Introducing some of the newest members of our Ideal Birth family ...
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Cheryl was an amazing ally in a time of uncertainty and the avalanche of endless unsolicited advice. She was a rock and was always there when I needed her including at my ECV.
Cheryl advise on nutrition, mental health and helped me understand the magical transition my body was going through and would go through. When I had a question there was always an answer based on research. She also had an excellent rapport with doctors and other specialists which is very important when choosing a doula. I found having a doula like Cheryl very helpful in the 6 weeks after birth when breastfeeding and wet nappies were the centre of my universe.
Cheryl also advised on sleep routines or the fact they don’t work until after 12 weeks! This saved me a lot of frustration when other healthcare professionals urged me to follow a sleep routine when my baby was too young. Cheryl is down to earth and positively connected with everyone. I was lucky to find Cheryl because my sister referred me to her.
Thankyou.
I am so grateful to Cheryl from Ideal Birth for being my doula and supporting me through my VBAC journey. From the very beginning, she went above and beyond. She took the time to debrief my first birth with me, going through my hospital notes from the C-section I had after a long induction. That conversation helped me process what had happened and gave me practical strategies for how I could approach things differently this time.
She was also there for me after every hospital visit, when the tone was often discouraging toward my hopes for a VBAC. Without Cheryl, I would have really started to doubt myself, as the hospital’s approach was so focused on worst-case scenarios. Her reassurance and perspective helped me feel grounded and reminded me to trust in my body.
Her suggestions on how to prepare for birth - both mentally and physically - were so helpful, and her emotional support in those last few weeks meant the world. Each day I went past my “due date,” my confidence took a knock, but Cheryl’s calm reassurance helped me trust my body and believe in my ability to birth.
During my labour, her gentle, grounding presence made such a difference. It was so valuable having someone who wasn’t emotionally attached to me but could guide me and my support people in the right direction when we needed it most.
Because of Cheryl’s guidance, encouragement, and unwavering support, I was able to achieve my VBAC at 41+6. I couldn’t be more thankful and would highly recommend her to anyone wanting a supportive, knowledgeable, and compassionate doula by their side
Dear Cheryl,
I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful support you have provided our family with during this very special period. Your knowledge, care and guidance has been exceptional and really I'm not sure how I would have done it without you. You have made our baby boy's arrival into this world a pleasurable experience and with me having the knowledge to make the right choices for our family.
Cheryl helped both my parents bring me into this world, which the three of us are grateful for. Cheryl gave us support leading up to my birthday, was an invaluable support person on the day, and has continued to provide ongoing postnatal tips. Cheryl's calm and experienced demeanour helped us all navigate through the complicated hospital systems and gave us confidence though out the pregnancy.
“Cheryl was an invaluable support in the birth of our second baby boy. I feel so lucky to say it was one of the best days of my life, in no small part due to Cheryl’s involvement. I felt safe and empowered, and I’ve carried a new confidence into the rest of my life from this experience.
Cheryl heard me when I told her about my previous birth experience, and the type of birth I wanted this time around. She helped me to prepare by providing relevant resources (books, links, recommendations, referrals), she was a sounding board when thoughts or questions arose, and she got me out of my own head and simplified things for me when I was feeling overwhelmed in the lead up to the big day.
I believe that so much of physiological birth is feeling safe and supported to let your body do what it already knows how to do, to trust and to let go. Cheryl helped create that safe space for me, and included my husband so he was better able to support me and play an important role in the birth. I came away feeling like my husband and I had delivered our baby together. Cheryl and our midwife worked together seamlessly, allowing my husband and I to focus on one another and our baby- creating a beautiful memory that we will cherish forever.”
"Cheryl was a great help to me in supporting my wife in the birth of our second son. Far from making me redundant as a support person, she helped me to find a role that felt right for me and my wife, that seemed to emerge naturally throughout the course of her labour.
This time around, I felt so much better equipped to support my wife both physically during labour, but also emotionally in the days and weeks before and after the birth. We trusted Cheryl to be our advocate so that I could focus on being with and supporting my wife, making it a really special experience for us to share together."
Andrew
“ Cheryl, thank you so much for listening, preparing, and providing Bec and I with the strength to birth naturally. What an amazing experience. ”
Daniel, Bec, and ... of course Charley
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.
