Testimonials
Susan
provided me with great peace of mind due to her knowledge and
experience (which was evident from the first time we met her). Staying
at home as long as we did during the labour would have been cause for
me to worry but having Susan there took that concern away. At no time
did I find Susan overbearing or trying to replace me, she was simply
there to lend us her expertise and provide great advice, in particular
she guided me through what we should do next as the labour progressed
e.g - put her in the bath now; go to the hospital now etc. Having
Susan accompany us to the hospital was also very comforting for me as I
didn't have to worry about what the doctors were doing or any of that
medical stuff, I knew Susan was on top of it all. I'd have no
hesitation in recommending other couples to have Susan attend their
birth. I feel things would have been much more difficult if Susan had
not been there with us.
Jason Taylor
Reading Susan's book, Birth Right™, was a turning point for me. I realised that if I just trusted my body, I would be well equipped to cope with a natural, drug-free birth. From that point I was guided and encouraged by Susan. Using Susan as our Doula gave me the confidence to embrace the whole birthing process knowing my husband and I would have expert support throughout the experience and indeed afterwards. Thank you Susan.
Angela
Using Susan as our Doula gave us tremendous support. We were able to discuss ideas about the pregnancy, birth and post-natal with Susan in our home. I was given peace of mind that my wife had expert care in order to give our daughter the best start in life without medical intervention. Our daughter definitely benefited from the lack of drugs, she was instantly alert which in turn assisted with breast-feeding attachment. Quite incredible.
Richo
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.
Kate Sumner, naturopath and mother
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. After speaking with Susan I regained my confidence that I would be able to have a natural birth.
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.
Lana Taylor
Things went well, we were in control. This is probably the key to what made Susan such a great doula - she was present without being a presence. In the lead up, she made an enormous difference - she (and her book) asked us to ask good questions, she is clear without being prescriptive and she possesses great integrity around the pregnancy and birthing process, her knowledge of hospital and midwifery structures is superlative.
She also took some beautiful pictures.
Nigel
Eva's birth happened exactly the way I hoped it would, and having Susan as a doula was an important ingredient in that. I had complete trust in Susan's experience, her approach to childbirth, and her good sense and humour, and that helped give me the confidence to enjoy my pregnancy and then focus in my own way on the hard but beautiful work of labour. I know her calm and knowledgeable presence during the birth also reassured my husband, allowing him to freely give the kind of support I needed. I also believe that if medical intervention in Eva's birth had been necessary, Susan would have been an invaluable support and guide. Having such a positive birth experience was not only wonderful in itself, but also incredibly valuable in leaving me emotionally and physically able to embrace the whirlwind of new motherhood.
Do let us know if you need anything else. And wishing you a very joyful and restorative Christmas break – assuming you're not on call, that is! Hope to see you for another bub or 2 in the future (though not just yet!)
Sarah
I just wanted to send you a quick thank you for the Birth Right™ session last Sunday (25th March), myself, Chad & Julie (my mother) found it very worthwhile and left us all with a much more positive feeling toward labour and birth. This has not been easy to find!
Sarah
We had Susan for our ante-natal classes. We found her to be above and beyond what any new parents could ask for. We thought that all the information provided was more than informative and with her sense of humour, it made the day go by much quicker. I would recommend her with a 5 star rating and give her 100%. We were absolutely pleased and we loved her nature, honesty and her theory.
Dimitra & Nicholas
We found the early weeks of pregnancy to be a confusing time, especially in relation to our options for ante-natal care. It wasn’t until we attended a course run by Susan that the fog finally cleared and we felt we could make an informed decision about caregivers and confidently move ahead with our preferred choice. The next most important decision we made during pregnancy was to have Susan as our doula. During the last nervous weeks of the pregnancy Susan provided calming words over the phone. During the actual birth Susan’s reassuring presence and advice provided the support and focus my husband and I needed to get through. Decoding hospital-speak and remaining a constant presence during the many changes of staff, Susan really was an invaluable part of the experience.
Vanessa & Brett
Susan’s classes were tremendous as they provided immediate information and answers to all our questions in the privacy of our home. As a practising midwife, Susan was able to explain and teach in a practical and interesting manner. I found her classes enjoyable and they allowed me not to need group classes or read numerous books. Susan is the complete pre-birth encyclopaedia that delivers everything in two classes.
Michael
My wife and I were excitedly expecting our first baby and didn’t know where to start. After hearing all of the different advice offered by family and friends we were somewhat overwhelmed - Susan was a fantastic help, with her wealth of experience in childbirth she helped us understand the options for childbirth and their impact on Mum and baby, dispelling old myths and reassuring us that this was an event where we could decide on how things were going to happen.
Tony & Tracy