Mentoring Program

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Birth Right Doula Mentoring Program
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Thank goodness for Susan Ross, our wonderful doula! Without her I am sure our experience of Lily's birth would have been far less satisfactory than it eventually was.

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Kate Sumner, Naturopath and mother

Thank goodness for Susan Ross, our wonderful doula! Without her I am sure our experience of Lily's birth would have been far less satisfactory than it eventually was.

I had a normal healthy pregnancy and was excited and happy to be expecting my first baby. At 35 or so weeks, Lily was found to be lying breech. We tried everything under the sun to get her to turn head down, but none of it worked. It looked as though it was going to be difficult to create the kind of natural birth we wanted. Luckily there were voices other than mainstream hospital. I had read Susan's book, and we employed her right at the last minute, when we knew we really needed some help. She encouraged me to read and think for myself about what I wanted, and to ask for it. In full knowledge of the realities and risks, I decided to attempt a vaginal breech delivery instead of accepting the elective caesarean recommended by the hospital.

My labour was long and irregular, with lots of stops and starts, and Lily was slightly distressed right from the start. It was nothing like what I had imagined! Susan valiantly came and went from the hospital as we needed her, encouraged me, held my hand, massaged me, gave Andrew much-needed breaks, talked it through and helped us to make decisions about the labour. Most importantly, she helped me to understand that I had choices and to act on them for the sake and safety of my baby and myself - particularly once it became obvious that we needed an emergency caesarean. Although I was frightened and dependent on the hospital staff, I never truly felt like I had lost control of the labour, of my baby's wellbeing, of my story, my body and my self. And for that reason, when I look back at Lily's birth, I feel entirely satisfied with our decisions and the outcomes.

Thank you Susan for helping us to deliver our beautiful, bright, healthy baby girl, and for facilitating a difficult birth in such a practical, empowered and spiritually satisfying way.

Friends and family tend to hold me up as an example of having a low pain threshold and following a very long and difficult labour culminating in an epidural for my first birth, I was very unsure whether I had it in me to achieve the drug free labour and waterbirth I really longed to have for my second child. I contacted Susan very late in the pregnancy after months of dithering and angst, and it was the best thing I could possibly have done.

It is difficult to explain the power of having someone so strong and centered and experienced lending balance and authority during the extremes of labour supporting your decisions,

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Jacqui

It is difficult to explain the power of having someone so strong and centered and experienced lending balance and authority during the extremes of labour supporting your decisions, suggesting techniques to help ease the pain, and reminding you of your own strength and capability. Susan met with me several times before the birth and we worked through my lack of confidence and fear, resulting from my difficult first birth. She was reassuring and empathetic but also very straightforward and no-nonsense.

After another long pre-labour at home, during which we spoke regularly to Susan, my husband and I met her at the Birth Centre. I was very discouraged to realise we had come in prematurely, and that I was not particularly dilated. Susan was soothing and encouraging. Her help in getting past this initial blow to my confidence was very important, since my husband was similarly traumatised by the first birth and just as in need of encouragement.

She noticed that being in the bath relaxed me and helped the labour progress. After about 7 hours in the Birth Centre, with lots of encouragement and gentle reminders to breathe and focus and relax from Susan, Rosalie emerged strong, calm, alert and breastfed immediately. Her alertness seemed truly miraculous, in sharp contrast to the relative limpness of my first baby after pethidine and an epidural.

I am immensely proud of myself for giving birth to my second daughter naturally. Attaining your own goals for an ideal birth for you and your child, with the maximum of considered control over your own labour, is indescribably gratifying. For me, this natural waterbirth was a huge achievement that will remain an important factor in my self-regard all my life. But I really don't think I would have had the focus to endure without Susan's help. I am eternally grateful to her and I wish I had contacted her much earlier, so I could have benefited from the many classes she also offers.

1 week before my baby was due to be born my OB struck fear into me by telling me that things weren't progressing 'normally' because my baby's head had not engaged and she was lying in the posterior position. He said these were not good signs for a 'smooth labour' and that he would recommend an induction or perhaps a c-section if the baby was not born by 41 wks. I was devastated by this news as I was desperate to experience the wonderful journey of a natural birth. 1 day before my baby was due I phoned Susan Ross and asked her to be my doula.

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Lana Taylor

On the night I went into labour, Susan came to our house at 3am and helped me through every contraction. At times I almost lost control but Susan helped calm me down and assured me that things were progressing well. By having her with me I was able to labour at home for as long as possible and only go to the hospital at the last minute to deliver the baby. I arrived at the hospital 10cm dilated and gave birth to a beautiful girl just 1.5 hrs later. No drugs, all natural, just as I had wished for. I truly believe that if it wasn't for Susan, my birthing experience would have been very different.... and perhaps very distressing if there was unnecessary medical intervention. One of the best decisions my husband and I ever made was to ask Susan to be our doula, she ensured our darling girl entered the world in the best possible way.

Mentoring Program

Birth Right Doula Mentoring Program

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