Introducing some of the newest members of our Ideal Birth family ...
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Cheryl empowered us to have two very positive natural births within the public system. Working with her was a total pleasure and a very calming experience for what can be a very intense time. It’s hard to quantify the level of support Cheryl gave us during labour and the preparation leading up to the births. We are so grateful for the advice, care and emotional support Cheryl provides. For anyone considering a doula for their birth, we couldn’t recommend Cheryl more highly.
Cheryl from Ideal Birth came recommended to me and Manuel from the registered nurse who facilitated our Hypnobirthing Course.
Choosing to work with Cheryl, was one of the best decisions Manuel and I made as a couple giving birth for the first time.
From our first communication with Cheryl, we were impressed by her professionalism, promptness, and genuine interest in our Birth Preferences.
At our first meeting with Cheryl, a qualified and experienced Midwife, she handed us her published book, Stork Talk, and spoke to us about our birth plan. Cheryl then suggested we meet again and set up a schedule that included birth practice, positive affirmations, labour rehearsal and fourth trimester planning. Every time she came to our home, she was punctual, and arrived with something in her hand - from a folder of notes, articles or research on the path we wanted to follow, or home-made biscuits. Manuel and I always looked forward to Cheryl's Saturday afternoon visits!
On the night we went into labour, Cheryl was there by the phone for us from 5pm to 3am the next morning. She then met us at the hospital at 3:20am where we were in labour until 5:29pm when our precious daughter entered the world. Cheryl actively supported both me and Manuel throughout this entire period, and then stayed on for another two hours while I had one-on-one skin time with our daughter, before Manuel did.
We returned home from hospital the following day where Cheryl checked in with us and organised to visit for a "reflection on our birthing experience." I loved this time with Cheryl, where we spoke about our entire labour experience. It was so special reliving these moments.
Six weeks following the birth of our daughter, Cheryl remained in contact with us, providing excellent advice and support as we requested it - from breastfeeding tips to recommending house-hold helpers.
Working together with Cheryl during our pregnancy was one of the best decisions we have made as a couple. I have already recommended her to our family and friends! Thankyou Cheryl :)
Initially I was sceptical of a doula, being that it is unregulated and I didn’t quite understand what value it would add. After the first time I met Cheryl my concerns were immediately removed and I knew that she was going to be instrumental in my wife and I achieving the birth we wanted. Cheryl was a constant source of information and support in the lead up to the birth, providing us with the tools we needed to get ready for labour and birth. These tools meant that my wife was able to labour at home for far longer than I think would have otherwise been possible, at which point Cheryl came over and we discussed our options. Once we got to hospital I was able to focus 100% on my wife and the experience that was the birth of our daughter, knowing that Cheryl was there to provide the support and knowledge required to ensure the path we followed would result in a good experience, based on what was in our control. I could focus on the moment, not worrying about what in the birth plan I may have forgotten or what each scenario could lead to and what the potential outcomes were. We had a private OB to ensure that if something went wrong we were in the best medical hands, and Cheryl was there to ensure the birth went as close to the plan we had set out in and that is exactly what she did. Thanks to the support and guidance of Cheryl, my wife achieved a completely intervention free natural birth. I have no doubt that this would not have been as easily achieved had it not been for Cheryl’s assistance both in the lead up and on the day. Our plan is for a second child, and we will absolutely be calling on Cheryl to provide her services once again the second time around.
Cheryl was an incredible support to have through my first pregnancy, birth and postpartum period. I can honestly say that I don't think I would have had such an empowering birth without her there. To be honest, I didn’t even know what a doula did at the start of my pregnancy, but after reading a few pregnancy books, I realised that the type of emotional support and advocacy provided by a doula was exactly what I was looking for. I found Cheryl online, and after meeting her in person and reading her book Stork Talk, I knew I wanted to have her on my team.
Leading up to birth, our bub was breech and Cheryl recommended an excellent acupuncturist and physio to help my pelvic alignment. Although bub didn’t flip on her own, I had a successful ECV at 37 weeks which I largely credit to the help I received from Cheryl and the practitioners. For birth, bub decided she wanted to stay posterior, which led to a long and challenging labour. I was really keen to have a physiological birth with no intervention or pain relief, and Cheryl was absolutely instrumental in helping us achieve that. Our baby Sloane was born vaginally despite her posterior presentation after a few hours of pushing.
For anyone who is thinking they may benefit from a doula but aren't sure, I would urge you to reach out to Cheryl. My husband and I both felt that having her present at our first baby's birth made all the difference, and allowed us to navigate the challenges of labour with confidence. Having Cheryl’s support there allowed not just me, but my husband to feel supported through the ups and downs of labour. He even commented afterwards that he felt it was the best thing that we did for the whole pregnancy. I’m so grateful for all that Cheryl did for us, and would absolutely use her again!
After a very long fertility journey I was super keen to make our pregnancy and birth experience the best it could be. I had heard of the concept of a doula before and thought it seemed like an excellently idea. I asked around for recommendations through my network and found Cheryl.
She was so responsive and came over and met my husband and Mum and talked us through what her support would look like. We decided to go on the journey with Cheryl and so glad we did. We connected early in my pregnancy and it was so useful, even learning things about how to sit properly to get your baby in the best position meant I upgraded my office chair early on.
Cheryl had a huge amount of recommendations and referrals about how to make pregnancy as comfortable and health and possible and I think I did just about all of them, things like Osteo, pregnancy yoga, Acupuncture, the list goes on. I think this all meant I had a comfortable and healthy pregnancy, right until 42 weeks! Unfortunately, baby did not decide to come and Cheryl was a great support helping us navigating our options as we got post term.
We did end up with a c-section whilst not what we were hoping for I felt like I had done everything I could and I got to make the choice. Cheryl’s support has continued post birth and meant I have got the support I needed quickly like a lactation consultant to ensure I could improve breast feeding quickly.
I would highly recommend Cheryl such amazing support, and network that has given me so much confidence in navigating my first pregnancy and birth.
'We found Cheryl through my cousin who had also had Cheryl as her doula, and after reading Cheryl's wonderful book, 'Stork Talk: Delivering Strategies for Your Ideal Birth' I knew I wanted her to be part of our birth journey. Cheryl is warm, kind, practical, reassuring and an all-around great support through pregnancy and beyond. We really enjoyed our birth preparation sessions with her, particularly the practical strategies for labour and fourth trimester planning. She is very responsive and was available whenever we needed some advice or a chat. We are so grateful to have had her in our lives for this very special time".
“ I was very passionate about making my birth experience as natural as possible and Cheryl was very supportive of that. ”
Shae
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.
