Testimonials & Feedback
A few words from the women, and their partners, I have supported over the past 17 years…Click on the tabs below for Doula Support and/or Infant Massage classes.
Doula / Birth Support Testimonials
As a solo mother by choice, Stephanie stepped into the role of birth partner and provided the containment I needed to birth my daughter without fear or anxiety. With her help I had the drug-free birth I'd hoped for and I am very proud of the phenomenal courage I showed.
After delivering my healthy little girl, I had complications with the placenta that required surgical intervention and we were separated for several hours. During this time Stephanie cuddled, sung to and helped feed my baby with the colostrum she was able to express from me... and despite this early complication we have sailed into life as mother and daughter! We feel so lucky to have had Stephanie as our birth doula.
Beth and Baby Lily - 2017
I had planned for a natural, unmedicated birth and I believe one of the main reasons that it did end up being one was because of the strong support I received. Stephanie helped my husband and I to relax and trust in the process. She was calm, gentle, reassuring and helped me find the right positions at the right times. She stayed with us for more than 12 hours and also at the end of it all made me what I think was the best cup of tea of my life!
After the birth we were able to meet again and ask her all my questions about early motherhood, which was a great help in a very intense time. Catching up afterwards also allowed us to just enjoy going through our shared experience and treasure our precious memories. Stephanie is doing such wonderful work, and it is a pleasure to recommend her to everyone!
- Val
Stephanie was such an amazing support for us all the way through and I'm so glad she was part of the whole experience. She really helped to open up space for my wife and I to prepare for the birth of our son in such an open and honest way. I felt that we were able to come a lot closer together and really look forward to his arrival and what that would mean for us.
Her presence at the hospital was such a calming influence as we moved through some challenging stages. I feel that her confidence and calmness really helped me to support my wife at times where, as a first time father, I'm sure I wouldn't have felt at all confident or calm! I am so glad that we had Stephanie involved in bringing our boy into the world and really grateful for the way she nurtured both my wife and I during this time.
- Jonathon
Valerie and Jonathon - 2016
What an amazing woman you are!
Thank-you for supporting us on this wild and wonderful journey into parenthood, and for sharing with us your knowledge and experience. You have been incredibly encouraging, understanding, pragmatic and kind, and so importantly - reminded us of the beauty in the whole experience when at times we were focused on the clinical concerns.
Thank-you from the bottom of our hearts for helping us to give Elmore the best start in life.
Love Marika, Joel and Elmore
Marika Fengler - 2015
We had long meetings prenatally and she gave us great information, truly useful tips and incredible support, all of which was guided by what we wanted. She didn't come to us with a particular agenda but was there to help us have the labour we wanted.
We called her when I was in the fairly early stages at hospital and she came and stayed throughout. Labour didn't go quite as we hoped and when my husband and I became frightened, having Stephanie there was our saving grace. The hospital midwives are great but they were all strangers. Steph had become our friend, and she knew what we wanted and was able to represent that.
She is so very calming and just about the loveliest, kindest support you could hope to have.
Gillian, Simon and baby Gulliver - 2016
Carly, Mark and Zach x
Carly and Mark - 2016
Just a little note to say thank-you for being part of this journey with us; for preparing us for welcoming our Elliot into the world; for being on the welcoming front line; and for helping us adjust to our "new normal"! You've given us - especially me - the courage and the wisdom to navigate this totally new experience which has at once been both incredibly natural and incredibly unfamiliar...
I appreciate and applaud you immensely for the work that you do, so important it is! ...and I know that you will bring immense support to many more parents and babies.
Love Ann, Blase and Elliot xxx
Ann Brennan - 2016
Our first experience had not gone to plan with our baby sitting posterior during labour and us feeling completely unprepared to deal with the jargon thrown at us in the hospital about 'failure to progress' etc. We felt like we just lost control of that birth experience, leading ultimately to an emergency caesarean, and we wanted to have a sense of involvement in this birth.
Having Stephanie come to our home for preparation during the pregnancy really helped us to work through how we felt about that experience and what we wanted from this one. We came up with a birth plan that we were happy with, and her experience was invaluable in giving us some great tips and guidance for this plan, putting our needs and wishes into words that the hospital staff would understand. With this support we were able to lose the anxieties that we had about this labour and approach it calmly - even look forward to it! We were lucky enough to have a great VBAC experience, encouraged safely through it by Stephanie, whose calm support and advocacy in the delivery room were amazing... We feel fantastic when we think about the birth experience that we had.
Jemma and Wayne - 2015
What we can say is that having her there gave us the confidence to release and let go. Her calm nature melted our fears and helped us work together as a team embracing every stage of the process. She was patient, kind, genuine and nurturing all the way through.
We are forever grateful for having had her and her gentle guidance during this special time, and we will always hold her in our hearts.
Giselle and Paul Bongiorno - 2015
I really can't thank you enough for the amazing support you have given me throughout my pregnancy, birth and post-natally... I know that I wouldn't have achieved the birth I had and wanted, if it wasn't for you.
I cannot recommend you more highly... You are wise, measured, attentive, intuitive, thoughtful and generous. Throughout this journey with you I have felt genuinely cared for, safe and understood.
Thank you, thank you! You have made a difference to my life and helped set me up for my biggest adventure so far.
Warmest Wishes,
Zigi and Felix xx
Zigi - 2015
Stephanie’s verbal coaching and support during the labour was very comforting, and empowered me to deliver our babies in the way we wanted to. The support and ecouragement that she provided to my partner brought us closer as a family, and having him actively involved in all the stages of labour was a fantastic support to me.
It was particularly wonderful to have Steph’s post-natal care, allowing us time to talk over the births, and as such relax and enjoy our children."
Louise Barnfield - 2006 & 2008
Having Stephanie's support was the best decision we made. Aswell as being nurturing, Stephanie's support was practical and grounded in evidence-based birth practices. She was extremely genuine and caring in her approach, created awareness about we could be better empowered in the hospital system and helped us mentally prepare for labour. We had a strong, active labour with Stephanie providing amazing natural pain relief in the form of massage and movement.
After the birth it was wonderful to have her postpartum support too - knowing we were on the right track with our gorgeous little son..
Marian Reid - 2015
Thank-you for so honestly and warmly connecting with Neel and I to support us in our pregnancy, childbirth preparation and birth of our gorgeous second child.
We really appreciate how well you listened to us, and how readily you understood our hopes and wishes for our birth and worked with us to clarify and realise these.
It was a very positive and loving birth experience - despite the surprise roadside delivery!
This was very much due to Neel and I having worked through our expectations of each other, debriefing our previous birth experience, and feeling empowered to embrace our second birth with confidence - all of which you helped facilitate with us in our birth preparation sessions.
It was and always will be a very special and personal experience...
Thank-you for supporting us and sharing in this incredible journey!
Love Anna and Neel"
Anna Bivalkar - 2014
Enlisting Stephanie as our doula made all the difference - not only in working through a birth plan, but also in relieving a lot of the anxieties I felt towards pregnancy and birth. She was a fantastic source of reassurance, practical advice and support, and was a continually friendly and calm presence in our home. She was also great at engaging and involving my husband in the process, and making him feel like an active participant in the birth of our son.
We were finally able to achieve the natural birth we'd been dreaming of, and we wholeheartedly thank Stephanie for all her assistance on our amazing day!"
Alice Montes (2014)
Having Stephanie there with me throughout my labour kept me calm and focussed, and her massages were incredible. She provided invaluable support not only to me but also to my husband, especially when complications arose. The follow up visits upon our return from the hospital were also tremendously helpful.
I would thoroughly recommend Stephanie to anyone preparing for labour."
Kerry Hill - 2014
I can't thank her enough for the support and encouragement she gave me through the ups and downs of those initial weeks of parenting. Stephanie certainly left me a more confident Mum!"
Anna O’Grady - 2014
Anita King - 2009 & 2013
Shannon O"Neill Martinez - 2013
Because of Steph I had the labour I have always wanted but never thought I could have. I got to have an active, drug-free birth."
Tammy Hales - 2013
Your doula will look you in the eye and tell you that you can do it. Your doula will hold a face washer to your burning brow. Your doula will massage your aching shoulders and then give you the encouragement and focus you need to work effectively through the next contraction. Your doula will give your partner a break and always has a new suggestion to mix things up when labour slows. Your doula will stand by you when it’s finally time to push and you feel like the universe is cracking in two.
Stephanie did all of this for me and more. I cannot recommend her highly enough."
Joanne Currie - 2013
Aaron Holding - 2013
Louise Dyer - 2008 & 2010
Renee Hughes - 2014
Laura Schwartz - 2013
We can’t thank Steph enough for being an integral part of our team. Stephanie’s professionalism, coupled with her warm and nurturing personality, made her the perfect doula for us."
Jo Presser - 2103
Thank you again for your warm, professional and personalised care and I wish you all the best."
Nejat Abdelkerim - 2013
Stephanie’s presence at the hospital was invaluable. Cameron benefited from having someone there to support him in his role as my birth partner and Stephanie helped me with breathing, different positions and calm verbal support. She also spent valuable time with us following the birth to debrief the experience and how we felt about everything.
Employing Stephanie as our Doula was a very worthwhile investment from both partner perspectives, and I would highly recommend her as a Doula for any couple who aspire to having a very special, personalized natural birth."
Madeleine Daniel 2008
During the birth she acted as a buffer between us and the rest of the world, allowing Catherine to concentrate on birthing, and freeing me up to focus my attention on supporting her.
She is very well informed and professional, and I found that her calming presence, advice and support (both physical and emotional) at critical moments during the births were crucial to their success. She was an amazing person to have on our birth team. I cannot recommend her highly enough!"
Leo Mullins - 2006 & 2009
Steph has amazing qualities and skills which are perfectly suited to the work she does. She is warm, thoughtful, respectful and down to earth, making her an absolute pleasure to be around at all times.
Her participation in both our birth experiences has enabled us to reflect on each journey in a very positive way."
Catherine Dyer - 2006 & 2009
I can’t convey how much you helped me during the birth. Your marathon massage, and level-headed emotional support meant that Mark and I could be 'together', and share the experience intimately, regardless of the medical intervention. Thank-you!"
Fiona Wilson - 2004
Baby Massage Feedback
“Thank-you so much for sharing your incredible knowledge and skills with our family! My partner and I have loved learning together ~ a very special way to connect, bond and play with our beautiful daughter. It has been amazing watching her response over the weeks and how much she has grown to love the physical contact. I was initially unsure about what to expect, but it has been incredible for all of us.”
Catherine Dyer
“We will forever be grateful for those caring phone calls and helpful visits. Stephanie’s baby massage techniques have been invaluable for bub when she has had a pain or experienced reflux. Colic massage is now our best friend and Stephanie was a well of wisdom in this area.”
Shannon O’Neill-Martinez
“…After the birth, Steph also taught us infant massage which was incredibly helpful for strengthening our connection even more with our little lady.”
Renee Hughes
“My baby boy and I got so much out of this workshop; and it had a brilliant positive effect. Our interaction is a lot stronger and I am learning to understand him so much more.”
Jacinta Stone
“I really liked all the beautiful communication, and feel happier now to give my baby what she needs in terms of comfort and love.”
Cath Tan
“Learning Baby Massage was wonderful! The class was really fun and informative and the follow-up from session to session was excellent. It helped me to understand the needs of my baby in terms of emotions, and also helped me to recognize and understand her cues. Stephanie was knowledgeable, patient and empathetic.”
Louise Barczak
“Learning to massage my baby made communication clearer, and we are getting more out of his quiet focused time.”
Gemma Mathieson
“… I had three Baby Massage sessions with Steph, which were really useful and enjoyable!”
Joanne Currie
“The course was a positive experience ~ bonding and understanding between myself and my baby improved over time.”
Julie Stoll
“Stephanie was clear, sensitive and insightful, and has an amazing capacity to be present with parents and their babies.”
Leo Mullins