~  WHAT MY CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT MY SUPPORT ~

Take a moment to read reviews from some of my most recent clients.  It has been my honour to support these families, who come from every walk of life and all who have very different life experiences.  My goal is to make every person who hires me to feel as supported as these clients did....

Aleah L.

I didn't know what to expect in a doula (I didn't really know what one was) when my midwife suggested I find one.  But, Sonja had so much information and answered questions I didn't even know I had!  She put me and my partner at ease.  I needed that...especially in this pandemic when connection with others is hard to find.  She prepared us for birth and the unexpected - which was huge.  My husband became the biggest fan every - because he was unsure of how he would fit into all this with a "birth doula and birth expert" there.  But, Sonja helped him be involved and helped him support me in the most useful ways (double-hips squeezes - woohoo!).  She also took amazing pictures and short videos - something we never could have done been totally wrapped up in the labour and birth process.

Shawna

From the beginning of my pregnancy, I knew that I wanted to experience a natural birth but have the option of using medication if needed. This is the main reason I decided to look for a doula.

To me, a natural birth is all about the mindset and atmosphere. From the first video call with Sonja, I knew that her calming presence was exactly what I was looking for. On her first visit, she was able to, unknowingly, impress my husband and he went from thinking that a doula was a just an extra expense to bring grateful that he would also have support on the day of. She was always available to contact and gave me tips and information at all hours. When it came to the day I delivered, she was an invaluable help from giving me ideas for different labor positions, to showing my husband how to do the double hip squeeze, but most of all she was able to keep the calm atmosphere in the birthing room I wanted. When the atmosphere shifted, she was able to get my husband and I some needed space for just the two of us to keep the oxytocin flowing. The only way I was able to mentally stay in the zone was because my husband and Sonja provided such amazing support. She also communicated my complete birth plan to the hospital staff so I didn't have to worry about what would happen when it came time to push. As a bonus, she also took pictures so my husband could concentrate on being there for me.

Sonja is the kind of doula who makes sure you have complete support in your decisions right from the start, a calm birthing atmosphere, and the ability to concentrate on the birth of your baby without any worry. She also makes amazing Lactation cookies!

Would hire again. Maybe for a home birth next.

Sarah R

We are so happy we had Sonja as our doula for the birth of our first child! From our first meeting via Zoom to the prenatal and postpartum visits, she offered a wealth of information to help both me and my husband prepare for the birth we wanted and feel confident going into it, even when I went into labour over two weeks early and my labour kicking off in an unexpected manner. She was a calm and steady presence during labour and delivery, helped my husband feel involved, and was a wonderful advocate for my preferences and suggesting I try different positions to keep labour progressing. Ultimately the birth of our son was a truly positive experience, in large part thanks to Sonja. I also appreciated how she checked in regularly with me throughout my final trimester and the few first weeks postpartum and offered such great encouragement to me as a new mom. We highly recommend her!

Simone

Deciding on Sonja as my doula was one of the best decisions I made during my pregnancy. She is very knowledgeable and resourceful and was always available to answer any questions I had no matter what time of the day. As a first time mother and a new Canadian I had a lot of them. She is passionate and enthusiastic about pregnancy, birth and everything related to mom and baby. She was reliable and always very caring throughout my pregnancy. When my water broke at 3 am she answered my call immediately and was ready to meet me at the hospital, in fact she arrived there before me. I loved how she supported my husband showing him how to comfort me and being by his and baby's side while I was being checked up during recovery.  I would definitely recommend her to anyone seeking support and use her services in a future pregnancy.

Carine B

Sonja was amazing!
She made us feel so comfortable and was a very calming presence. She has so much to offer to help you with your pregnancy and to educate you on the birthing process. I have never felt more at ease with someone, especially in a very stressful situation. I don't think I could've handled myself as well as I did without Sonja.
My partner and I would highly recommend her to anyone who is about to have a baby. I honestly can't thank her enough for everything that she did for us and helped us through.

Myranda

From the very first moment I met Sonja I knew that she was going to be the perfect addition to my support team.

Sonja has a very uplifting personality and is very laid back, I love how it was always comfortable to be in her presence. 

I knew that if I had any questions or concerns that Sonja had an answer, there were a few times where I was at a loss with discomfort through the last trimester and she was able to flood me with amazing resources and techniques to try to relieve the discomfort.

while labouring Sonja was so easy going and able to help me to better understand what my body is going through, for the most of my labour I felt as though it was not real and she helped me to understand that it was true labour and encouraged me to rest while could.

I cannot imagine having a home birth without my amazing doula Sonja, she has so much knowledge in supporting a labouring momma, there was not a single moment where I didn't feel empowered by her words and assistance, we tried a few different positions that she had suggested until we found what worked for my body. 

Sonja was amazing before during and after my delivery, I will forever be grateful for her amazing assistance in bringing my little boy into the world. 

I highly recommend Sonja to anyone looking for a knowledgeable laid back support person. Absolutely amazing woman she is!

Melissa

As a first time mom, I was nervous about pregnancy and birth, especially after suffering 2 traumatic losses.  Sonja was so knowledgeable, confident and calm and she put my mind at ease.  I could contact her anytime with my questions.  During labour she was very good at supporting my husband and showing him how to comfort me during contractions.  I wanted to have my baby in the birth centre but after 3 days of labour (she stayed with me the whole time!), and hours upon hours of transition-type contractions, my baby started to not tolerate it well.  I felt very scared to learn that I needed a hospital transfer.  Sonja helped me understand what was happening and why which helped calm me.  At the hospital, I had to have an emergency c-section and Sonja helped me to understand that my body did not fail me and I did not fail at "giving" birth.  So, even though the birth of my baby didn't turn out as planned I can still say that it was positive and I am happy with it!  Thanks to Sonja and my husband.

Madison

Sonja was so extremely helpful during our very long and emotional birth experience. She provided amazing emotional support and encouragement for both myself and my husband and was excellent at providing ideas for pain relief and positioning. She advocated on our behalf with healthcare professionals and was wonderful at navigating that landscape. We felt so comfortable with her straight away and are very happy we decided to hire her for doula services.

Whitney

We recently got the opportunity to work with Sonja, and as my husband and I are both first time parents, it was amazing to have her both pre and post labour/delivery. She has a wealth of knowledge and could easily answer all the questions we (mostly myself) had. She checked in with me often to see how I was doing, and was available to talk to my husband when my contractions first started. Sonja was a calm presence when my labour took a turn, and she also kept checking in with my husband to make sure that he to was OK, which I greatly appreciated!
We loved working with Sonja!

Ashten

The moment we hired Sonja as our doula I felt more at ease about our baby's upcoming birth. It was wonderful having someone outside of my midwives to ask questions. When I developed a medical issue late in pregnancy Sonja was able to calm my fears because she had first hand experience with the issue. 
Sonja was also great in the first days after I gave birth. She helped us get organized and learn how to use all the baby things (Moby wrap, pump, ect). It was incredibly helpful and I highly recommend Sonja to anyone about to give birth or looking for postpartum help. 

Samantha

Sonja was my birth doula for my second child. From the very first conversation with her, I felt like she was the one God sent to support me in these uncertain times. She had been very supportive  throughout my pregnancy answering all my queries and understanding my concerns. She is informative and knowledgeable with so many techniques on how to labour and cope up with the pain during labour. She was my primary support person during my birth and she did her job extremely well. More than “just” a Doula, she is an amazing person.

I would highly recommend Sonja for anyone who is looking for some support and care during and after delivery. 

Susan

Sonja was my doula for our homebirth - do not hesitate to hire her!  My husband and I were both a little bit nervous; both for labour and birth but also to have doula because we didn't know what to expect.   Sonja made both of us feel comfortable and she was always there for me via text and phone call; outside of our prenatal visits that we had.  During our prenatals Sonja had cards that helped us design our "perfect" birth and then surprised us by having those cards flipped over to the exact opposite.  Then, we talked about how birth is unpredictable and how to plan for the unexpected.  It was so informative.  At our 36 week prenatal we went over comfort measures/how my husband could help me, finalized my birth plan, got the carseat installed and...well she was a wealth of calm information.
During the birth, she came to our house when my contractions were about 6-7 minutes apart.  We walked, talked, she showed my husband how to help me and reminded him not to talk to me when I was in a contraction - that was helpful for when I couldn't speak for myself.  She also helped calm him, too.  
The birth of our son was amazing - thanks to the support from Sonja and our midwives.

Dannette

Sonja was a great support for my first pregnancy. So full of information helped me prepare for the birth of my son immensely.

April

I wanted to add a perspective from a "dad" - the honest truth is that I didn't really want to hire a doula but, also, knew I wasn't the one pushing out a baby.  However, from the moment we spoke to Sonja (over Zoom) I knew she was just what we BOTH needed - surprise surprise!  She was great at explaining how we would work together, as a team, to support my wife.  When she came to our home for the prenatals, she answered all our questions, and more.  She also explained that, during parts of labour, sometimes the dad/husband starts to feel useless because there is nothing we can do to take away the pain of our wife.  But, also, had us go through comfort measures of what we could do to reduce it.  She also talked about making me a "water boy" - just making sure my wife stayed hydrated.  Sonja has of way of bringing humour into everything which eased my anxiety.
During labour and birth, for as much energy as she brought to our prenatal meetings, she brought a sense of calm to our birthspace.  She was able to explain everything that was going on - even when I was a little worried when my wife started making really loud sounds, shaking and throwing up.  
Geez, sorry this so long!  Lol!  Basically, I just wanted to say that we hired Sonja for my wife but she 1000% kept my head above water and I would recommend her to any guy, out there, who is on the fence about hiring a doula!  Thanks Sonja!

Justin

Being that this was our first baby, Sonja’s support prior to birth, during birth and postpartum put both my husband and I at ease during the wild ride that was our daughter’s birth.
Firstly, Sonja was extremely supportive and responsive during my pregnancy, answering all of my questions using research, facts and past experience.
Next, my labour. Let’s just say my labour was LONG (40+ hours) and Sonja was by our side for the whole thing. This included coming to our home in Cochrane when labour first began, driving to Canmore, staying in Canmore at a hotel and then spending another full day/night of labour in the hospital with us. Like a lot of births ours did not go to ‘plan’ and Sonja was there to support us through all of the uncertainties. At one point near the end of my labour, my husband and I were both exhausted physically and mentally and the doctor was talking to us about options going forward. Knowing our birth wishes, Sonja helped us through the decision making and helped us to think clearly, even through our exhaustion.
Once we were home from the hospital Sonja came to visit to debrief the birth. Since the birth was long with some complication we greatly appreciated talking through it with Sonja. Additionally, Sonja left us with some very specially momentos for both our daughter and my husband and I to remember the special day, which included a letter to our daughter explaining how she came into the world and photos she had taken throughout my labour.
From the prenatal support Sonja provided, the support during my long labour and the postpartum support, Sonja was a crucial part to bringing our little one into the world. We would 100% recommend her to anyone looking for a Doula.
Thank you Sonja!

Britt