Built to Birth

Melanie and I have become great friends because of our shared passions for doula work, Melanie focusing on birth and myself on postpartum work.When I became pregnant with my surrogate baby, I knew right off the bat that Melanie would be by my side when it was time for the babe's birth.Her womanly presence and touch was exactly what I needed to get through every contraction and ultimately a great hand to squeeze when it got real tough.She was there to be my gentle reminder of what I said I wanted when I wasn't in labour, and for the most part we stuck to my birth plan.She didn't care that I was mean" during contractions and handled every moment before and after the babe arrived with grace and dignity.I wish I would have had Melanie in my birthing corner for my three previous births.She is truly a gift to all birthing people (and their partners).If you are expecting your first

If you are looking for a wonderful doula Melanie is it!I had Melanie for my second pregnancy and I was extremely happy with her. She was easy to talk you and always knew what to say. She is kind and very supportive! Always had lots of information and always answered all of my questions and concerns.My husband and I had a wonderful experience with her and would 100% have her as our doula again!

Melanie was an incredible and essential part of our birth journey. Her wisdom, knowledge, kindness, and generosity helped us feel grounded and confident, and she went above and beyond in every interaction. I can't imagine going through the preparation and birth without her support of both me and my partner, and would have her as a doula again in a heartbeat. Plus, she has the best hip squeezes around (and maintained them for hours and hours!). I can't recommend her highly enough!

Oh my goodness, Melanie helped both me and my husband so much during the labour and birth of our daughter, as well as before and after. She answered all of our questions, plus added more that we hadn't even thought of, in the weeks leading up to the birth. We went from having no idea what to expect to feeling way more confident in the whole process. As for the birth itself, the first contraction I had after Melanie's arrival was immediately more tolerable; she just has the magic touch. My husband and I both felt better knowing she was there, and the support she provided afterwards was invaluable as well. Thank you Melanie!

Melanie was a huge reason why we will always look back on our birth experience as so positive! My partner and I felt very disconnected as we learned we were pregnant as Covid was becoming a reality and knowing we couldn’t attend any in person birth classes our doctor recommended Melanie as a Doula. We got so much out of our virtual classes with Melanie who made a priority to make us feel supported and connected. She answered any questions we had along the way with humour and with so much wisdom. She even went out of the way to visit us at a distance in our backyard before the birth and lend us some baby wearing carriers to try out before purchasing some for ourselves. For us, knowing how the whole process could unfold and what options we may have ahead of us made all of the difference. We went from being very scared of what a birth during Covid might look like, to empowered and excited to go into labour with such a supportive team.During the birth she knew exactly how to support, and was with us every step of the way with hip squeezes, helpful words of encouragement, and advocating for us when needed as questions arose with the hospital staff. Would not hesitate to recommend you work with Melanie if you’re interested in a Doula. ❤️ thank you Melanie we will never forget experience!!

Melanie is an amazing doula. She was an incredible support to my partner and I before, during, and after the birth of our son. It was a long labour and she was 100% with us the whole way. As a father, I felt much more confident and supported with her being present. She was a grounding presence for me and my partner. And her help after the birth was equally remarkable - she gave us far more than we could have expected or asked for. Hiring her as our doula was one of the best decisions we ever made.

I was really nervous about giving birth to our first child, but Melanie's information, expertise, sense of humour, and calm demeanour really made me feel like I could handle whatever came my way.I ended up having a scheduled c-section as my baby was breech, but even though Melanie wasn't coaching me through the birth, I felt good knowing that she was there to support my husband and family. She provided excellent information both before and after the birth about breast feeding and self-care (something the medical community doesn't necessarily focus on), and I knew I could always reach out to her for support when I was having a tough time. It's comforting to have someone supporting and advocating for you when you don't know what to expect. Both my husband and I were so happy to have Melanie on our team to welcome our son. We can't recommend her highly enough!

Melanie came to our home and went over the Bringing Home Baby class. She had a baby doll to demonstrate and took her time to show us how to use my breast pump. The class was very thorough and informative. She answered all our questions and helped us feel more prepared. This class is recommended especially for first time parents.

Melanie was my surrogate's doula for the birth of my son earlier this summer, and I can't speak enough about the comfort, calm, and expertise she brought to all of us the day he was born. While Melanie was primarily there to support my surrogate through birthing, given my son was born prematurely and we never got the opportunity to have our official 'laboring session prep', she provided an immense amount of emotional and physical support for me in the moment to ensure I was both present and calm through the entire process. Knowing I was not prepared for my son to be born early (e.g. clothes, blankets, etc.)--Melanie even went above / beyond the call to donate extra things to us during the time to ensure he had his own things aside from the hospital, and she followed up with me regularly to ensure I had the support I needed while were in NICU. I will always be so grateful for the time and attention Melanie took for all of us, both before, during, and after birth, and would highly recommend her!! Thank you Melanie for everything!