I felt that I was safe so long as you were there watching ❤️

My labour came on hard and fast and soon I was off to hospital, hoping to slip into a big warm pool and give birth within the next few hours. Unfortunately it wasn’t quite as quick as that, but after having so many obstacles thrown our way we got the VBAC I was so hopeful for and that was an incredibly beautiful and special experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.

I learned a lot about myself and about labour through the experience. It was very intense and not ‘to plan’ but I feel very lucky and grateful.

Nancy, you helped me/us understand the hospital system so much better than we did the first time and how to prevent things becoming difficult with important negotiations. That was everything for a VBAC. I felt that you understood the nature of labour exceptionally well and that I was safe so long as you were there watching. It was so important for me to feel safe through such intense pain and to have a familiar face who wasn’t just my husband but someone calm and experienced with birth.

What is the most memorable moment of our time together?
Remembering to breathe and relax all my muscles at the end of and between every contraction. I think this helped me physically and mentally to cope with the contractions. I think I learned the most during our birth plan session and how you edited my original birth plan and pointing out all the possible loopholes I’d have never seen.

It was extremely helpful to be able to message/call you whenever I needed and get answers about anything I was having issues with.

Oh and the massages!!

What did you find were the most helpful things through your labour?
Probably being adaptable and ready to change plans if things didn’t feel right (for example going into hospital a lot earlier than planned, knowing when was the right time to get the epidural etc). That took a lot of having to be confident in my own choices and responding to the situation as it arose. I think the ‘doing the least to achieve the most’ idea too - relaxing in early labour, staying in the pool in a squat position rather than feeling bad about not getting out and walking up stairs etc. Just being comfortable with doing whatever felt right to me and my body to stay calm.

Did you want to mention anything else about our time together?

• Massages were incredible! You’re very knowledgeable about the body and helped me manage pain issues in my pelvis.

• Pain tolerance practice with my calf muscles was so useful!

• The Body Balancing Workshop together with my husband also really helped us physically practice what we were learning in the She Births course and Spinning Babies online.

Do my fees reflect the service you received?
Yes I think I got very good value for money. It’s a hard thing to put a price on! Getting a VBAC was really invaluable to me and you really helped me to get that.

If you were to share words of wisdom with a first time family preparing for labour, birth & bringing their baby home, what would they be?

• Get a doula! That’s what I tell my friends now.

• Do a proper active birth skills birth class, not the hospital class or hypnobirthing class (or not only those anyway).

• Try to get into MGP.

Would you like to rave about any practitioners/websites/podcasts/groups you used during your pregnancy or postpartum to other families?:

• Anna Lanyon for sure! I also did pain tolerance practice with her and a mini active birth skills appointment with my husband. She was really direct and upfront about the pain and intensity of childbirth and coping strategies and I appreciated that. (https://www.herconnectionphysio.com.au)

Lots of love from all of us. x

My VBAC was the most empowering experience of my life.

A few days shy of my due date I woke up with mild cramping, and knew things were starting soon. After a long prodromal labour and many supportive texts and phone calls with Nancy I found myself needing her beautiful presence at my home birth. She immediately made me feel safe and held, and for the rest of my labour she was there by my side assisting with positions, massage, and intuitively tending to my needs. Because of the relationship we had built during my pregnancy, I could surrender to the process (which was a long one!) and trust my body. I transferred to hospital with Nancy’s words of encouragement in the front of my mind. Not long after arriving I had my VBAC and it was the most empowering experience of my life.

Nancy offered such supportive and reassuring advice during our time together. During pregnancy she helped me work through my fears and concerns for labour which was fundamental in achieving my vbac. She had complete confidence in me from the start, and this made me feel so secure in trusting myself and doing my own inner work.

During labour Nancy’s support was unwavering, and she was there by my side every step of the way. Her calming presence was reassuring as I worked through my contractions. She supported our family beautifully by being my rock when my toddler needed my husband, and I was able to fully relax and be in birth. Nancy had an incredible ability to preempt my needs which really helped my comfort levels during labour.

Brian says:

It was really reassuring to know that Nancy was there to support Amanda through pregnancy, birth and postpartum. She brought a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to her care, and she helped me to better support Amanda during labour. I would recommend every birthing couple hire a doula, we are so grateful she was with us.

WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF OUR TIME TOGETHER?:

In the early hours of the morning we took a walk around the streets of my neighbourhood, chatting and laughing in between contractions under the glow of the full moon. She could sense that I needed a change of scenery and the fresh air and movement took my mind off the intensity of contractions.

When we decided to transfer to hospital, Nancy had such powerful words of encouragement that became my mantra for the rest of my labour and birth. This really helped me to stay present and trusting of my body and my baby.

WHAT WAS THE MOST HELPFUL DOULA THING I DID TO SUPPORT YOU?:

So many things! But I really appreciated how Nancy used her knowledge, experience, and intuition to guide me through different positions during labour. She knew that labour stalling was one of my fears and she helped me make space for baby to move into an optimal position for birth.

I had regular remedial massage with Nancy throughout pregnancy which relieved my aches and pains and made pregnancy easier from week to week. During labour, I was so grateful to have massage as a tool for pain relief and it helped me relax when I felt physically and mentally exhausted.

WHAT WERE THE MOST HELPFUL THINGS TO YOU IN LABOUR?

• I found squeezing a comb in my hand along with the TENS machine really helpful during contractions and this got me through most of my early labour.

• The birth pool was amazing in the later stages, and Nancy used a cold compress of my forehead and warm running water on my sacrum which was so soothing.

• Focussing on my breath during contractions and trying to relax as much as possible in between them was the best tool I had.

• I couldn’t stomach much food during labour but having quick sources of energy onboard was so important for my stamina. I had sips of soft drink, spoons of honey and sports gels.

HOW WAS YOUR POSTPARTUM?

The postpartum support Nancy provides is amazing and I feel it’s one of the best investments a new mother can make. She has filled my fridge with food, helped with outings in the early days, offered support and advice in a respectful way and really eased the transition from one to two kids. My toddler especially looks forward to Nancy coming to help!

DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU GOT GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY? DO MY FEES REFLECT THE SERVICE YOU RECEIVED?:

Absolutely, I’m not sure you can put a price on the level of care that Nancy provides. She was always there if ever I needed her and she truly goes above and beyond for her clients to help them achieve the best outcome. She brings an impressive skill set and real world experience to the work that she does, and my only regret is that I didn’t have her support for my first pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

WHY ME?

I found Nancy on Instagram, and I knew after our first phone call that I wanted her as my doula. She was friendly and empathetic, and I felt she genuinely wanted to help me achieve my birth desires. Her experience in Spinning Babies, yoga and massage were appealing to me.

WORDS OF WISDOM:

Find a doula who you connect with and who you feel you can trust to support you and your family. Visualise your ideal labour and birth and postpartum and create a support team to help you achieve this. Trust in your body and the process of birth, and when in doubt, breathe.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Practitioners:

• Women’s health physiotherapist: Anna at Her Connection

• Pilates: Lauren at Inhale Pilates

• Chiropractor: Melinda at Taylor Chiropractic

• Acupuncture: Sandy Hewitt Acupuncture

Podcasts:

• The VBAC Link

• VBAC Birth Stories

• The VBAC Homebirth Stories Podcast

• Australian Birth Stories

• The Good Enough Mother Podcast (Dr Sophie Brock)

Groups:

• “The Village” through Nancy’s Facebook group

Love Amanda, Brian, Audrey and Charlotte

You were our bodyguard in the hospital and helped us achieve our wishes of an undisturbed birth.

I woke at 12:05 am to a feeling of wetness and sure enough, I had started losing my mucous plug. This was shortly followed by contractions which developed through the night. By morning I was in active labour and continued to progress with the huge help of my husband keeping my relaxed and grounded, and the running hot shower I stayed under for hours.

Nancy helped us stay at home as long as possible and knew when the time was right to make it the hospital, and she was bang on; I delivered within 20 minutes of arriving and fulfilled my dreams of a completely undisturbed birth. A wonderful start to little Rupert's life.

The major difference you made was helping Rhys to coach me through active labour. He learnt relaxation techniques during our prenatal session and utilised that when I was feeling panicky and overwhelmed by the sensations. It completely turned my labour around.

The other major difference was confidently knowing and helping us understand when the right time to go to hospital was. It was so great to have your knowledge and advice here as I had no idea we were so progressed. You were our bodyguard in the hospital and helped us achieve our wishes of an undisturbed birth.

Rhys’s thoughts:

You helped him feel confident in knowing what I needed to be able to support me better during labour and helped him navigate the hospital by taking charge once we arrived.

WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF OUR TIME TOGETHER?:

I loved how you weren't in any rush to leave after Rupert had arrived. I have beautiful memories of how cosy and lovely that time was just after the birth.

I also felt so empowered when you had me check where Rupert was to know when the time to leave was. This was an incredible moment when I felt his head!

WHAT WAS THE MOST HELPFUL THING I DID TO SUPPORT YOU?:

• Supported our wishes with zero judgement.

• Helped us to know when the time to leave was.

• Ensured we were given space and respect in the hospital.

ENOUGH ABOUT ME! TELL THE MUMMAS WHAT THE MOST HELPFUL THINGS WERE TO YOU IN LABOUR?:

My husband coaching me to completely relax and surrender to the contractions. This was a game changer and completely turned my labour around, it became faster and less painful.

DID WE DO ANYTHING ELSE TOGETHER THAT YOU’D LIKE TO MENTION?

Placenta encapsulation. It was a beautiful closure for me to consume my placenta and increased my ferritin three fold! It has never been so robust.

IF YOU WERE TO SHARE WORDS OF WISDOM WITH A FIRST TIME FAMILY PREPARING FOR LABOUR, BIRTH & BRINGING THEIR BABY HOME, WHAT WOULD IT BE?:

Hire a doula! Absolutely the best investment you can make to ensure you have a positive birth experience and start life with your baby on the right foot.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Acupuncture from 36 weeks

• Postpartum Physiotherapist (I use Sophie Carroll in Bowral)

• Pregactive Pregnancy and Postnatal Pilates program

Love Sarah, Rhys and Rupert Howard

Her presence at the birth was all I needed. She held the space for me and knowing there was a woman in the room who truly trusted me, my body and my baby.

Went into labour at around 10.30pm, everything went so seamlessly and fast. Laboured for a short time in the bathroom before waking Andrew up, asked him to call Nancy to let her know that it was happening. As soon as I had a shower to relax, the contractions went to less than a minute apart. We left for the hospital soon after.

Got to the hospital at the same time as Nancy, walked into maternity, settled into the room and was left alone to labour. Within an hour or so, after just standing against the bed, Nyah made her way into the work without much pushing, straight into her daddy’s arms.

Nancy was so loving and kind from the moment I met her. She held space for me to unravel the fear and doubt I held around giving birth after a previous traumatic birth experience. She went absolutely above and beyond for me.

Her presence at the birth was all I needed. She held the space for me and knowing there was a woman in the room who truly trusted me, my body and my baby.

I can’t fault Nancy, she has a beautiful heart and is exactly what women need .

Later on Nancy helped me with sleep when Nyah was a few months old and it was amazing support!

Andrew’s thoughts:

Andrew was so happy to have you to guide us through pregnancy and birth. He believes the prep session before birth was amazing, not just the teachings but the way you facilitate the couple to connect on a deeper level.

WHAT WAS THE MOST HELPFUL THING TO IN LABOUR?

Just letting go and trusting, trusting myself, my body and my baby.

I feel like your presence at the birth was the most powerful thing for me. To just know you were there and trusting me was all I needed.

You held space for me while I navigated my journey.

WORDS OF WISDOM:

Trust. Trust your intuition because that is what will guide you through this journey.

Love Amy, Andrew and Nyah

An experienced support person that knew me, my preferences, my history and would advocate for me as I would for myself.

After a breech elective c-section and a lifetime of traumatic surgery, I was desperate for a supportive and empowered VBAC. Nancy believed in my dream as much as I did. When the going got tough and my confidence waivered, she still believed in me. Surrounded by a supportive birthing team and with the knowledge that they wanted me to succeed, I lived my dream. A healing, empowered VBAC to meet my baby boy.

IMAGINE I WASN'T THERE. TELL ME ALL ABOUT HOW I HELPED YOU AND HOW IT HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE. :

The most important thing for me was knowing that there was an experienced support person that knew me, my preferences, my history and would advocate for me as I would for myself. You did all of that and more.

Even though I knew you may not be in town for Ronan's birth, I trusted wholeheartedly that you would find me a doula that could meet these needs (and you did!) I was blown away by your deep knowledge about each of the things that popped up during my pregnancy and labour and by your clear-headed approach to navigating the birthing system I chose (and the challenges that come from working within that system). Each time we hit a road bump or a road block, I knew that there was someone in our corner who would provide us with personalised support and advice, unincentivised by anything other than helping us to figure things out.

I never doubted for a second that we had the right person to support us through this journey (and the comfort of that knowledge may have been even more important than the practical experience itself).

Adam’s thoughts:

Adam found it helpful that you showed him how to use hands on techniques, particularly the rebozo which we used at home in early labour. He also found comfort in knowing that there was a second person supporting me and that it wasn't solely on his shoulders. He said he was impressed by you lining up Alyssa to support us on the day and that he felt you had made a concerted effort to find the right person to do that for us.

YOUR MEMORABLE MOMENT OF OUR TIME TOGETHER?

I cannot express enough gratitude for your practical and emotional support as we navigated the GDM testing challenges. Although I felt the GDM results were inaccurate and I wanted to make sure we had a true diagnosis, I felt defeated. I sobbed in my obstetrician's office that my VBAC dream was dead. But you still believed in me. You reminded me to believe in myself. When I couldn't take the practical steps needed to move forward, you took them for me. You went above and beyond to arrange a new test for me, and I truly believe this pivotal moment changed the course of my pregnancy and led me to the birth experience I had hoped for. I will never forget it.

THE MOST HELPFUL THING I DID TO SUPPORT YOU?

I pride myself on being deeply informed and yet, everything I discovered or questioned - you had deep knowledge about it that I could tap into.

• Spinning babies, check.

• GDM testing, how cortisol and glucose interact as you get up in the morning, check.

• Rebozo, check.

• How to think about decision making around public and private hospitals when attempting VBAC, check.

• VBAC statistics, check.

• Induction methods and their impact on physiological birth, check.

• I could go on.

I also felt that, not only did you have subject matter expertise, you deeply understood me, us as a couple and our goals, and you were able to tailor that practical information in a way that helped us to make decisions that reflected our goals.

ENOUGH ABOUT ME! TELL THE MUMMAS WHAT THE MOST HELPFUL THINGS WERE TO YOU IN LABOUR?:

• TENS machine, absolutely!

• I had hypnobirthing tracks that I had listened to during pregnancy and listened to at home in early labour. Alyssa asked Adam if I had a playlist and actually put it through the sound system at the hospital too, which we hadn't thought about and was wonderful (and thanks to you, Adam knew exactly how to get into my phone, into the app and find those tracks!)

• I sat on the toilet for a bit at home with my feet on some yoga blocks, which I liked.

• Used a scarf for some rebozo at home and a yoga ball to rotate my hips around.

• I had some essential oil that I rubbed in my palms and smelled (I had been putting some in my baths during pregnancy too so it was a familiar, relaxing smell.

Alyssa did a great job during labour and I'm so thankful you found her for us. One thing I felt like you might have done differently (and possibly this was, in part, because labour was my first time meeting her in person!) was that you may have been a little more forceful (in the best way) in encouraging me to push myself to move around/try some of the spinning babies moves towards the end. Alyssa suggested it but I couldn't even entertain the idea and she backed off straight away. I feel like you might have pushed me a little to do it (and in retrospect, I would have appreciated that).

HOW DID YOU FIND ME?

You were recommended in the VBAC Australia and VBAC South Coast/Illawarra Facebook groups. I chose you because I wanted someone who was well informed and a strong advocate. I wasn't looking necessarily for emotional support, but more a person that I knew I could rely upon to champion my preferences in circumstances where I knew I may not be able to do that myself. Knowing you were there and that I had a great support team in place allowed me to relax and trust that I would be taken care of.

WORDS OF WISDOM FOR THE FAMILIES READING:

Growing your family is an emotional, overwhelming and intense, love-filled experience. Feeling all the feelings is part of the journey and every journey is unique. Each time we've had a baby, I have cherished the people who helped us navigate each roadbump, cheered with us when we felt joy and created space for us to adjust to our new normal when our little love arrived. Gather your support team and buckle up for a wonderful adventure!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO RAVE ABOUT ANY PRACTITIONERS/WEBSITES/PODCASTS/GROUPS YOU USED DURING YOUR PREGNANCY OR POSTPARTUM TO OTHER FAMILIES?:

• Dr Steven Thou, my wonderful OB, and Dr Daniela Susic, my wonderful back-up OB who I felt equally supported by.

• Julie at Kirrawee Natural Care Clinic.

• Acupuncture at The Dao Health Clinic (Caringbah, though I believe they've moved to Burraneer).

• Spinning babies daily exercises.

• VBAC Australia Facebook group.

• Nancy Anderson Ab Rehab for postpartum recovery breathing exercises.

BONUS

This is the list of recommendations I keep and share with friends:

THINGS I LOVED
(There are other things we have that I didn't love or am lukewarm about, like SRC compression shorts, our baby monitors and our travel cot. Anything I didn't absolutely love doesn't make this list.)

Pregnancy
- Align tights (Lululemon)
- Bae the label
- Belly bandit support belt https://bellybandit.com.au/collections/maternity/products/upsie-belly?variant=3053456195624
- Compression socks
- Pregnancy pillow https://www.smilobaby.com/products/nursing/pregnancy-and-nursing-pillow

Labour preparation
- Spinning babies daily essentials exercises
https://www.spinningbabies.com/
- Chiro and acupuncture
- Epi-no (this I am lukewarm on but I do think it made a difference)
- Hot Mama tea - The final push

Birth
- Doula
- Tens machine https://blissbirth.com.au/
- Bimby and Roy underwear
- Calm birth school hypnobirthing mediations

Postpartum
- Period underwear a few sizes up from your normal (I did Modibodi, https://www.modibodi.com/collections/french-cut, nicer than disposable mesh undies but doesn't matter if they get bloody)
- Tom Organic Maternity pads (softer than the other brands)
- Medela hydrogel pads https://www.medela.com/breastfeeding/products/breast-care/hydrogel-pads
- Hotmilk Lingerie (nursing bras)
- Peri bottle (for vaginal delivery)
- Peri ice packs can use in underwear for vaginal delivery or on scar for C section (or make padsicles for vaginal delivery - Google it) I liked these ones - https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07Z99RMTN?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
- Bra heat pads (for engorgement)
- Nancy Anderson's ab rehab

Videos
- Breastfeeding how-to (these were the instructions I found helpful and used with both babies - https://youtu.be/rbbsPjg8Y5I)
- Jess Hover Baby 101 videos

Baby gear
- Snoo
- Dock-a-tot
- Carrier (I prefer the Boppy especially for sub-5 months, Adam prefers the Tula). Carriers are worth trying on because they fit differently on different body shapes. https://www.boppy.com/products/boppy-comfyfit-baby-carrier
- https://babytula.com.au/
- Pram (again, try them out. We went Joolz Hub for the single and the Valco Snap Duo for the double)
- Velcro swaddles and knotted gowns
- Highly recommend a rubber changing pad for easy wipe down

Hospital bag
- Period underwear a few sizes up from your normal (I did Modibodi, https://www.modibodi.com/collections/french-cut, nicer than disposable mesh undies but doesn't matter if they get bloody)
- Tom Organic Maternity pads (softer than the other brands)
- Medela hydrogel pads https://www.medela.com/breastfeeding/products/breast-care/hydrogel-pads
- Comfortable nursing bras (I'd suggest the soft pull aside ones for the first week - https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0813BXPBG/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_1ZQJMH5TJER6R806BK9X) / breastfeeding friendly PJs (or robe - some new mums prefer that with nothing underneath) if planning to breastfeed
- Peri bottle (for vaginal delivery)
- nappies, wipes, vasoline (for the meconium - easier nappy clean up)
- clothes for you/baby to wear home
-lip balm
- sleep mask
- water bottle
- travel toothbrush/paste kit, deodorant, hairband etc.
- any regular medications
- thongs/slippers
- stool softener
- phone charger (long cord since the PowerPoint might be far away)
- snacks

Love Steph, Adam, Asher and Ronan

Nancy helped me to find my own sense of permission in the birthing process so that I felt at ease and in control.

Nancy helped me to find my own sense of permission in the birthing process so that I felt at ease and in control.

Thoughts from mum:

Nancy was my doula for the birth of my second child, Luca. I debated having a doula this time around, not because I didn’t think I needed one, but because I was considering putting the funds towards a post­natal doula instead. After meeting and getting to know Nancy, I ended up doing both. Nancy became my doula less than three weeks before the birth. However, in that time we managed to form a strong connection, develop a birth plan and talk through my fears and anxieties.

Birthing Luca did not go exactly to plan yet was exactly how it needed to be – restful, nourishing and joyful. Nancy is an intuitive and perceptive doula. She helped me to find my own sense of permission in the birthing process so that I felt at ease and in control. I was so glad to have her as my doula and my birthing experience is one I will treasure forever.

Nancy also helped significantly during the post­natal period as I juggled care of my newborn and older daughter, with no other family support around. I loved that she would turn up at my house each week and do whatever needed doing without me even really having to ask.

The most helpful things were talking through my fears and anxieties, constant communication during pre­labour, knowing she was there during each aspect of the birth process and that I could talk to her about the many decisions; and the acupressure was really great!

Birthing Luca did not go exactly to plan yet was exactly how it needed to be –restful, nourishing and joyful.

Thoughts from dad:

Nancy was great ­ she was the right mixture of attentive and respectful and knew exactly what to say and do at all times. She's a very supportive person and this was invaluable throughout the planning stages and the birthing itself. Highly recommended!

- written by Brigid, Djad and baby Luca