Lené Gouws
Baby Anel born at Vincent Pallotti Hospital on 21 August, 2018
Myself, my friend Jamie (who was also 36 weeks pregnant at the time) and hubby Willem arrived at Vincent Pallotti at around midnight to start my induction with gel. I was due to have two doses, and after the first dose was in, Willem went home to rest and Jamie spent the night with me. There was no need for a second dose as around 2am I started getting intense backaches which turned out to be contractions when placed on monitoring.
I lay with the heatpack and listened to music until 6am and then let our wonderful doula Charlene and hubby know that I need them to make their way to #VincentPallotti, as the pains were getting more intense. On the monitoring I was having short contractions, but very frequently, with few breaks in between. We all chatted and got the room ready excitedly. Click here to read more…
Sam Suter
Baby Tom born at Vincent Pallotti on 27 November 2017
I had always wanted a natural birth, although I am hesitant to use that word now as no birth is unnatural.
At 36 weeks pregnant, my blood pressure reading was high and and continued to increase or remain too high. My gynaecologist kept a close eye on me and allowed my baby boy to grow and develop in my womb for another (almost) four weeks but at 39 weeks on one of these check ups with her, my reading was higher than it had ever been before, and she decided to induce me for natural birth.
I was induced with the hopes that contractions would start and I could have a natural birth, this was around at 10am in the morning and at 10pm at night, although contractions had begun, they were ever so slight and my blood pressure was continuing to rise. The decision had to be made to have a caesarean section and I could see that my gynaecologist didn’t want to tell me because she knew that I would be upset and that it was really the only thing to do, with me being at risk of a stroke and of course with labour comes pain which means that my blood pressure would generally increase even more. So, I had 20 minutes to get my head around the fact that I was going to have a caesarean, in between filling out paperwork and being prepped for surgery. It was difficult, and I was anxious but at the same time I knew that very soon I was going to meet my baby boy and so there was a sense of excitement as well of course. Click here to read more…
Michelle Renée Stevens
Baby Benjamin born on 15 of February 2017 at Vincent Pallotti Hospital
My first birth experience was traumatic (read about it here) and so I went through quite the journey when preparing for my second birth (read about it here and here).
It’s taken me a long time to sit down and write this post. I think because then it’ll feel too final. Like this beautiful chapter of my life is over.
I don’t feel ready for it to be over, but isn’t that such a blessing? To have experienced so much joy that you want to hang on to that moment?
Megan Taljaard
Baby Annabel born at Vincent Pallotti Hospital on 15-03-2016
I had the most wonderful natural birth experience and having Charlene as our doula and our midwife, Glynnis, there was what made it all possible.
Charlene was so encouraging throughout my whole pregnancy and my husband and I feel as though she was a vital part of ensuring that the whole birth experience and atmosphere was as calm and relaxing as it could possibly be.
Charlene’s reassuring presence helped me feel safe and secure, not turning to any pain relief or losing concentration throughout the whole process. Click here to read more…
Lizzy Jahncke
Baby Sebastiaan born at Vincent Pallotti Hosptial on 15-06-2016
When I fell pregnant for the second time, I was sure of two things: I wanted a vaginal birth after c-section(VBAC) and a doula.
Meeting a doula is a lot like meeting a potential friend for the first time — right away you know if this is a good fit, if this relationship will work.
Charlene listened and put me at ease with her kind and attentive demeanor and (important to me) her humor.
I left our first meeting thinking, yes, this will work.
My son was breech and although we tried various methods to turn him, he wouldn’t budge. Click here to read more…
Pierre and Gwénaëlle Dereymaeker
Baby Emile born at Vincent Pallotti Hospital on 26-04-2016
When Gwen and I met Charlene, I was immediately drawn by her soft manner and reassuring voice. I could tell that Gwen also felt reassured, and that Charlene was exactly the doula we were looking for: her experience, knowledge and holistic approach to birth made her an obvious choice. The background was that our first child, Aliénor, had been born by emergency caesarean, and Gwen in particular was devastated. It took me months, perhaps even longer, to understand how much she had been affected by that first birth experience and how important it was for her to do everything possible to have a natural birth for her second pregnancy. Charlene became an essential part of that story.
Having a VBAC in South Africa is not that easy. Only a few doctors are willing to support mothers who want it. There is an element of going against the establishment and standard medical practice in South Africa, which can be intimidating. Charlene was instrumental in providing us with the moral, emotional, and practical support to go down the VBAC route with confidence. I particularly enjoyed the hypnobirth preparation classes a couple of months before Emile’s birth, which also allowed me as a father to understand much better what it involves to give birth and how I could support Gwen on the day itself.
As it turned out, Emile’s birth was pretty dramatic. Where labour for our first born had taken 12 hours before anything really happened, Emile was in a real hurry. Not only was he 3 weeks before his due date, but he wanted to get out extra quick. We barely had time to reach Vincent Palotti, but Gwen was ready, and Charlene’s soothing, calm voice was incredibly helpful to me as well. Click here to read more…
Tracy Horlin, Vincent Pallotti Hospital
Baby Ben, April 2016
I contacted Charlene as soon as I found out I was pregnant because I heard that she is in high demand. She was very helpful and supportive even though she did not know me at all. I felt very early on that I could raise any concern with her and trusted that she had my best interest at heart.
We first met Charlene at the Pregnancy Journey day at the Shamballah in Scarborough a few months after we had first chatted. I knew I wanted her to be our birth doula. Her presence is very calming yet assertive. We did the Relax into Birth course at the Bowwood Baby Clinic and found it very informative and useful and helped me feel less anxious in those last few weeks leading up to the birth. Charlene also did a visualization exercise at week 36 which is incredibly beneficial and relaxing. Click here to read more…
Anne-Marie Kiwia
Baby Kiwia born on 06-03-2017 at Vincent Pallotti Hospital
Anne-Marie Kiwia came down to Cape Town from Tanzania to birth her baby. When I visited her prenatally, she was in holiday mode, relaxing and enjoying the sights and sounds of the city, using an UBER to get around. The next time I saw her was for the Relax Into Birth course and then after that, for her birth. That night her husband called me to come quick – ‘we think this is labour starting!’ Anne was strong, resilient and confident throughout her labour and her VBAC was wonderfully healing, as she laboured for a week when she gave birth the first time around in Dar es Salaam. I was proud to be her doula for this second birth in South Africa. Here is her story 🙂
“The first time I heard of the word ‘Doula’ was when I considered giving birth in South Africa. We live in Tanzania and had a very bad experience with the birth of my first son in Dar es Salaam.
After more than a dozen people had recommended I get a doula, I was keen to find out what it really was about – and how a doula could help me achieve my VBAC. I got in touch with Charlene three weeks before my due date and also chose a hospital that would be pro-VBAC. Click here to read more…
Erin
Baby Remy born at Vincent Pallotti Hospital on 14 December 2016
Weight: 4.3kg
When I first found out I was pregnant, there was a lot of excitement accompanied by what I imagine to be a completely normal amount (although large!) of nerves. We had so many questions about what was to come and so many hopes and dreams for this beautiful life growing inside of me. As a woman, I think a lot of us are afraid of giving birth – afraid of the pain, the labour, the unknown. This fear is somewhat suppressed by the fact that it’s something that will only happen in many years and at a later stage in life, but when I fell pregnant, it became something inevitable and toward the end of my pregnancy it began to consume my thoughts and I was so confused and terrified of what was going to happen! I kept going back and forth on the decision to do natural birth or a Caesar, changing my mind almost daily. Luckily, my extremely supportive husband was happy with whatever I felt comfortable with, the hard part was deciding what that actually was.
After attending three sessions for our antenatal class and watching a few birth videos (which I thought would make me a lot more anxious about birth), I surprisingly felt this overwhelming calmness about natural birth and knew with every inch of my being that that was what I wanted to do. I was so thrilled with myself that I had made up my mind and I was proud of myself for knowing my strength and capability to allow my body to do what it was made to do, despite any pain that may accompany the process. I wrote a birth plan and I met with you [Charlene] in preparation for my natural birth. At first, I was somewhat skeptical about the idea of a Doula, but because of my tendency to get very anxious in certain situations, we thought it would be a good idea to at least meet with you to see what it is all about. That was the BEST decision we made. You made me feel at ease, comfortable and knowing that I had you with me to help get us through what would be the most difficult but amazing moment of our lives gave me confidence that I could go through with the natural birth, something I never thought I would have the strength to do. Click here to read more…
Melanie Motherwell
Baby Reid Kerry Motherwell, born at Vincent Pallotti hospital, 14 may 2016
Birth weight 3.1kg
After having a birthing experience with my first born that did not go as I had planned, it was my intention to do as much as possible to have a positive one the second time around. Although my first born was natural, I ended up with an epidural and a very long, terrifying labour. I had heard about hypnobirthing but attended only an antenatal class and thought that would suffice…
So, when I found out I was pregnant second time around, I starting asking friends for advice on hypnobirthing courses. Relax into Birth came recommended and when I read up about the Doula service it only made sense. Then, the fact that Charlene was known at Vincent Pallotti sealed the deal for us, as I had had a good experience with the staff there first time around (plus my gynae is there) and planned to have my second birth there as well. So… we joined Charlene for her Relax Into Birth hypnobirthing course, and really liked her relaxed way so asked her straight after if she would be our Doula! Everything she taught in the course made perfect sense… listening to the recordings post course was like a meditation every day, and I truly believe that is what got me through my labour with Reid. Click here to read more…
Baby William Quinn Allwright born on 2 August 2015, Weighing 3.7kg
Place of Birth: Vincent Pallotti Hospital
I knew before I fell pregnant that I wanted my pregnancy and birth to be as natural as possible. I hadn’t realised how difficult it is for a woman today to make that happen.
I have known Charlene for many many years (we were BFFs in primary school but had mostly lost touch since we were 10 years old) and followed her Facebook posts on hypnobirthing with interest but very little understanding. I’m always keen to get involved in everything, so when I fell pregnant I signed up for every pregnancy / birth / childcare course I could find (antenatal classes, baby workshops, first aid, preggy exercise classes, etc.) and added Charlene’s Relax into Birth course into the mix (I didn’t want to miss out on anything baby-related).
Charlene’s course changed the trajectory of our pregnancy and birth. Those two evenings made me even more determined to make every reasonable effort to experience the miracle of natural birth. Walking out of the course on the last day, my husband and I immediately agreed that we wanted Charlene to be our doula. We loved her gentle and calming presence, and how passionate she is about a woman’s ability to birth her baby. Click here to read more…
Place of Birth: Home birth, Constantia
Birth Date: December 31,2015 New Year’s Eve
Three weeks before the birth we met Charlene for the first time. In her company, I felt immediately safe. She is a warm, calm and very gentle person. She listened intently to our story and I was pleased that it was possible for us to join her Relax Into Birth course.
The hypnobirthing theory, exercises she suggested and her Relax into Birth CD helped me to prepare my body and mind for the labor.
I’m so glad that I could experience the birth of our son like we did.
During our five hour and very intense birth process, I was surrounded by five people I trusted in and Charlene was an amazing and supportive member of this team. Click here to read more…
Baby Hud Geyer born on 29 December 2015, weighing 2.77kg.
Place of Birth: Cape Town Medi Clinic
The next morning the gynaecologist offered an epidural, but first suggested I spend some time with Charlene trying ways to help the labour along. Wow was she awesome at helping with the contractions.
My husband was truly in awe of the way she helped and supported me throughout the pain. He was totally lost and admitted that had it not been for Charlene he would not have known what to do to help. The methods used to alleviate the pain during contractions were amazing. I would describe it as a “drug to numb the pain” without actually taking any drugs.
I walked up and down the hospital and parking lot while she assisted with contractions. I even took a warm bath and enjoyed a foot massage! Click here to read more…
Baby Caleb born on 18 October 2015, weighing 2.69kg.
Place of Birth: Home-birth
Later that Sunday afternoon when the intensity of my contractions worsened but never quickened to shorter than 5 minutes apart, Angela returned to break my waters and speed things along.
She cautioned us that if the water was not clear it would mean that I’d have to go to hospital. But thank God it was all clear.Things really sped up then and Charlene arrived and started helping Vaughan to set up the room for the birthing.
Preparing the candles to be lit, filling the birthing pool with 37 degree water and doing hip/butt squeezes on me to provide some relief with each contraction, Charlene was absolutely amazing and much-needed support. Curtains were drawn and the family were told we would see them after the birth.
It seemed like an age until the pool was ready and I was able to leave the bed ( sitting on ball was much too uncomfortable) and jump in the warm water. Once I was in and my active labour began it all went fairly quickly. On all fours, I held onto my husband for support while lifesaver Charlene continued to give me butt squeezes with every contraction and Angela assured me that I was doing a great job. Click here to read more…
Baby Samuela born on 22 April 2015, weighing 2.96kg.
Place of Birth: Vincent Pallotti Hospital
Without the care, love, support, friendship, know-how and skills of Charlene my VBAC birth would not have happened.
The birth of our daughter Samuela was more than just a successful VBAC, it was also a failed scheduled C-section. A rare event indeed!After having a C-Section medically prescribed, it seemed fait accompli. But it was her sure and steady presence, accompanied with Doula Janine Doerheit, which calmly guided the powerful arc of the birthing journey back to me and my body and my soon to be born baby. Click here to read more…
Baby Logan born on 03/07/2015
Place of Birth: Vincent Pallotti Hospital
I knew from the very first moment I met Charlene at our hypnobirthing course, that I wanted her to be our Doula.
Unfortunately, with it being our first pregnancy, I was a little deluded about childbirth and thought that it was something that I would very easily be able to manage, with a little help from hubby.
Boy, was I wrong! It was an extremely long, and hard labour and although my midwife was amazing, and hubby really did try his best to help me through it, he just really didn’t know ‘what to do’, even though there isn’t much that he was really able to do, apart from hold my hand and help me with breathing and tell me ‘you can do it, you can do it’.
It was only when I thought back on this, that I knew that for our second time around, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted another lady there with me, all for me, on my side completely, to help me through, and I just KNEW that it had to be Charlene. Click here to read more…
Place of Birth: Constantiaberg Mediclinic
I didn’t have the goddess natural home birth I had wanted so badly. I laboured at home for 24 hours and then we all had to pile into the car and race, over the mountain through a blazing fynbos fire to the hospital to have an emergency c-section just before midnight on a Sunday!
This could have had disastrous emotional repercussions for me, had it not been for Charlene. We had done the hypnobirthing course with her and admittedly I longed for the rose petalled intimacy of a home birth and had hired Charlene as our Doula.
My baby was breech for a long time before turning and it looked like I would have to have a c-section. I remember Charlene sitting on our couch sharing her insights and knowledge about cesarean births with my husband and I.
She addressed all our concerns, shared her wisdom and experiences, made us laugh and gently helped me to let go of the outcome in order to prepare me for whatever was to be. Click here to read more…
Diane Willson du Toit
Baby Huxley Grant du Toit born 28 August 2015 at 14:08 weighing 3.4kg.
Place of Birth: Constantiaberg Mediclinic
I met Charlene when I was pregnant with my first child, Niah – I attended the hypnobirthing course with her.
When I was pregnant with my second, i decided I wanted to have Charlene as my doula this time.
Having Charlene’s guidance and support during my second pregnancy was very educational and reassuring.
Her calm demeanour on our birthing day was invaluable and even her visit after the birth was so kind and supportive.
Thank you charlene for being involved with both of my children’s entrances to this world.
I will forever be grateful. As an added bonus her full body and foot massages are divine. Click here to read more…
Simone Hasselbach
Baby Ella-Marie born on December 10, 2014 weighing 3.86 kg
Place of Birth: Vincent Pallotti Hospital
Charlene met us at the hospital and made the build-up before going into theatre a relaxing and calm time. She chatted to us and gave me a full body massage while we waited. I was so freaked out when they came to collect me that I was sure my heart was going to pop out of my chest and bounce down the passage. Like literally… In the theatre Dr. Searle was waiting for us with her assistant and the injection dude, the anaethetist. I always thought his proper title is just way too long to say every time so he will just be injection dude!
And to spare you the truckload of details about the wonderful experience of birth – the point of the story is that Charlene was there for us even though our plan had changed completely, even when we had to make a very important decision – she indirectly helped us make the right one, even though doulas generally aren’t for C-sections (as we read) – she was there to support us every step of the way, even though people thought we were crazy for having a “doo-what?” – she proved her importance and necessity with every phone call, watsapp chat, email, visit, etc. and even with a very nervous husband in the theatre – Charlene was there to take the most amazing pics so that he could hold my hand and when he had to go with our baby to get weighed and measured – she took over for him and reassured me and congratulated me. Even after the surgery and hospital stay, Charlene offered us support. She still keeps in contact with me to this day and she will always hold a very special in our hearts, in our home and in our baby’s life. Click here to read more…
Keryn Tsimitakopoulos
Baby Nikolas born on February 5th, 2015 weighing 3.01 kg
Place of Birth: Kingsbury Hospital
After a couple of years of intensive fertility treatments, we wanted to try keep our pregnancy and birthing experience as relaxed and natural as possible.
We were fortunate to meet Charlene at one of our prenatal classes and decided that we’d like to have her with us on the big day.
She is so calm, kind and assuring that she guided me through every contraction and gave me confidence and strength to keep going and keep smiling as things got tougher during the day.
She supported us every minute of the day… using massage to help the contractions along, running me a warm bath, giving me ice to chew on, teaching me visualisation and other aids to deal with the pain, and setting the room up to feel homely and cozy. My husband really appreciated the fact that he could take a break to get home and feed the dogs without leaving me alone. Click here to read more…
Aishah Omar-Adams
Place of Birth: Vincent Pallotti Hospital
Successful VBAC on 17/04/2015 to baby boy Zidane Adams
We had a scheduled cesarean birth with our first born due to placenta previa.
This time, I really wanted to do everything in my power to try for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) with our second.
I believe Charlene’s classes helped me prepare mentally by making me impervious to fear and doubt.
She has a wonderful calming energy about her and helped explain to my husband why women need a quiet and relaxed environment in which to birth. Click here to read more…
Leah Lamb
Place of Birth: Vincent Pallotti Hospital
Nate; April 18th, 2015 (3.47kg)
Leah birthing her baby Nate with a smile as Nathan (dad) lovingly looks on.
Charlene was Doula to my sister-in-law and was referred to us, as she was an amazing birth support during my niece’s birth.
After hearing so much about how amazing she was 😉 we contacted Charlene and asked to meet her, which we did. I must be honest and say that I was undecided about how I felt about having a stranger with me at one of the most vulnerable times of my life – and was concerned with adding additional costs to an already costly birth and pregnancy, especially considering I was going to be on unpaid maternity leave.
Nathan and I met Charlene one Friday afternoon and she was warm, informed and so lovely… I left and really wanted to be convinced about natural birth, but I wasn’t. At our meeting, Charlene told us about her course “Relax into Birth”. Having read about hypnobirthing and understanding the politics of birth in the private sector in South Africa and really wanting to experience a vaginal birth, we decided to attend and also get to know a few other first time parents, who shared the wish to have a vaginal birth. We also got to know Charlene better. Click here to read more…
Stella Kuhn von Burgsdorff
Place of Birth: Vincent Pallotti Hospital
January 11th, 2015 (4,08 kg)
As we did it privately, we were able to get to know Charlene and quickly decided that we wanted her as our doula. It was one of the best decisions we made leading up to the birth. Having her as part of our little birthing team was invaluable. My husband, Robin, can’t agree more.
We were lucky enough to do the Hypnobirthing course with Charlene a few months before the birth and found it very beneficial. I especially enjoyed listening to the Positive Affirmations as they helped build up confidence and a positive attitude around the birthing experience.
She was our rock in the whole process – provided a lot of strength and comfort for us both.
It was a very emotional roller coaster ending up in an emergency C-section after nearly 30 hours of labour and Charlene was there physically and mentally throughout the entire thing. Click here to read more…
Jen Clements
Place of Birth: Vincent Pallotti Hospital
Birth Date: Baby Spike Clements born on 30 December 2014, weighing 3.75kg
If you are considering doing Charlene’s hypnobirthing course or using her as you doula – DO IT! She is an incredibly special person to help you on your journey to meeting to your baby. I did Charlene’s hypnobirthing course which helped me release fear and gave me so much confidence in my ability to birth my baby naturally. I also used Charlene as my doula which is one of the best decisions I ever made. She is such a gentle and nurturing person and so knowledgeable in all aspects of pregnancy, birth and looking after your newborn. She was so genuinely caring and always available for me when I needed her. She went above and beyond!
I had some complications towards the end of my pregnancy which put me on bed rest and it was a really tough time for me. Charlene would pop in with homemade tinctures and homeopathic things and give me foot rub or pre-natal massage. She would whats app me often just to check in and see how I was doing. She was such an incredible support. Click here to read more…
Tiphaine Alston
Place of Birth: Vincent Pallotti Hospital
Birth Date: Baby Lucian born on December 31, 2014 New Year’s Eve!
Lucian, born 31/ 12/ 2014, weighing 3.79kg. Both my husband and I found the Hypnobirthing course presented by Charlene to be very informative. Charlene was also our doula and her assistance here was invaluable. She helped keep me calm and as comfortable as possible through my labour and also supported and encouraged me with my desire to have a drug free birth.
My husband found it extremely useful to have Charlene’s help because she is so experienced and knew exactly how to help me, even when I was not able to communicate myself. Charlene’s calming yet firm manner was perfect here.
The pre and post birth sessions with Charlene were also great, in particular the post birth session, as it was fantastic to be able to talk about my birth experience with someone who was there and has seen so many other births. I would definitely recommend Charlene’s services as a doula to anyone, and I will be signing her up as soon as I’m pregnant with my second! Click here to read more…
Sara Sullivan
Place of Birth: Vincent Pallotti Hospital
Birth Date: Baby Denton born on October 30, 2014
I interviewed several doula candidates over Skype before I selected Charlene. Even speaking with her onscreen made me feel calmer and more peaceful about my birth that was coming up.
I had experienced a very traumatic first birth with my daughter three years earlier that landed her in the NICU and me in the Neurology ward without the ability to speak after I had a seizure during labor. As a result I was very anxious about going through labor again, but I was determined to give myself and my baby the best chance at a safe, peaceful, and natural birth.
I can honestly say that Charlene was the single most important factor in making that possible. From the beginning I felt comfortable and secure with her as a birth partner: not just her knowledge of all things related to the process of birth, but her deep understanding of the psychology of labor, her familiarity with the hypnobirthing techniques, and her sensitivity and ability to hone in exactly on what I needed to do and hear to prepare.
Her extremely competent and reassuring presence was also great for my husband as well; he knew we could count on her during birth and it made us both feel better. Click here to read more…
Hannah Rubin
Place of Birth: Plumstead Home-birth
Birth Date: Baby Emily Ellen Martin was born on September 27, 2014
I was privileged enough to have Charlene as my doula for the birth of my 2nd child. I had a hospital epidural birth with my first born and this time I wanted a more natural and nurturing experience, so we opted for a home-birth.
Charlene was recommended to me by my midwife, Angela Wakeford. When I first met with Charlene I instantly knew that she was the right person for the job! She had a very calming and nurturing way about her, and I instantly felt at ease with her.
I really appreciated the fact that Charlene went over and beyond to support and helped me through my birthing process. Not only at the birth, but before and after as well. Charlene was instrumental in helping me through this process, her quiet calm ways put me at ease and her presence at the birth was extremely reassuring to me, making me feel comfortable and assisted. Click here to read more…
Hannah Snyman
Place of Birth: Constantiaberg Mediclinic
Birth date: September 19, 2014
My husband and I hired Charlene to be my doula for our scheduled cesarean birth of our 3rd child.
I had been very nervous about the upcoming birth and recovery, despite (and because of) my two previous cesarean births.
The surgical events that brought my children into the world had been uncomplicated but also disempowering and didn’t feel like birth. I never considered hiring a doula for a cesarean birth until I met Charlene at a Positive Birth Movement meeting (in Fish Hoek), and speaking with her made me realise I had choices and things could be different.
She stood bedside us and even went ahead of us as we navigated around hospital policies to ensure the birth we wanted. Click here to read more…
Britta
Place of Birth: Cape Town Mediclinic
Birth date: April 16, 2014
I only found Charlene very shortly before the birth and we didn’t have time to do much preparation.I wasn’t even sure I needed a Doula, but there she was!
I went into labour soon after our first meeting. She was already at the hospital, busy in the ward next door and once the labour got hectic I was really glad to have her right there with me. Click here to read more…
Hayley Sutherland
Place of Birth: Kommetjie Home-birth
Birth Date: Taylor Skye Sutherland, born on October 5, 2013 weighing 4.89kg.
We did the HypnoBirthing course with Charlene and we thoroughly enjoyed it, learning so much about the birthing process and what fear does to the body. Charlene was an excellent instructor and my husband and I felt lost once the course was over, as we had developed such a connection with Charlene during the course, and felt so comfortable with her.
We had made the decision to have a home birth, and my husband and I felt like it would be comforting to have a doula with us at home and to guide us through the process as this was our first baby … And it was such great news when we found out that Charlene was available for the birth! It just seemed like it was meant to be. Click here to read more…
Charlene Yared West 