VitaNurture's Client Testimonials
Hi Maria, I wanted to thank you for everything that I learned in the hypnobirthing class.
As a result, I was able to have the birth experience I wanted. Our son, Russell, was born June 26th at 3:27 am, after being in labor for only 3 hours. The nurses and even my midwife (Buhay) kept commenting how quiet I was the whole time.
When I arrived at the hospital at 2:00 am, the nurses thought there was something wrong with me because I was sitting so quietly in the wheel chair with my eyes closed and my head down. Little did they know, I was already 10 cm dialated.
Once Buhay arrived and checked me, my membranes released and I immediately felt my uterus surge to push the baby out. It was such an amazing experience to feel my body working to push the baby out. I felt that "pushing" actually felt good, so I went along with it and Russell was born after only a few more surges. He is such a great baby too. He regularily sleeps 3-4 hours at a time, and sometimes even 5 hours overnight! He was 8 lbs 1 oz when he was born. Thank you again! Becky
Anyone hiring Maria should know that they are in good hands. We hired Maria to provide post-partum support when our son, Paul, was born. He is our first and we were a little nervous since neither of us had much experience with newborns and wanted someone with experience to be there for us in the first few weeks while we adapted to parenthood and got to know Paul.
I also wanted to be sure that the breastfeeding got off to a good start and so also wanted someone knowledgeable about lactation. From the start, I was impressed by Maria’s professionalism. When I was about six months pregnant, I contacted about five doulas listed on the provincial association list, including Maria. Some didn’t get back to me, some didn’t return my call for a few days. But Maria got back to me right away. She asked what I was looking for and she suggested we meet to go over in detail my needs and expectations. I appreciated the questions she asked because it helped me to figure out what I needed.
Hiring a doula is about a personal relationship and it has to feel “right”. I instantly felt comfortable with Maria and felt that she would respect my needs and my goals as a parent. We agreed that she would come to our home three afternoons a week the first two weeks after our baby was born.
When the time came, breastfeeding proved to be a real challenge with my son not latching correctly. Maria’s knowledge about breastfeeding was invaluable. She instructed me in the techniques of using a lactation aid, informed us on herbal medicines to get the supply going, nursing positions, understanding Paul’s behaviour, etc. She also is in touch with lactation resources around the city and put me in touch with Dr. Jack Newman’s clinic. Based on my experience, problems with breastfeeding lead to a lot of anxiety and stress. I found I needed a lot of reassurance and emotional support which Maria also provided.
Three months later, we are doing well and the breastfeeding is going great guns. Occasionally, I have had questions and have contacted Maria. I appreciate that she remains a resource long after our formal agreement has expired which I think demonstrates her commitment to mothers and babies. Perhaps most importantly, I think when you bring someone into your home to help with your baby, whatever that help is, you want to know that they will treat your baby with affection and warmth. This I can say unequivocally Maria did (you can see it in the accompanying picture) and I think our little family got off to the best start because of it. Susan.
Wow, the birth experience is a wild ride. Hoped for a natural birth and needed a c-section as our son was breech. Maria was there every step of the way to support us and give us information to help guide our decisions. Most critically, Maria taught us to breastfeed which was a large challenge the first week... our little breech baby wanted to eat standing up vs lying down:) The support didn't end at birth, it is 7 weeks later and I still call Maria for advice and have her help me with specific in-home needs. A caring, sweet, pleasant person to have on your side. Loving the experience and highly recommend Maria as a Doula for pre or post delivery. Cheers Holly
Thank you Maria, The private birth classes at our home were amazing. Because of your information and encouragement Ryan and I were confident that we could have a smooth delivery which we were in control of (even amongst the Doctor and Nurses). Because of your guidance we knew when to ask questions, and when to challenge our medical Doctor. We were confident in all our decisions and I believe this is a huge reason why the birth of our son Riley was a joyful experience. Ryan, Riley and I thank you for sharing your experiences, knowledge and caring demeanor with us. Be assured that we will pass your name along to our friends who are expecting! All the best, Krista, Ryan and Riley
Maria was my doula for the birth of my sweet Lily Isabella. When my fiance Dorian first met her he warmed to her immediately, as I had. He was new to the concept of a doula and after she left he said "After the baby is born, can we still be friends with her?"
Maria is friendly; you can feel easily comfortable in her presence. She does not push her knowledge on you, just offers it up for you to take if it's right for you. Maria supported us out of the goodness of her heart, her passion about the birth process and her knowlege about breastfeeding.
I ended up with a breech baby and a c-section. Maria still came to the hospital with us when it was time and stayed late into the night. She was initially very helpful to my fiance as he was not allowed in the OR. Dorian was clearly moved by the support Maria offered at the time. Both Dorian and Maria stayed with Bella until I came out of surgery at which point Maria was integral to initiating the breastfeeding process. It did not go well at first as I had had so many drugs (not my 1st choice) and as a result little Bella was really lethargic and sleepy. And so was I. Still Maria stayed late, helping to get feeding established. A week later she came to my home and helped me further with the latch and various other elements.
She continues to correspond with me over the phone and was, overall a great support for me as I had tons of breastfeeding issues.
As a childbirth support Maria was invaluable and she is really patient and kind and knowledgeable with breastfeeding techniques. I am so fortunate to have met Maria and to have benefited from her warmth and wisdom.
I wholeheartedly recommend Maria to anyone looking for a doula, to support you through whatever comes your way in the whole birth process. Sincerely, Meghan
I contacted Maria because I had breastfeeding difficulties, and with her help, I am finally beginning to enjoy my breastfeeding relationship with my baby.
Maria is very knowledgeable, patient and professional. She has been the most important resource to turn to for my postpartum period and I am very lucky to have hired her as our Breastfeeding Counselor. Her support is really personalized and you feel cared for. I would recommend her to anyone. I think I would not be nursing my baby without her encouragement and support.
On behalf of our family, we would like to thank you Maria for all the education you have given us!! Blessings, Cely in Toronto. Cely
Maria was the birth doula for our first baby in January. I am very happy with her service - she was warm, friendly and professional. She is very knowledgeable about the birthing process, pain management techniques, breastfeeding and after birth care, passionate about all these issues and very willing to impart that knowledge!
I found it so reassuring to have Maria there as an advocate for me, to be my birth coach and guide me through the contractions. She was a very warm, calm, and reassuring presence and also advocated for my birthing wishes with the hospital staff in a collaborative way.
Afterwards she helped with the difficult first weeks of breastfeeding and called me often to see how things were. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone! C. Chan, Toronto
My husband and I recently hired Maria as our doula for the birth of our second child, and would highly recommend her services to anyone thinking of hiring a doula. In fact, after having had both a birth without a doula (first child) and one with a doula (our recent birth), we would strongly recommend to all women to have a doula help you with your labour.
Maria was kind, strong, supportive and all around perfect for the job! The birth seemed so easy and empowering with her help! Thank you, Maria, for all of your kind support. Danielle
Cuando una persona te enseña a ver la maternidad con tanta ilusión y aprendes lo bonito y mágico que puede llegar a ser amamantar a tu bebé, debes estar agradecida a esa persona de por vida. Y eso es lo que me sucedió a mí con Cecilia, me dio tanto que cada día que pasa me acuerdo de ella y de sus maravillosos consejos. Pero, por desgracia mía, eso sucedió hace unos meses, cuando ella vivía en España (Madrid).
Ahora, sois vosotras las que tenéis la gran suerte de contar con su ayuda en Toronto, y si me permitís un consejo como madre, nunca olvidaréis el rastro que Cecilia dejará en vuestras vidas, y a la larga, en la vida de vuestros bebes. Mi bebé, Jorge, ya cumplirá un año muy pronto (28 de Marzo), y en tan sólo un año se ha convertido en una personita llena de amor, de sensibilidad, de alegría, … y os puedo asegurar que eso se debe en parte a los ratos largos que Cecilia pasó junto a nosotros. Antes de que naciera Jorge, mi intención y mi deseo era dar el pecho a mi bebé, pero en España no todo el mundo ve la lactancia materna como única y mejor opción, cuando se presenta el más mínimo imprevisto, la primera opción se convierte en la leche artificial. Y eso fue lo que me pasó a mí, la inexperiencia y la falta de ayuda en el hospital, hicieron que las enfermeras me ofrecieran un biberón para Jorge, el cual yo no quería ofrecerle, pero allí me animaban a que lo hiciera.
Fue cuando apareció Cecilia, y de la forma más natural, con un tacto y una paciencia infinita, me enseñó a alimentar a mi bebé, a mirarle y a quererle como nunca pensé que lo podría hacer, a desarrollar un instinto que sólo las madres podemos tenerlo, a intentar (digo “intentar”, por que respeto tanto a las Doulas, que yo sólo puedo “intentar”) animar y ayudar a otras “mamás amigas” a seguir estos pasos que Cecilia me enseñó.
No me cansaré de agradecerla todo esto y más, y de todo corazón os aconsejo que conozcáis a Cecilia, tenéis la suerte y la fortuna de tenerla cerca de vosotras, no dejéis pasar la oportunidad, no os arrepentiréis. Susana Rodríguez Rabanaque (Madrid, España)
Dudu is our first baby, we are lucky to have Maria with us as our doula for this great experience.
We learned many things from Maria, such as relaxation techniques, stages of labor, breastfeeding, care for new born baby, etc, Maria is a professional doula with a supporting family, she spent the whole Christmas Eve in hospital during Dudu's birth with us, she came to my home immediately after I was discharged for breastfeeding support as I told her about the sore nipples, she kept on calling me to see if I have any questions or problems afterwards.
All of these made the experience of having a baby not as messy as we thought at first. We highly appreciate the help and support from Maria and would recommend her to all other parents. Yao
The only reason I am breastfeeding today is Maria! Our baby girl lost more than the recommended weight percentage after birth, as all new parents we became very concerned feedings were not going as well as we hoped. One of my good friends highly recommended Maria. We called and she came over to our house that very night. We were desperate and obviously in distress that our brand new baby will need to be put on formula in order to put weight back on.
The first appointment with Maria was the turning point for our breastfeeding experience. Our baby started putting weight on and doubled it by 6 weeks. As new parents we started to relax more and enjoy our little bundle of joy.
I can really say that Maria will always be in our hearts for all her help and calm warmness she brought to us when we most needed it. Thanks to her dedication, and perseverance we continue to exclusively breastfeed our baby today. Our baby girl will be all the healthier because of it.
Thanks a lot,
Alina, Lucian and Liya Popa
May, 2013
I met Maria the night I was discharged from the hospital when she came to support us at home. I was a mess (baby blues) and my nipples were damaged by the poor latch of my tongue-tie baby during his very first days. My husband and I were very impressed by her caring, calm, professionalism and expertise. She followed up with us to make sure that Matéo was in good shape (as we were concerned about his weight gain), and that I was doing better, getting more comfortable with taking care of my newborn.
A couple of weeks later, I solicited Maria for more tips and advice when new challenges came up with my breastfeeding, and she called me back right away, spending as much time as needed to answer my questions. Same thing when I bumped into her at the Thrive Health office. She is passionate about what she does, and she cares about the families she supports.
Maria and my husband are the ones that I thank for my son to be breastfed.
Toronto, July 22,2013
We could not be more grateful!
May 11, 2016