“Chantal was our doula for the birth of both of our daughters, born 16 months apart. (We would most certainly recommend her to any of our friends in that capacity!). I used an epidural and had some tearing with our first daughter because I did not effectively control my pushing and I lost control of my breathing. The recovery was long and painful. And not surprisingly, I had quite a bit of anxiety around the 2nd stage of labor the second time around. Intending to deliver naturally with our second, I attended Chantal’s Pushing Power class (and educated myself in other areas she had recommended as my doula). The class familiarizes expecting moms with the anatomy of the pelvis, what happens as baby moves into the pelvis, and importantly for me, how to effectively move the baby down and out with minimal intervention using positioning and breath. As a second time mom, some of the material was repetitive. And for me, the repetition is what helped me to remember how to control myself when the time came to breath and push our second little one down and out. I did not use an epidural, and using the cues that Chantal had taught, was able to control my pushing and breathing. I had an incredible (albeit intense) birth experience. I did not tear at all. And I felt like “myself” within hours of delivery. I would definitely recommend adding her Pushing Workshop to your birth preparation toolbox.”

Shannon Winer