Birth and Postnatal Doula support in Hertfordshire

"After a long labour that ended in a c-section with our first child, I knew we needed support with our second and booking Maria was the best decision we made. We had a positive out of guidelines VBAC with her help. We knew Maria was the right fit for us as she was non-judgmental, and I felt at ease talking to her about our concerns and preferences. Maria put a biomechanics exercise plan in place for my third trimester which I believe helped for a positive birth experience and to get the baby in the optimal position for my body. My husband also found Maria to be supportive throughout but never intrusive. Our second baby arrived within about 90 mins on entering hospital and Maria ensured I caught my baby and had skin to skin (this was very important to me). I found this birth to be empowering and very positive. Our only regret was not having Maria at our first birth!"

"Maria was the most amazing birthing doula - my partner and I cannot imagine giving birth without her help and support. One thing I appreciated the most was the use of spinning babies to optimally position the baby and initiate labour: this was particularly important as we were 2 weeks overdue and keen to avoid induction! Maria walked us through the circuit and encouraged us to try it ourselves. It really worked! I went into labour! At all stages Maria was the best advocate for us as a couple. She remained calm and comforting. I highly recommend Maria as a doula, and greatly appreciated her help, guidance, presence, and support throughout.”

"I would highly recommend Maria as a Doula. We considered a hospital birth but decided that this time round we wanted a hands-off homebirth. The community midwives were very supportive but talked about guidelines that I was not comfortable with. Maria guided us and supported us in discussing and putting in place an out of guidelines birth plan. On the night of the birth Maria arrived but what struck me the most is that she just sat back, unobtrusively watching, and let me and my partner have our birth together. Our baby was born in water, it was calm, cathartic and healing. Thank you, Maria, for your presence, your knowledge, and your down right sassiness when needed".

"Maria was my doula for our first baby and I would highly recommend her. I hadn’t thought about having a doula until a friend suggested it as I was very anxious about the birth and wanted to get support for myself and my partner. I found Maria through the NCT and her profile spoke to me. In our antenatal sessions she gave us the opportunity to ask questions and I felt her answers were not bias and she was never judgmental about our birth preferences. During the birth she helped with positions, movement, and exercises to help shift the baby round as he was back-to-back. With some changes of position, we gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and Maria had stayed with us for the whole time. She was so unflustered, always reassuring and she made me feel confident and calm. Thank you Maria, we love you"

“Maria was my doula for the birth of my first child, Noah. I felt an immediate connection with her during our first meeting and her calm and positive demeanour was very comforting and reassuring both during my pregnancy and while I was in labour. One thing I really appreciated about my experience was that I never felt like Maria was pushing her opinions or agenda onto me. She is very kind, encouraging, supportive and knowledgeable. She is easy to talk to and listens to her clients wishes and concerns. She genuinely wanted to support me in fulfilling my birth plan in the best way possible. I recommend Maria to any expectant mothers/couples who are looking for additional support and guidance in their pregnancy and birth journeys.”

“As the partner and first-time father, I think the best decision we made was to include Maria as our Doula in our birth plan. I never felt overwhelmed because I knew we always had Maria there to help shepherd us if we needed it. She has a great intuition on when and what to suggest in the moment but also gave us space as well. She was our constant while many other things changed, and her presence provided reassurance, so we felt that we weren't getting lost or overwhelmed within the process. It takes a really special person to be able to go on this journey with a couple. I truly appreciate the care in which Maria approaches her role as a Doula and I highly recommend her.”

"Maria was absolutely incredible throughout our pregnancy and birth. She talked us through every aspect of the labour process and ensured we maintained a calm atmosphere. Maria was incredibly calm throughout and ensured we had our voices heard by the medical team. She made the birthing room a lovely, relaxing place (to the point where it was commented on by several members of staff!). Both my husband and I felt continuously cared for throughout my long labour. We couldn’t have asked for a better birth experience and felt empowered and well informed throughout, and we owe a huge amount of that to Maria. Thank you so much".

"Maria was fantastic from the start, she instantly put us at ease when we first met her, and really took the time to listen to our birth preferences. During the pregnancy, we had been trying to remember our B.R.A.I.N., but once you are talking face to face with a midwife or consultant and on the ward, it can become harder to think clearly about your options, or challenge authority. Maria's gentle prompting, to remind us of all our options, was really helpful, making us feel empowered to make the right decisions. Thanks to having Maria there to help us, the birth of our second child was a much more positive experience, and I would absolutely recommend her to anyone considering a doula".

"Maria is caring, supportive and incredible knowledgeable, I'm so happy we had her support during my pregnancy and birth. My first birth was a traumatic experience for me, and I knew that I needed to feel more in control this time. This birth was beautiful, healing and an empowering experience and I'm convinced that Maria's preparation and presence played a large role in that. Her communication with my midwife and my partner was great and I felt extremely supported by all of them - it was a team effort! Thank you, Maria, for guiding me through all of this!"

Maria was incredible on our journey to a beautiful elective c-section birth, following a difficult emergency c-section with our first baby. She presented unbiased information and extra resources to help us educate ourselves about our options, equipping us with confidence in our decisions, and enabling me to advocate for myself in appointments. It felt as though we had inside information; we knew exactly what to expect on the day, the clinicians followed our gentle birth plan that Maria had guided us to compile, and the entire birth experience transcended everything we thought it could be. Following the birth, Maria also offered breastfeeding support, which we also wished we had the first time!

It’s difficult to put into words how much Maria helped me and my husband especially during labour. She was also a fountain of knowledge with any questions we had before baby! During labour we had the most beautiful experience and I put a lot of that down to Maria and her calm and informative attitude. I would absolutely recommend using Maria. She helped make our pregnancy and labour experience so special and sacred, thank you Maria ❤️❤️❤️

Maria was incredibly helpful during my pregnancy as a birth doula. She was always provided unbiased information about my birth options. Following unexpected complications from my baby's birth, Maria went above and beyond by supporting us in the hospital and taking on the role of postnatal doula. She continued to provide postnatal support to us at home, making time for us that we hadn't planned for. She provided breastfeeding support throughout the newborn period that ensured I was able to breastfeed my baby. This was particularly important when the advice I received from midwives and others did not work for me and my baby. Maria showed me, my partner, and our baby care beyond what anyone could have expected and we truly don't know how we could have got through a difficult postpartum period without her!❤️❤️❤️

Marias’ experience, knowledge and calm nature throughout our pregnancy prepared us for the labour, birth, and post birth. What stood out was her approach. Her hands on support at home and in the hospital was unwavering, at no point did we feel alone and she helped us both to navigate triage, making decisions, and work with the medical teams. She made the home environment calm instantly and help me manage the contractions, despite the anxiety that I felt. Maria helped us advocate for ourselves throughout, explained what was happening, decisions that needed to be made and kept us level-headed and informed. This allowed us to make the right choices for us which led to a safe birth, that we were happy with. Her unwavering support has been next to none. She really is worth her weight in gold, and then some. Words cannot express how grateful we are to Maria and are so thankful that we had her in our team.❤️❤️❤️