We have a secret in our culture and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that women are strong” by Laura Stavoe Harm “I agree with the quote; however women are only as strong as their support team. Thank you ever so much for making labour an incredibly positive experience for me.”
~ D. H.
In searching for a doula, my husband and I wanted someone who was professional, knowledgeable, warm, and trustworthy; Wendy Muir personifies all of these qualities and more.
Wendy met with us several times as our due date approached, helping us to envision our birth plan and educating us regarding childbirth and infant care. During labour, her presence was unobtrusive, calming, and supportive. She offered comfort measures during contractions, which included physical support and suggestions regarding what might help at different times. Both my husband and I felt empowered by Wendy; myself as I engaged in the birthing process and my husband as he sought to support me in any way possible. We planned a home birth, however circumstances necessitated transferring to Kelowna General Hospital for a Cesarean section. We were exhausted, scared, and disappointed, and Wendy’s presence helped keep us grounded and calm. She stayed with us in recovery and helped us settle into our hospital room with our baby boy; in total, she spent 18 hours with us during labour and immediately after the delivery.
In the days and weeks following our son’s arrival, Wendy has continued to offer ongoing support. I have never felt as though I’m bothering her, or that I’m asking a dumb question, or that I should be able to manage on my own. Rather, I feel that Wendy is part of the village that is helping us raise our son. I truly don’t know what we would have done without her. She has played a critical role as we have transitioned into parenthood, and we are forever grateful.”
~ Sincerely, Jacqui, Steve, and Sam Acree
My wife and I had Wendy as our doula for the birth of our first child in June 2010. As a father-to-be, I was somewhat nervous as to how I would hold up during the birth experience, so I was the one telling my wife, “I think this is a really good idea” when we were deciding whether to have a doula with us during birth. Wendy wasn’t just good… she was a God-send. My wife showed early signs of labour in the evening and of course I fell asleep, but when things started getting more serious around 2am my wife woke me up, I checked her contractions, and by 2:30am I called Wendy to let her know that things were getting serious. Even though it was the middle of the night, Wendy was over to our house within minutes. From my perspective, Wendy’s involvement at this stage was invaluable. Not having any experience with this sort of stuff, I would have immediately taken my wife to the hospital. However, with Wendy’s guidance, we helped my wife through contractions for about another hour or so before we headed to the hospital. It was perfect timing. Wendy helped my wife into the hospital while I parked the car, and once the nurse assessed my wife, Wendy suggested that my wife spend some time in the shower that was in our delivery room. There, Wendy persevered through the night with me while we both comforted and massaged my wife, and assisted with her breathing. When my wife left the shower, she was almost fully dilated, and Wendy helped the nurse to get my wife set up with a little bit of nitrous oxide. Then, when my wife was ready to push, Wendy did a great job of suggesting delivery positions and making sure my wife was as comfortable as possible. From my perspective, it was awesome to have Wendy there both to assist my wife and to be an example for how I could best be there for my wife at the same time. While supporting my wife through labour, I felt like we were both “on” for hours with barely a moment available for a quick drink or bite of food. Throughout, Wendy’s suggestions and direction also really helped to ease the overall experience for my wife. When we left for the hospital my wife told me she didn’t think that she could make it through the birth experience without any drugs (although our first preference was a drug-free birth experience). However, as it happened, she just ended up using a little bit of nitrous oxide for a few minutes, and that was it! With Wendy’s assistance, my wife was able to press on through and by 10:30am in the morning we had a beautiful, baby boy! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Wendy to anyone who is looking for amazing support through the delivery process. Wendy followed up with us a few times after the birth, and given the chance, I would definitely have her at our side again during another birth experience.”
~ Tara and James
Please accept our heartfelt thank you for all of your support in helping us to welcome our baby into the world. We would not have been able to manage without you. Your presence in the hospital, for both my husband and me was so valuable. Your follow-up perseverence to assist us with the feeding is greatly appreciated. You have such wonderful gifts and what a miracle you’ve learned to share them!”
~ T & T
It is impossible to express how I feel about the experience and the impact it has had on me, harder still to express how suddenly you have become part of our lives because of your role in this – one of life’s most poignant moments. A child’s birth is one of the most unforgettable and important “stories” we hold for our children and I look forward to telling C. about hers – sharing the story you’ve written and my own recollections and journalling about the experience. The memories I have: walking the halls with you and D., trying to match my breathing to yours and being spoon-fed ice chips, the humor of the moment when you told me my hair was officially destroyed…”
~ C. P.
Thank you very much for your support during my labor and the birth of my son. You were a phenomenal help and I can’t imagine doing it without you! If I ever decide to do this again, I will definitely give you a call! You will always have a special place in my heart and I hope to keep in touch. Thank you once Again!”
~ C. C.
We really enjoyed taking this class and Wendy helped make the classes both informative and relaxed.”
~ Kara & Dan Honey
We will always be grateful to Wendy for her prenatal sessions. The information was practical and balanced, and because of her sense of humour, it was often quite funny. Wendy has a gift for ‘summing up’ what you can anticipate before, during and after the birth of your child. She is personable and genuinely cares about the moms and dads that attend her classes. We took this class because Wendy was highly recommended to us by two other friends. We would absolutely recommend Wendy to anyone that wants to be well prepared for the birth of their child. Thank you Wendy.”
~ Shane, Colleen and Lyla Sondermann
Wendy’s knowledge and experience were greatly appreciated. We would highly recommend her classes.”
~ Pam & John
Wendy was awesome! I had so many questions and concerns when I started and she relaxed me and answered everything. The hospital tour was most interesting and enjoyable; it was like all our fears disappeared. I would recommend this course to all pregnant women to become more knowledgeable in what to expect for the most enjoyable experience of your life.”
~ Debbie Roca
It was wonderful to be empowered by a woman who is passionate about babies and the birth process and who really has the experience herself! Thank you Wendy!
~ Karissa and Robert Hackman
The classes were great and her experience and advice were very helpful! Very thorough in her explanations. I’d suggest her class to everyone!”
~ Dustin & Julie-Ann Strildiff
The teacher is very knowledgable about the baby/birthing experience, and presents an un-biased point-of-view on popular topics. Also, the topics that are common knowledge, but aren’t known by a few of us baby-beginners, are covered graciously.”
~ Krista & Joel
We very much enjoyed our classes with Wendy. She was extremely knowledgeable and answered any & all questions.”
