I will truly cherish for a lifetime. I brought my beautiful son into this world surrounded by people who believed in me and made me believe in myself.
I’ll truly be forever grateful for the help and support throughout my pregnancy and postnatal period and will cherish it for a lifetime.
My husband and I are so thankful we had Cheryl through the pregnancy / birth. When my sister in law found out I was pregnant she immediately told me about Cheryl as her birth wouldn’t have been the same without her. We then had our first meet up with Cheryl and new straight away we wanted her through this, she brings so much knowledge, insight and also clarity. Cheryl was there to answer any questions I had through my pregnancy and I knew if I was uncertain on something I could ask her and clear my mind.
My baby boy Noah was born on exactly 42 weeks, and I had the no intervention birth I always wanted. Cheryl was honestly such a blessing during the birth, from answering any questions I had during labour, her massages and touch while having a contraction and just knowing I had that calming support right next to me the whole time.
I honestly couldn’t recommend her enough, my birth wouldn’t have been the same without her there.
Kev
Kev
My wife and I recently had our first baby and Cheryl was our Doula. I had not known much about a doulas role until Cheryl’s name came up with close friends who had talked about their positive experience and the support that they received from her. It came time for my wife and I to decide on the kind of support we wanted for our birth and I am grateful that we engaged with Cheryl for our journey. After our first meeting, I left feeling excited and more empowered about the birth experience and that continued well into the fourth trimester. Cheryl shared a lot of useful knowledge leading up to the birth not just around labour but also how to navigate the hospital system and respectfully achieve the birth we wanted. I would recommend Cheryl if you are looking for a good balance of knowledge and all-round support!
Christina
Cheryl was our Doula for the birth of our first baby and we cannot recommend her highly enough. Cheryl had a great deal of knowledge around pregnancy, birth and beyond, and throughout the entire process, stayed in touch with us, was practical and present, and contributed to a very positive and memorable birth experience. Before and after birth, Cheryl was informative, kind, flexible, and supportive. She also visited us in our newborn haze and cooked us several home cooked meals! During labour and birth, Cheryl remained supportive, strong, calm, and respectful. She assisted me to have my ideal birth as intervention-free as much as possible, and was a great deal of comfort and support for my husband. We went into the birth experience feeling safe, respected, and well informed :)
We feel very fortunate that Cheryl was part of our support system during pregnancy and birth. She joined us in the 3rd trimester when some pregnancy complications arose. Cheryl offered a very experienced voice that we could discuss our concerns, wishes and wants with and develop a plan to continue on the path to our ideal birth while embracing the complications. During labor, Cheryl offered a calm presence and encouragement when I approached moments of self-doubt. She gave me verbal cues of how to listen to my body and allow my body and baby to do what they were meant to do. Thanks to Cheryl’s and my husband’s guidance and support, I was able to have an empowering birthing experience. It was obvious that many of the hospital staff knew Cheryl and respected her opinion on how to move forward and Cheryl did an amazing job at protecting our birthing space allowing us to focus on the birthing experience. If you are here reading this and you are recognizing that you could use some additional support in your pregnancy/birthing journey, rest assured that Cheryl will be an incredible addition to your support team and is well worth the investment.
“ With Cheryl’s help we were able to work through our fears and towards our goals. ”
James and Elizabeth
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.
