Testimonials for Mira
- Grace Salaysay's testimonial
Why should you have a Doula at your baby’s birth? Why should you have Mira at your birth? Giving birth the first time is amazing, overwhelming, meditative, scary, exhilarating, tiring, fast and slow. Even giving birth multiple times after the first is still all of those things. One of the best things you can do for yourself, your spouse/partner, your birthing team, and your baby is to have a Doula present during your labour and delivery. “Why? My spouse/partner is all I need,” you may say.
Of course, it is very important for them to be there. What Mira would provide with her presence is an additional support not just to the birthing mother, but also to your spouse/partner. Sometimes our spouses/partners feel anxious or afraid or may not know how or if they are doing or saying the right things to us when we are labouring. Because Mira is also a mother to 2 children, she knows what the body feels and experiences during labour. My personal experience having Mira at my children’s’ births is that she has a very gentle, calming, supportive presence.
She also has a great sense of humour which I found helpful with calming my fears. She was monumental at helping me get into a meditative state and to help me focus on my breathing. She held my hands and let me squeeze her hands as tight as I needed to. I appreciated her presence as someone I could actually lean into. One thing that sticks out so clearly in my mind was how much I was so grateful that she would let me hang off of her and she swayed in sync with me as I went through my contractions. She even hummed with me as my Self let out such primal sounds. She never seemed to tire. She was always positive, grounded, encouraging, supportive, focused and funny.
I am forever grateful for her presence and what she contributed to the enjoyment of my labour and births. Because of her support, I was able to feel present and aware of my body and my birth.
- Julie Young's Testimonial
We asked Mira to be our doula for my pregnancy. I was due in May 2020. Mira was very friendly and professional. She was easy to talk to. She listened carefully to my needs and addressed my concerns. She looked after me prenatally, during the birth and postnatally. This was during the Covid-19 pandemic and she took all safety precautions when she was visiting in person.
During my pregnancy, Mira helped me prepare for the delivery. At my request, she gave me many resources on meditation, positive self-empowerment and imagery to prepare for the delivery.
Due to the pandemic, I could only have 1 support person with me at the hospital (my husband) during my delivery. Mira supported me during my labour via facetime over the phone. She encouraged breathing techniques and switching positions to help me through labour pains.
After my baby's birth, she visited us to make sure things were ok. She have me lots of great tips as I was overwhelmed being a first time mother. She sent me resources and in-person guidance on any topics that I was concerned about - diapers, baby carriers, breastfeeding, bottle feeding, baby sleep, and natural supplements. It's clear that she is passionate about babies and being a doula!
- Jenna Cooper's testimonial
Throughout my pregnancy Mira provided lots of resources pertaining to any question I had, judgement-free listening, and education for what to expect. Mira was also helpful in preparing both my birth partner (my mother) and myself for going through the birth journey together and how we would need to work together to make it happen. Mira provided specific resources, support, and invaluable guidance to my birth partner which made my birth experience run smoothly and centred around what I wanted despite a very fast labour that kept everyone on their toes. Mira was always ready to step in or step back by reading the moment to address what I needed perfectly. Mira made me feel powerful, confident, empowered, and capable throughout my birth which made an incredible impact on my journey into motherhood. I am most grateful for the postpartum support Mira provided me which included household chores, giving my cat much needed attention, teaching me how to use my baby wrap carrier and other baby products, suggesting soothing remedies for my body, respite for my own much needed naps, nursing support, and an empathetic ear to listen. I hope to have Mira at any future births I may have and encourage everyone to access the support of a doula, especially Mira in their birth journey.
- Lesley Lawson's testimonial
Our friendship has since grown broad and deep. She listened as I cried many times about not being able to conceive, watching our elder daughter grow from four, to five and six and knowing that age gap would greatly effect our family dynamic. When I finally got pregnant, she was one of the first I told. Relentlessly supportive, I knew that she cared about the news as much as any of my family, if not more so; her own path having presented the kinds of challenges that make a person grow, and grow wise. Having become impassioned with birth issues - in large part because of Mira’s passion for informed choice - I knew that I wanted a doula at my birth. My husband, though the most loving man I’ve met, had enough negative birth experience with his first that I knew he was not up to the task of doing it alone. Inspired by her amazing home water birth, I approached Mira about being my doula. I knew that, though perhaps not technically experienced at “the job”, she had the strength, confidence, knowledge and serenity to be exactly the kind of support I not just wanted, but needed.
Mira agreed, though was upfront in stating that it wouldn’t be a full doula experience- she made her abilities clear, and let me know what she wasn’t comfortable with. Her delineation of boundaries only made my confidence in her more profound. I had already known there would be limits- I mean, she had just a few months prior given birth to her own baby, and had an extremely feisty little lady to take care of too- and I was more than comfortable with what she could offer. She made all the arrangements to be on call and even had a back up doula for me, despite doing this as a favour to me as a friend.
After a few false starts, the day finally came when I went into labour. I let Mira know that I needed her to come over and she made her way to my house promptly. I was struggling through a significant amount of back labour and the moment she came in the door, she knew instantly what I needed and came to put pressure on my hips to relieve the pain. The relief, though, was emotional too. She was here.
Mira was quick to teach my husband some techniques to assist in my labour. I could see the fear melt away from him as her steady hand effortlessly moved with me as I changed positions and rooms, never skipping a beat. She repeated my self-hypnosis cues to me and empowered me through keeping me focused on our end goal. I was horribly scared of the mounting pain. But she never let me escape into that fear. She kept my head above the water. Working seamlessly with my husband and midwife to make sure I had the birth I envisioned.
And I did. I entirely credit her to helping my dreams come true. Despite having a sunny side up baby and a cervical lip to contend with- making for a pretty long labour and pushing phase- she didn’t let me give up. I knew birth wouldn’t be easy. But with Mira by my and my husband’s sides, I gave birth to Mathilda Ester, 8 lbs 2 oz, in the comfort of our home, surrounded by our lovely daughter, my goddess best friends and their babies, my mom, music, our dogs, in the still waters of my birth pool by our fireplace. I will be eternally grateful for this gift- the birth of my dreams, which would not have been possible without Mira and her wisdom, power, peace... her depth.