Introducing some of the newest members of our Ideal Birth family ...
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Don't give birth without Cheryl! As said below, after having Cheryl as my doula I couldn't agree more. Her care and support throughout my pregnancy 100% contributed to my amazing, positive first birth. I was confident and in control, had a natural, unassisted Hypnobirth. I am an emotional person and the extra support really helped me. Cheryl and Selena were in tune with my needs. Cheryl's back up doulas are wonderful and she has truly picked women who embody her vision of positive and supportive birthing.
Thank you Cheryl for helping me achieve a wonderful experience- 7 weeks pp and I still feel so empowered. You are amazing and a true inspiration.
“When I remember the birth of my baby boy, Liam, I continue to find myself still in the moment with an overwhelming feeling of awe. The phrases that come to mind are respected, undisturbed, quiet, calm, extremely intense, in the present moment, positive, educated, informed supported, deeply cared for, confidence in my body... and I can go on and on. In summary, I will forever remember my birthing experience as one of the most awe-inspiring and positive experiences of my life. I know that this is sadly not common and that the majority of woman giving birth in our risk-adverse healthcare system of today are left feeling less than positive and frequently emotions and memories quite opposite to mine.
I attribute 100% of our experience to having Cheryl by our side during my pregnancy, birth and early days of Liam's life. Cheryl's caring nature and wealth of experience provided us with the information we needed to make educated decisions about my healthcare and birthing options and rights about accepting or declining certain medical options or interventions offered. In addition, Cheryl's guidance of my husband's role in the whole process was invaluable. Not only did he feel much more included in the process, being informed meant he was calmer and prepared for the whole experience (as much as one can ever be of course!).
Once we got home with Liam, as new parents we definitely had that "dear in the headlights" look and we cannot thank Cheryl enough for being there for us from helping us with Liam's first bath to the kind reassuring words that we were doing all the right things and that all the things we were freaking out about were normal (yes, I have learnt MOST things are in fact normal when it comes to newborn babies!). And if that was not enough, Cheryl's kindness also included a nourishing meal of the yummiest lasagne and a gift to top everything off!
I don't know (and certainly don't want to find out) how I would ever have done this without Cheryl as part of our team.”
"If someone had said to me at the start of my pregnancy that I would be having a natural birth experience, I never would have believed them. But with Cheryl's support, resources and guidance I went from thinking I might be able to do this naturally, to bring it on - I've got this. I also felt completely confident that if things didn't go as planned (because you can really only plan so much) I would be able to handle it calmly. On the day I was very fortunate to have everything go as I had imagined, a quick (but strong), spontaneous and smooth delivery. Whenever I think back on my labour I smile and I feel proud of what my body did and how well I mentally dealt with it, as well as proud of my husband who was so supportive. None of this happened by chance; it was months of preparation and 100% due to Cheryl being part of my team. I never felt like this was a one woman show, and that counts for everything. Leading up to the birth of a baby we can spend so much money on material things; I'm glad we didn't and instead invested in Cheryl's service to help us have an amazing start for our little family - because really what's more important than that. Xavier, Marcus and I will be forever grateful"
"Cheryl was amazing. She came to our house while I was in active labour and helped me with different positions, breathing techniques and massage. Cheryl's light massage was so wonderful and calming - her hands are worth her fee alone! With Cheryl's help, we were able to stay home much longer and I was already 7cm dilated when I arrived at the hospital. Cheryl was also of invaluable assistance when we were at the hospital - she was able to do various practical things like opening doors and communicating with hospital staff, while I held onto my husband and just breathed through each contraction. In the birth suite, I was unlucky with the midwife allocated to me but Cheryl was fantastic. I was able to just listen to her and ignore the midwife. In the end I had the exact birth I had hoped for - a natural vaginal delivery with no epidural. I have no doubt my birth outcome would have been very different if Cheryl had not been there.
Cheryl also gave us wonderful pre- and postpartum care. While I was pregnant she met with us several times and gave us very helpful advice on various things including baby positioning. I followed her advice and my baby stayed in an ideal position. She also visited us after the birth and it was lovely seeing her again.
I wouldn't give birth in a hospital without Cheryl and will definitely be contacting her when we (hopefully!) have Baby Number Two. Cheryl is a credit to her profession and really will give you the "Ideal Birth".
When we first fell pregnant we had not ever considered using a doula but whilst investigating our birthing options we came across Cheryl's book. After reading it we decided we should definitely give her a call. We wondered if we were being a bit 'over the top' having doula support but having experienced pregnancy and birth with Cheryl at our side I can wholeheartedly say we would not want to have been without her and should we be blessed with another child we will certainly have Cheryl support us again.
Cheryl was a wise and reassuring presence throughout our pregnancy helping us to navigate the many decisions to be made. In her kind, warm and respectful way she listened to our wishes and helped us explore our options with recommendations for books and other resources.
During Elijah's birth Cheryl was instrumental in ensuring that we had the natural birth we were hoping for despite the many unpredictable twists and turns that unfolded. We couldn't have been happier with our birthing experience. Cheryl was always there with gentle guidance, reassuring touch and nourishment for all of us. Without Cheryl there supporting us all I am sure it would have been a very different, and certainly more stressful experience.
Cheryl has also been there for us as we settle in with our new arrival, talking through our birth experience and answering any questions or concerns we may have.
Thanks again for everything Cheryl, your help and support has meant the world to us!
When I fell pregnant with my second daughter I knew I wanted her birth to be different. My first daughter’s birth began with an unnecessary medical induction and ended with an emergency caesarean. I thought I was well informed and well prepared, but in hindsight I realise that as a first time mum navigating the hospital system I really wasn’t. How could I be? What I learned from that experience is that to have birth you want, you need to have the right support – and Cheryl is the best support you can get! I wanted to birth in a hospital and the safety of knowing medical help was available if we needed it, but I wanted as little intervention as possible. When I saw Cheryl’s years of experience as a nurse and midwife, but also her passion for natural birth, I knew that she was just the person to help me achieve my ideal hospital birth.
From 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. My husband was sceptical at first about the idea of a doula – did we really need to pay someone to provide support? But once we had our birth prep sessions with Cheryl he agreed that it was the right decision. Richie says that Cheryl was worth every cent, that having her on our team took away the fear that comes with the unknown. Instead of feeling uncertain, Richie felt confident and could relax and be part of the experience with me.
My labour went from fairly slow to very intense in the blink of an eye and I started to feel overwhelmed and out of control. Cheryl was there immediately to meet us at the hospital and helped calm me down and keep me focussed. Without Cheryl’s support I would have given up on my intentions for an epidural free birth, but Cheryl was there to remind me that I could do it and to provide the kind of support that only someone with Cheryl’s experience can. It was an amazing experience, when little Georgia was born I was able to bring her immediately onto my chest and truly enjoy those first moments of her life together with my husband.
The truth is though that this birth was ideal not just because it was the natural birth I hoped for, but more importantly because it was an informed and empowered birth. I cannot recommend Cheryl highly enough whether you are a first time or fifth time mum!!
“ Cheryl is one of those amazing people who is living and breathing her passion. She has been an integral part of my three labours and births. ”
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.
