Introducing some of the newest members of our Ideal Birth family ...
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As a first time mum in a new city I was unfamiliar with both being pregnant and the QLD public health system, and enlisted the assistance of Cheryl to help me navigate this journey. It was definitely the best decision I could have made for myself, husband, and baby as Cheryl provided us with invaluable information, support and encouragement. I 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.
I cannot speak more highly of Cheryl. She made me feel respected, informed and empowered with my birth choices and especially when it came to dealing with the rigid hospital system; as well as supported in the period after I gave birth.
I highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for a high level of support and guidance from an experienced and seasoned professional.
I decided to go with Cheryl and the public system for the birth of my second baby after being induced with an obstetrician for my first. I had a lot of fear around the intensity of my first labour which nearly resulted in an emergency caesarean. Cheryl provided me with a wealth of information that I didn’t have previously which put me back in control of my birth decision making. All of my requests were honoured by the midwife and hospital this time and I’m so grateful I got to do things my way. My baby and I are so relaxed and healthy this time around it’s wonderful to be able to enjoy this special time with my newborn son.
Thank you Cheryl for bringing such grounding and positive energy to my birth experience.
After being pushed into a c-section for "failure to progress" (failure of induction), I needed to know that my body was capable of doing something right! Cheryl helped me achieve the birth I wanted. Ideal Birth couldn't be a better name because that's exactly how I describe my VBAC. With Cheryl I did it with just gas! It’s bought my husband and I closer together having gone through a physiological birth together too. Recovery has been so much faster than a c-section. I highly highly recommend Cheryl as support.
"Cheryl was there every step of the way to bring my daughter into this world just the way I hoped and imagined. Her astounding ability to intuitively guide me through a positive vbac birth journey was uplifting and out of this world. My husband and I are beyond grateful to have Cheryl part of our story and are so humbled she chose us too. Cheryl is simply one of a kind and an incredible doula. She is a wealth of knowledge and experience and we highly recommend Cheryl and the support she provides through all stages of pregnancy, birth and post-birth."
As a first time mum that is considered 'mature' I was nervous about labour and possible complications and also the public system. After researching doulas, I came across Cheryl's website and her experience and testimonials were unbeatable and we hired her immediately. Throughout my pregnancy Cheryl was available and we had several mornings at our house for her to get to know us and go over our birth plan and answer any questions we had. I have no family or friends nearby and my husband is DIDO so having someone to talk to and guide me was invaluable.
When the big day arrived I felt nervous but excited, my initial fear of the birth had gone and I felt empowered and ready to face whatever might unfold. The labour progressed well but baby decided to face the wrong way sometime in the night and we made the choice to go for a drip and epidural. I was exhausted but Cheryl talked me through my options and I decided to go for it. Best 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!
We couldn't thank Cheryl enough for her guidance and wisdom and emotional support that she provided both of us in this journey. We have been blessed with an enjoyable pregnancy and labour and now have a healthy daughter. We'd definitely hire her again for our next baby.
We got to use Cheryl's doula services for our second birth, which we needed after a traumatic first birth.
She made us feel at ease straight away after meeting with her, with her calming and knowledgeable approach.
I was anxious about birthing this baby, and after talking about the birth process and how to work, to get our best outcomes in an hospital setting, I felt more confident and calm, excited about birthing our baby.
During birth , it happens that our little one decided to be in posterior presentation, so labouring was not easy and took a long time and it was quite raw and intense.
I 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.
They were a fantastic team throughout the entire labour, and I think my husband felt much more confident with Cheryl by his side.
In the end the outcome was not the one we had planned after 24 hours of labour and no further progress, but we felt confident and at peace with our decision, knowing we had tried our very best, and given our all and our birth journey was nothing short of amazing.
Everyone was supportive and we never felt pushed or coerced to make any decisions. Cheryl worked so well with the hospital staff in giving us the space and make our own choices.
We are thankful to Cheryl for showing us that birth is not something to be fearful of, and that no matter the outcome, with the right support team, birth can still be memorable and a joyful moment.
“ Cheryl helped me by giving me lots of information and explaining to me all the different things I needed and wanted to know before my delivery, to make me feel fully prepared and not so terrified.
For example, Relaxation CD, Birth plan, Books about pregnancy, DVD's on birth, diet and exercise, procedures and what things the hospitals don't tell you and non-bias information about procedures. ”
Phoebe
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.
