Having Melissa attend the birth of our daughter was the best decision of our pregnancy! Her calm and steady presence was a huge support in what was a very long labour. Hour after hour, Melissa was attuned to our needs, offering various coping strategies and words of encouragement. Thanks to her, we were able to have the empowered, conscious birth experience we were seeking. Since we could rely on her to be experienced in the birth process we could focus more on the present moment.
Specific examples include:
anticipating an early routine visit to the hospital might be prolonged and encouraging us to bring everything – which proved correct
suggesting we re-visit coping strategies which had not worked previously which later proved very helpful and allowed for hours of additional sleep
staying many hours longer than we expected her too with a seeming desire to see things through
throughout without asking: water glass full, pillows handy, lighting adjusted
We highly recommend Melissa! She is professional, extremely kind, and worth every penny.
-Alison and Stephen
Melissa and Dori were very kind, empathetic and supportive as I prepared for the birth. Melissa was directly available from the beginning of the labour process up until the birth, which lasted a few days. She provided emotional support over the phone and was a crucial support for me when I was in the hospital. She provided hands on relief to help me manage pain and discomfort, and was able to give guidance through her years of experience.
Our labour was long, intense and a bit stressful. Melissa was with us through it all. Her help and care gave me confidence and comfort and also allowed my partner to take breaks and get some rest when needed.
Following the birth, Melissa also visited our home to provide us with any additional support that was required. Overall, I can confidently say that my birthing experience would have not been the same without Melissa. She helped me feel confident in my decisions and was an advocate for me during a very vulnerable time. I would highly recomend Melissa and Dori for doula support. -Kiyoka
“We are very grateful and thankful to our wonderful doula, Melissa. As first time parents it was fabulous having someone with such calm, positive energy to assist in the birth of our beautiful daughter. I first met Melissa at a prenatal yoga class where she was a substitute instructor and was amazed by the calm aura that surrounded her. When I found out she was also a doula, I decided that I wanted her to attend our birth. I had a lot of anxiety about the whole birthing process but Melissa helped to ease those fears. She was open to whatever my husband and I needed and supported our wants and desires for the type of birth we hoped for. Her home visit before the birth helped us get to know her better and she was always available by phone. When I went into labour, everything happened very fast but Melissa was with us from the start. At the hospital she was able to provide me with strategies to stay focused and as relaxed as possible. She coached me through contractions and provided the extra experienced support I needed. My husband, who was initially sceptical of hiring a doula, was so relieved to have Melissa at the hospital with us as he was able to just focus on me during the labour while Melissa got us water, snacks and even took the first pictures of our baby girl. Melissa truly helped make my first birth a positive experience and now I love seeing her every week at our baby and me yoga class!”-Shannon D.
Melissa was our doula for the home birth of our first child. I knew her from my choir but my partner and I met with her a couple of times leading up to our birth to discuss what to expect and our goals for the birth. She also met my sister and dad who were planning on being at the birth. Melissa was also my prenatal yoga instructor while I was pregnant so I knew her quite well by the time of the birth.
Melissa came over once I was nearly fully dilated, shortly after my midwives arrived. She was really attentive and helped make sure I was fed and hydrated. She made sure I was as comfortable (as could be) and checked in about my comfort level with all the people in the room. She made sure my hypnobabies recordings were playing and found music to play that she knew was meaningful for me. My sister remembers that Melissa had good intuition about what others might want to do and had suggestions to help make them feel useful. For example she encouraged my sister to prepare food for all of us. When it was time for our daughter’s arrival, she knew my partner wanted to catch the baby and made sure we were all in the right positions. She stayed for a while after the birth to make sure we were looked after, but knew when to give us space and privacy. She took photos on her phone during the birth, as requested, so we’d remember what was a total blur! She shared them a couple days after but suggested we wait at least a week to look at them to ensure we processed the experience mentally. She checked in regularly for a couple weeks after by text and came for a visit to see how we were all doing. She offered books from her library and shared wisdom, without being prescriptive, from her own experiences as a mom of two. Melissa is an experienced doula who really cares about the parents, babies, and associated family members. We were very grateful to have her at our birth and would love to hire her again! -Jessica
Melissa Rodrigues 