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.
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.
