It was a beautiful and empowering day soaking up all the love and connection with close friends and family, really feeling the blessings of everyone to surround me leading up to the birth, during the birth and afterwards. Feeling so excited about this birth and the Blessingway just encapsulated all that I was wanting to give me that extra bit of strength and encouragement. Love love love my henna belly too. Thanks Virginia for facilitating such a beautiful ceremony. xox
Premature Birth at Royal Hospital for Women
My husband and I are very happy that we had Virginia as our doula.
We were planning a home birth with independent midwives, but due to premature labour we gave birth at the hospital.
For the first false alarm labour at 26 weeks gestation, Virginia was quick to come to the hospital and stayed with us until we felt ok. She helped me to stop the contractions with her special herbs, which worked so well. Thanks to her, the contractions stopped and I was able to keep my baby inside until 27 weeks.
Her emotional support was invaluable during my stay in the hospital.
When the real labour came at 27 weeks, our son was born too fast and only my husband was able to be present for me but Virginia came as soon as possible and helped us after the birth. Her presence was such a comfort for us.
She prepared placenta capsules very quickly which helped me with milk production and fatigue. It also helped me with my mood despite of the fact that I was not able to cuddle my son after birth for 14 days.
Virginia also organised a rebirth ceremony for me when our son was back home from NICU. It was such a special ceremony which helped me to acknowledge my grief, let go of it and be positive with my mind.
I cannot imagine how we could have been without Virginia’s support and wisdom.
Thank you Virginia for your wonderful service!
Attempted VBAC at St George hospital
Virginia was my doula for my attempted VBAC. Straight away me and my husband felt comfortable and relaxed with Virginia. She helped me in so many ways for my labour with herbs, massages, encouragement and plenty more. I went into labour with so much more knowledge thanks to her guidance which helped me make informed choices in labour rather than just being told what to do by the doctors. Virginia also takes amazing photos which I will treasure forever.
Natural Birth at Bankstown Hospital – Patrick’s Birth Story
My quest to find a Doula all started with the want to educate myself about child birth, especially after watching the documentary “The business of being born”. I met Virginia when I was 15 weeks pregnant and her presence instantly put us at ease about childbirth. We decided to hire her before she had left our house after the interview. I borrowed books from Virginia’s library and Adam and I did a Calmbirth course. All this preparation was invaluable to setting my mind at ease and conquering any fears about childbirth. I soon realized that my fears were fuelled by other people’s mis-information and lack of education that had often led them to traumatic birth experiences. Virginia was also a great source of information for my antenatal care and assisted us in making informed decisions for antenatal testing.
At 35 weeks I went into premature labour, of which Virginia was able to help stop with the use of herbs and calcium and magnesium. I went into premature labour 2 more times, each time we worked to stop the labours. After nearly 5 weeks of constant braxton hicks and stalled labours, I went into labour at 39+6 weeks. It all started the night before (17th October) when I began profusely vomiting, which continued all night with light cramps. Then at 10am on the 18th of October I was in the kitchen getting an ice block when my waters broke in a gush down the legs of my pyjamas, into my ugg boots! Adam heard my squeals and thought I had flooded the kitchen! I waddled into the shower to let the rest of my waters drain, all the while laughing at how hilariously gross it was.
Not long after I got into the shower the contractions started. We timed a few and they were erratic, but 1-3mins apart and I could barely speak through them. Adam called Virginia to let her know and she headed over to be with me as I laboured. I got out of the shower and sat on some towels while I waited for Virginia to arrive. Virginia’s presence when she arrived was calm and soothing. She sat with me through some contractions, then suggested getting into the bath. I continued laboring in the bath until we made the decision to transfer to hospital. Virginia gave me herbs to help calm me for the hospital transfer.
I was checked over by the midwife at the hospital and it was confirmed that my baby was in a posterior position. By this stage I was in quite a lot of pain and starting to ask for drugs but Virginia reminded me of why I wanted a drug free birth and encouraged me through it. Once we were in the birthing suite Virginia instructed Adam on how to use the rebozo technique to encourage my baby into the anterior position and how to massage my back to relieve my back labour pains. Meanwhile, Virginia ran the bath. Once the bath was full I hopped in and continued laboring in the bath. I was in lots of pain and started asking for drugs. Virginia encouraged me to do my own virginal exam, which I did and was able to feel my baby’s head and that my cervix was almost fully dilated. I found this very empowering. When the midwife came to check on my progress, I asked her to check my cervix to see if what I was feeling was right. She confirmed that I was 7-8cm dilated, which made me feel like I could get through it. I hopped back into the bath.
Not much longer after I got in the bath the contractions eased off and I got rest before I started feeling the urge to push. It was around this time that a shift change happened for the hospital staff and the midwife I had for my antenatal appointments came to check on me. I was so thrilled to see her and have her looking after my birth. Virginia suggested for me to check how I was progressing, so I did and I could feel my baby’s head only 1cm inside me! 2hours of pushing passed and I was exhausted and dehydrated from vomiting all night. I was asked to hop out of the bath so that the doctor could examine me. The doctor informed me that my baby was posterior and that a vacuum delivery would be best. Virginia gave me some herbs to help my labour and to calm me for the birthing of my baby. She also found the arnica in my bag and started giving it to me.
We transferred out of the birthing suite into another room. While the doctor was getting everything set up for the delivery, Virginia noticed that she could see my baby’s head in between pushes. The midwife got a mirror so I could see it. Adam had a look too, which before the birth he had said he would never do. The doctor informed me of the risks of the vacuum delivery and that I would need an episiotomy. The doctor made the incision and attached the vacuum to my baby’s head. On the next push my baby’s head was born and the following push the rest of my baby was born and he was placed on my chest. I had just long enough to look at my baby and discover that we had a son before his cord was clamped and cut and he was transferred to the baby support machine as he was having trouble breathing. They wheeled my son off to the special care unit. In the meantime Adam had nearly fainted from the overwhelming emotion. Once he recovered he went to be with our son. At some point I was informed that my parents and granddad had arrived (it was all a blur). I asked that they wait in the cafeteria until I was ready.
Virginia stayed with me while I got stitched up, which was great, otherwise it would have been just me and the doctor in the room. She showed me some photos of the birth, which was a good distraction. The midwife came in and suggested I have a shower, which I refused and firmly asked that I see my son. 1.5 hours after his birth, I was finally able to go and see and hold my son skin-to-skin! My parents and granddad came in to meet us shortly afterwards. Virginia continued photographing these precious moments we had as a family.
Virginia’s support continued through my post-natal recovery period. She encapsulated my placenta which helped significantly with my post natal recovery both physiologically and psychologically. I had no baby blues whatsoever! She made a balm for my episiotomy scar, which reduced and softened the scar tissue. She also gave me advice on how to treat mastitis naturally and gave me a tincture to take when I could feel mastitis coming on.
Once Virginia had edited the photographs she sent them to us and we were able to re-live the memories of the day with a joyful tear in our eye. Her photography captured the day in such exquisite detail yet remained un-invasive and private. Birth photography was not something I had considered too much before my son’s birth but I am very grateful to have had those memories captured.
I cannot thank Virginia enough in her support and gentle guidance through our birthing experience and journey into becoming parents.
Vaginal Birth at Sutherland Hospital
It was my first pregnancy, so me and my husband decided that we would like to have a doula to help us. We had been in Australia just for an year with no relatives or close friends here and an idea to have someone by our side during pregnancy and labour seemed perfect to us. We discovered Virginia via one of the mum’s forum as well as advertisement of her famous “Beer and Bubs” course. We bonded with her right from our first meeting. She is very knowledgeable, easy going and comfortable to ask any questions. Virginia provided us with information, helpful websites and print outs that have been very useful. She also helped us with our birth plan.
During the birth she was exactly what I needed! At the hospital she helped us establish a lovely atmosphere with aromatherapy, massage and encouraging words. My labour was long but Virginia was there with me the whole way even though things were moving very slowly. Herbal tinctures she gave me when I was in pain were invaluable support for me. Due to the very slow dilation the staff were suggesting intervention to speed up my labour so I ended up with stimulation and epidural. It was hard decision for me because I really wanted to have a drug-free birth but she made it easier by supporting me in whatever I decided. She also managed to take some photos during labour and birth!
It was a very comforting experience for us to have that kind of support throughout pregnancy and labour. We can recommend Virginia to anyone looking for a doula!
I also had my placenta encapsulated by Virginia to give me energy I didn’t think I would have so my recovery was quick.
Virginia, thank you so much for everything you have done for our family!
Cronulla Homebirth
My pregnancy and the birth of our son was a wonderfully positive experience as we were guided with Virginia’s wide depth of birthing expertise and high level of care. The photos she took were beautiful and we will be forever grateful for her support and giving us the confidence we needed to birth our son the way we wanted.
VBAC at RPA Birth Centre
I started researching for a doula late into my third trimester and only actually met and decided on Virginia when I was 35 weeks pregnant. Being my second pregnancy and not having experienced the natural birth I desired the first time around, my husband and I felt we could benefit from the knowledge, skills and expertise of an expert in birth support.
I chose Virginia as I felt she could help us achieve the VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) we wanted. I liked the fact that Virginia was a herbalist and recommended many herbal options in the lead up to, during and after the birth. Virginia’s manner was always very honest and open. I felt at ease with her quickly and was able to speak with her about any concern I had anytime. Her continued support gave me confidence in the choices I made. I really valued and enjoyed hearing her wise words of experience and other birth stories as they helped me make informed decisions.
Virginia helped me remain positive which was imperative especially in the weeks after my due date. She was always very reliable and accommodating especially considering we lived quite a distance apart. The literature Virginia lent me was helpful too in educating and putting me in the right frame of mind in the lead up to the birth. I would not hesitate to recommend Virginia’s services to anyone.
Natural birth at RPA Birth Centre
From our very first meeting with Virginia my husband Joel and I felt like she was very trustworthy. Importantly for me Joel was very comfortable with her and we booked her straight away. She was very comfortable with the idea that we might like our other daughter Olive present at the birth and Olive just adored Virginia. She was the Doula for us.
I felt so relieved that if I had a question, I knew I could email her and would get an answer. When I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes she really listened to my concerns and I felt confident in knowing that she was there. It was wonderful that she could prepare some herbs for me to help keep my blood sugars in check- I had not used herbal remedies before and was very impressed.
I felt the prenatal appointments were very useful and really helped to get me in the mindset for giving birth and having a baby, something which I had been too busy with a toddler to really focus on! Virginia also helped us with some pain management techniques, which I drew on during my early labour. Virginia had some really useful information about stretch and sweeps so I could have both sides of the story and make an informed decision when I chose to have this intervention when I went ‘over’ my due date.
When I felt the first few niggles of labour I went to bed, and slept most of the night only waking for surges. At about nine in the morning I decided that I was probably going to have the baby that day and messaged Virginia that I was having irregular contractions. I called her around 10:30am to say I was leaving to go to Birth Centre and for her to organise childcare. I got to Birth Centre at 11am and I was 6cm dilated (“Hooray!” I thought). Then I started to get really overwhelmed by the contractions and got in the bath, asking for some gas from the midwives.
Virginia arrived at the birth centre about 20 minutes after Joel at 11.50am. I was so happy she was there and I remember how I welcomed her with a big “Virginia!” – the room had been very serious before she came in and she had perfect timing to brighten everything up. I then felt like my baby would be here soon and was surprised at how low the head was when I checked. The very next contraction after Virginia arrived, my waters broke (coincidence?). The waters were heavily stained with fresh meconium- everyone remained calm but I had to get out of the bath and get the baby out very quickly. His head was out with the next contraction and the rest of him followed shortly. It eventuated that Virginia was at the Birth Centre for about 8 minutes before he was born! Somehow she still managed to get some lovely photos, which I absolutely cherish.
She also rubbed Bear’s head with some Australian Bush Flower Essences, which were absolutely beautiful. I feel like this contributed to the overwhelming sense of wholeness that Bear radiates. I was so impressed with everything that Virginia had to offer us and would highly recommend her.
I’d like to thank Virginia for helping us welcome our new family member in such a celebratory way! We will always be grateful.
Waterbirth against all odds at Sutherland Hospital
My husband and I are very happy and satisfied with Virginia’s doula and placenta encapsulation service. She is very supportive, respectful and well informed.
We had a hard time with the hospital throughout the pregnancy until the birth because the hospital wasn’t very supportive, didn’t provide holistic care at all, plus we had a terrible midwife at the birth. With her support, we could remain strong to enjoy and celebrate this blissful moment of life and I had a beautiful natural water birth.
So if you are looking to hire a professional support person for your pregnancy and birth, we highly recommend Virginia without a doubt. 🙂
Homebirth transfer to hospital
I met Virginia during the first 3 months of our pregnancy when we interviewed her. This was the first and only interviewed we conducted, having felt we had found the right doula for us. Virginia came across as extremely passionate about supporting women through their birth experience, and certainly very knowledgeable regarding many aspects of the birthing process.
As our relationship developed and our pregnancy progressed Virginia shared more of her knowledge with me, helping me to make informed decisions that would result in more favourable outcomes for us – given that we faced several ‘medical’ challenges along our pregnancy. Even more empowering for us, she helped me to overcome my fears around the possibility of home birthing – the ultimate birthing experience for me – and clearly had the necessary contacts and experience to help us make this dream a reality. I also personally loved that despite not having had experience in lotus birthing, she was supportive of my wishes and informed herself accordingly. When bub finally arrived, she was more than ready to step in and guide us/support us around this process.
Overall, during the lead up to our birth Virginia provided us with contacts, resources, her time, and a couple of added bonuses – like a beautiful Blessingway ceremony, pre-baby photos and henna belly which made the journey even more special. When it finally came to the labour, her unwavering support became truly evident. She stayed with us throughout our 48-hour labour – no easy feat if you can imagine how truly exhausting that would be for anyone…. And despite helping us to arrange a homebirth, she was fantastic in counselling me as I arranged to transfer to hospital – attempting to make sure I was mentally and emotionally prepared for this turn of events in my labour.
Even after the birth she continued to check in with me, to make sure I was coping well despite everything. Her encouragement, belief, patience, natural concern for mum and bub, and willingness to share her knowledge with us makes her a great doula. If you are looking for a doula with experience, knowledge, passion for birthing rights of mum and bub, and varied but complementary skills that can support you in your birthing journey, then Virginia is the lady for you 🙂