I am in the process of suing this business in small claims court for breach of contract as my doula…read morewas not present at my delivery. I am a single mother but I received assurance from my doula that I would not be alone, given that my birth partner (close friend) fell ill right before I went into labor, and it was uncertain who (if any) of my friends could fill in. There were many times over the course of my labor that I felt judged by my doula and not supported in my decisions. My labor ended up being very fast and furious with contractions narrowing to less than 5 minutes apart and close to a minute long within the first few hours of labor. I essentially had the kind of contractions you expect would come later in labor, very early on. My doula acted very dismissive of the intensity of my labor in the beginning and acted as though she could prophesize everything which turned out to be very untrue in the end. I had non-stop vomiting for many hours, and needed multiple anti-nausea meds to get the vomiting under control. While laboring at home, for about 18 hours total, I was concerned that I had been vomiting for so long and I hadn't felt my baby move in a while. My doula was dismissive and assured me that decreased fetal movement was normal (she later retracted this statement when I arrived at the hospital and was severely dehydrated and the baby's heart rate was bradycardic) and she kept sidetracking me from going to the hospital, despite expressing that I wanted to go. I was supposed to have a family member drive me, but she insisted on driving me and kept delaying leaving. When she finally agreed to take me, she went to get me food that I can eat after delivery and took over an hour to return while I waited at home anxious to get to the hospital. I later learned that she had "taken a break" at that time and hadn't informed me that was her plan. I felt incredibly judged and unsupported in my decision to get an epidural. At that point, she told me that she was going to go home to sleep for a few hours and then return. My good friend had arrived at the hospital and stayed with me. My doula ended up being gone for the final 8 hours of my labor and never returned. The final events of my labor transpired quickly - the baby was in distress and I was rushed into an emergency c-section - but my doula had AMPLE opportunity to return. She was in contact with my friend and there were several updates that should have been prompts for her to return. She assured me that she would OR send a backup. At one point she said that she was sending a backup that never came. My friend was not aware of my birth plan, but my doula was, and I was left vulnerable and without an advocate and there were several points in my birth plan that could have been upheld even in a c-section had my doula been present. My time in recovery and maternity were traumatic mainly due to me being completely alone, heavily medicated, unable to use my legs, and with my newborn baby. My doula did not check on me in the maternity wing. She claimed that a backup was turned away at the hospital due to COVID which I found to be completely untrue based on speaking with hospital staff. She claimed that she was available virtually, but we had agreed upon in-person support and she explicitly told me that she would return. She claimed that I did not ask clearly enough for her to return which is unbelievable - she told me before she left the hospital that she would return. I should not have to wage a campaign for my doula to return to the hospital. During and after my labor, I was either in severe pain, heavily medicated or incapacitated and I did not have my personal belongings nearby nor the means to even access them to be able to call or text her. After my daughter was born, I was alone, without the use of my legs, and holding an infant. She communicated to my friend that she was going to meet me in maternity to make sure I was ok and help me shower. She never came.

I had an amazing experience by choosing Grace and her team for placenta encapsulation. We chose to…read moredo the package which included the capsules, print of the placenta, salve, tincture and herbs bath soak. I truly feel that the capsules and herbs bath soak helped me heal much faster post delivery. I had a 2nd degree tear and was back to my pre pregnancy self alot quicker than I thought. The service was great, quick and extremely professional. Thank you so much Grace for this wonderful experience. I'm able to keep up with my newborn by ensuring I'm taking care of my own body with these capsules and the tincture.

From the owner: Graceful Birth is an intimate group of birth professionals solely focused on helping families have…read morethe birth they desire, helping them to feel respected, heard, relaxed and cared for. Our postpartum professionals are certified to help your family adjust to life with a newborn and include services such as breastfeeding support, sleep education and even placenta encapsulation services. Call us today for a no obligation free consultation.

Having Kelly as part of our birth experience was the best decision we made. Everything you could…read morewant or hope for in a doula she has - knowledge, experience, care, warmth, support, presence, confidence, wisdom, inspiration, intuition. Even now, two months later, she continues to be a source of support and care. She makes us feel like she is part of the family and we know our baby is better off for having had Kelly at the start of her life. Everything about our experience with her can be summoned up in one word: love.

From the owner: Labour, placenta encapsulation, breastfeeding and newborn expert. Helping to ease the transition…read morefor you and your newborn. We provide experienced birth doula and postpartum doula support, placenta encapsulation and birth pool rentals.

You not only would want, but need, the dynamic duo of Doulas on Bikes as part of your pregnancy,…read morebirthing and postpartum journey. Mira, as my doula, brought an exceptional level of knowledge, kindness, compassion, attentiveness and support to my experience that cannot be measured. Her guidance during labour was incredible and when things took an unexpected turn, she continued to be a voice of reason myself and my husband could rely on. The extra care she took of my family through postpartum and the fourth trimester was instrumental and a main reason my confidence grew as a first time mom. Mira knows what you need before you even do and she lends an empathetic ear whenever you need it. I also attended Vera's breast(chest) feeding class which was very informative and equips you with the necessary information to feel prepared. Birthing people, you need these two amazing humans in your corner. Thank you Mira & Vera!

From the owner: We are a sister team supporting pregnant people and new families in Toronto's West End. Our…read moreservices start from prenatal and even pre-conception, throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum period up to 3 months of age. People love that we are local (we bike!) we are enviro-friendly (and can help you too!) and we really are sisters, so it's not just the feeling of family, we are family!

Colleen is amazing! Colleen assisted me and my husband for…read morethe birth of our first daughter and our labor experience was made so much better by having Colleen there. In all our meetings before my delivery, Colleen educated both me and my husband about things we could expect when we went into labor, and everything she taught us was so helpful and practical. My favorite thing about working with Colleen is how much she cares about educating the birthing partner for what is coming, as well as the mama. Before and during my labor, she was helping my husband understand what was going on, and coaching him on how he could help me as I labored. He felt empowered and I felt so confident knowing there was someone to help us BOTH through the process. If you're looking for someone well educated who can help give you confidence before, during, and after your birth, Colleen is your girl. - Maliya S.

My husband and I are honored to have Colleen Young as part of our first birth story of our…read moredaughter. As a young woman, I have always viewed labor and delivery as a scary and painful experience, but she made me feel comfortable and even looking forward to the experience. She made it feel achievable! She was attentive and thorough in all her interactions from the initial phone call to the post partum visit. She went through all potential interventions that could happen and was able to help us feel prepared. She was timely in every response and happy to answer any questions throughout my pregnancy that I needed support on. We came up with a birth plan, one unique to what we wanted to help us feel confident going into the hospital. I am happy to report we were successful in experiencing a natural birth with no epidural (thank you hip squeezes and the shower). She really supported my husband in natural pain management techniques by education and taking over when he needed a break to give me the best shot at delivering naturally. She also supported emotionally and giving me words of encouragement each contraction. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a doula. Every woman deserves someone like Colleen in their most vulnerable state.