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.

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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:

Podcasts:

Groups:

  • “The Village” through Nancy’s Facebook group

Love Amanda, Brian, Audrey and Charlotte

I got my VBAC! You truly helped me see things differently!

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I had a 12 hour med free labour that was the most empowering moment of my life. A few interventions (with consent) but I achieved my VBAC.

During my pregnancy you helped me keep positive and always made sure to remind me that I was the only one who was in charge of my birth plan as at times I would doubt myself. I was attempting a VBAC so it was all very scary for me but with your guidance I felt at ease regardless of what the outcome may have been I knew you would be there to help me jump every hurdle that came my way.

During labour/birth I needed an extra voice, a support person who was knowledgeable and would help me stay in a good mind set. You did just that and more. You reminded me of my birth plan and reminded me that I was in charge of my body and that I had the choice to decline or accept certain medical interventions.

My partner felt supported by having you there and felt at ease knowing that together as a team we would achieve my vbac dreams. The guidance/ suggestions in the lead up to the labour/birth allowed him to go into the birth with an open mind and a better understanding of how he could help me bring my baby into the world.

What is the most memorable moment of our time together?: Honestly your positivity is something that always stuck with me. The way you viewed birth was eye opening and truly helped me see things differently when it came to what I want. You made me realise that It is me who is in control of birthing my baby.

What was the most helpful thing I did to support you?: Absolutely everything! No but seriously, you focused on my wants and needs. You helped me get closer to my VBAC dreams! Which might I add, I got my VBAC :)

Do you feel that you got good value for money? Do my fees reflect the service you received?: Yes, definitely! I recieved the best care!

Enough about me! Tell the mummas what the most helpful things were to you in labour?: Tens machine is a MUST! That really helped me get through majority of the pain as my labour was a pain med free labour.

Would you mind letting me know how you found me and why you chose me?: I found you on the VBAC facebook group as you were recommended by others. 
I chose you the moment we spoke on the phone, there was just something about the way you spoke that resonated with me.

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?: As cliche as it sounds, always believe in yourself. You know your body best and only you are in charge of how you birth your baby. The unknown can be scary sometimes but once you hold your baby for the first time somehow you just know that this is where you were meant to be.

Would you like to rave about any practitioners/websites/podcasts/groups you used during your pregnancy or postpartum to other families?: I listened to the VBAC podcasts as well as followed the Australian VBAC group on facebook.

Love Yesim, Orhan and Altay

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

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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