Praise
Birth Doula Clients

"Wonderful, respectful and completely helpful to me as a father in helping me understand any part of the birthing process. Always prepared to problem solve or provide alternate techniques to make the situation better for parents."  Brione (partner to Sheila)
“Debra was an amazing support for both of my labours and deliveries! My first delivery was a long, complicated labour and delivery, and Debra was there every step of the way, offering advice and coaching me through intense contractions as I had a back labour right until pushing! It all lasted about 36 hours! My second labour and delivery was much faster and again Debra's coaching through the contractions and pushing were so comforting and encouraging. I never felt judged for my efforts, just loved and supported. I highly recommend her for her skills! "   Sheila
‘We first met Debra in the birth classes we took when pregnant with our first son - she co-taught; she helped my husband and I with the births of all 3 of our sons – born 1994, 1996 and 1999.  She is amazing and I credit her with having the most awesome birth experiences.

My husband and I both relied on her knowledge and calm demeanor to guide us through each one of the boy’s births. Back then (like now), ‘relaxed’ was not my middle name - so we thought the cost was the best birth investment ever!  After we hired her for our firstborn, she was a must to be included with our other sons' births. Other than my husband and I – she is the only other consistent person in all of our birth photos!  I just cannot say enough good things – and my husband would say the same.’   Karen B.
"I can definitely say that before meeting Debra, I was anxious and fearful and a bit lost within the typical approach of the medical system.  My husband and I credit her for showing us a different path that allowed us to enjoy my pregnancy, know what to expect, feel prepared and supported, and have a wonderful birth experience.  Our son is a very calm and happy baby- and I know this is partly due to the way he was introduced to the world!
Debra introduced me to a wealth of resources for learning and discovering exactly what type of birth I wanted to have, and then helped me to execute on having exactly that experience… despite many obstacles.  She also guided me toward resources on how to overcome fear, and to actually have a really wonderful and intimate experience in giving birth.  She also empowered my husband in having a defined role in the birth prep and in the actual birth, then spent time with him at our home to make sure he was confident in caring for our newborn."   Jess & Jeremy 
“Debra’s presence and support during the birth of our daughter is something we will never forget.
She helped us cope through an unexpected transfer to hospital and helped me stay grounded with the use of relaxation and mindfulness techniques.
Following the birth, Debra was a source of ongoing postpartum support – helping us deal with the challenges of having a newborn baby and challenges with breastfeeding. I truly believe that Debra’s assistance and encouragement helped me persevere and eventually thrive with breastfeeding. 
We highly recommend Debra as a birth and postpartum doula. She is an expert with a kind and generous soul.”    Kristy & Andrew 
Debra is a calm, highly experienced, no nonsense professional who made our otherwise tricky birth as smooth and plain sailing as possible. Being a first time dad, her knowledge, instinct and open minded approach made all the difference for me, guiding me effortlessly and keeping me both involved and at ease. When we first considered our birthing options, I wondered how impactful a doula would be on our overall experience, or whether it was really worth it. Having now been through it all, I wouldn’t consider having another baby without Debra by our side. Thanks again Debra, we look forward to keeping in touch with you. xxx  Andy
"I was looking for someone experienced who could give me a comprehensive & unbiased overview of natural, un-medicated delivery comfort measures, yet also explain the reasons for and side effects of medical interventions. 
I honestly believe I wouldn't have made it through drug-free without Debra's coaching on breathing and positioning, coupled with her skillful massage techniques.
She knew exactly where to press to counteract the pain of the contractions and her calming voice allowed me to focus on delivering our beautiful baby boy. Thank you so much Debra!"   Christine
"As an expectant (and first-time) dad, it was comforting for me to know my wife was getting the advice she needed in the lead-up to our son's birth, and support during the delivery. Especially during delivery, it was obvious that my wife was reassured by Debra's presence, making it easier for us all."   Nathan  (partner to Christine)
"Without a doubt, hiring Debra was the best decision we made in our journey. She was a steadfast, resourceful, and caring presence during the pregnancy, birth, and hospital stay. Debra helped me through a long and difficult labour and I believe it was her patience, reassurance, and skillful coaching from the very beginning that allowed me to have the birth (vaginal without epidural) I truly wanted.
Debra also came to visit at the hospital and coached me through my struggles with breastfeeding. I was at my wit’s end and she gave me practical tips and gentle guidance when I felt I couldn't breastfeed.  We will always look back in deep gratitude for her support and care in welcoming our little one to the world."    Grace & Sherwin 
" Debra's support for my wife through active labour was invaluable, allowing us to have the medication free, intervention free home birth we wanted. Debra's presence alone allowed me to remain calm and focused and not worried about the process. Support is key for those, like us, who have not been pregnant or attended a birth before."   Steve
"For first time parents, it is crucial that you have a doula with Debra's caliber and experience. I decided to contact Debra out of all the other doulas I have read about online because of her involvement in the field for decades. Giving birth is so unpredictable that having a doula with years and years of experience is very valuable.
It is a big help for the expectant mom but I believe more so for the dad. Debra gave valuable, experienced and objective input to my husband during the time when I couldn’t think straight anymore due to labour. My husband felt less pressure too in taking care of all my needs while in labour, he had Debra there to help him. He also had time to just pause and take some short breaks before going back to helping me since Debra was there to take over while he recouped.
​Our second baby came five years after our first one. Good thing I didn’t assume that everything will go smoothly or I wasn’t over confident that I have done it before and still asked Debra to help us. We will be forever grateful to Debra for her help."    Amanda & Matthew

Postpartum Doula Clients
"Debra is a wonderful and kind professional that provided much needed support to us as a postpartum doula.
Things we appreciated the most:
1. Ongoing support- she has supported us through difficult times and helped with many challenges after birth such as care and breastfeeding of our twin girls
2. Flexibility- adjusting her schedule to our needs meant so much to us when it was necessary
3. Knowledge and experience- her advice based on vast knowledge and experience has helped with many challenges and made things easier for us
4.Puncuality- she always comes on time or early and that is something that we appreciated very much
5. Helpful resources- she provided many links and suggested books that were of a great help and a wonderful source of information
We are very happy and grateful to have had her as our postpartum doula. She helped our breastfeeding goals come true and cared for me when I needed rest the most. Thanks to her we have happy and healthy babies."   Helena & Igor
"I hired Debra at the time I was trying to deal with a ‘high-maintenance’ one month old....
I immediately felt I was in good, experienced hands. 
She not only helped with practical things, but also gave me very useful advice on how to make breastfeeding more efficient—and pleasant.  Her emotional support was invaluable."    Paula  
"I was so glad that I made arrangements before the birth to have Debra provide some postpartum support because although everything went very smoothly she ended up being able to answer lots of questions that I had.
I'm quite sure her advice helped me proactively avert some breastfeeding challenges that would otherwise have developed.  I appreciate Debra's approach which feels aligned with my own perspective which values the innate wisdom of both baby and mum."   Alex

Prenatal & Parenting Classes

"I attended Debra’s “Making Sense of Baby Class” before our daughter was born in July and it was the best thing I could have done!  Debra shared her knowledge and advice in very clear and common sense ways - one of the things that really stuck was, we can think of ourselves as engineers for our babies brains and the more we respond to their needs, the more we are teaching about love, emotions, support, and stimulating them in positive ways - making them happier and more secure.  We put what we learned into practice from day one and it’s been great…Avri rarely cries (gas) and mainly uses other forms of communication when she needs something - she is overall content, happy and thriving. We are very thankful for the knowledge that Debra shared!"
Jessica
http://bit.ly/DoVGoogleReview  Link to Google reviews for Doulas of Vancouver