Guiding Light Birth Services

To whom it may concern,

I am very proud to say that I was Amanda Burke’s first client and consider her to be more than my Doula; she has become a very dear friend. Prior to meeting Amanda I was facing the possibility of being in the hospital without any support which was causing me a great deal of distress. Luckily a few weeks before my labour I was able to get Amanda’s services. She was so enthusiastic about my birth that it immediately put me at ease. I will never forget our first phone conversation, I felt an instant connection. Amanda’s warmth and enthusiasm was very apparent even on the phone. We met shortly afterwards and even though our meeting lasted over an hour it seemed to fly by because I felt as though I was speaking with an old friend and not someone I had just met to contract their services.

For those of you considering Amanda as a Doula,

I knew when I received the positive news about my pregnancy that I would seek a doula. My husband needed convincing however, as he was concerned that a doula would replace him during labour itself. After we met Amanda the first time we were both very comfortable in the fact that we were in good hands.

She is fun-loving, highly spirited and qualified. This was my first childbirth experience so I can't make any comparisons, but I know that I wouldn't change a thing about sharing it with Amanda. My hope was to have a natural childbirth but since my water broke and myself and the baby suffered from high fever, heart rate and blood pressure after 18 hours in labour we had an emergency c-section. Amanda was very supportive as I was scared and did not feel emotionally prepared for a c-section (although she had asked me to start thinking about the possibility of one). As they were wheeling me into recovery my husband threw her the keys to our car so we could move it to follow downtown parking restrictions. That is just one of the examples of her flexibility and willingness to contribute in any way. The nurses and doctors were fabulous, but they were in and out of the room taking care of other patients. My husband and Amanda were constants in the room, which made me feel at ease and confident about the whole experience.

However, what I love most about her is that she did everything she could to honour my wishes during the whole process even though nature sometimes takes another path. I would highly recommend Amanda as a doula.  

Regards,

Selena

 Dear Future Parents,

On November 28, 2005 our beautiful daughter was born with the help of our doula Amanda Burke. My husband and I both feel we had a very positive birth experience that we would have not achieved without Amanda’s services.

From when we first met Amanda we felt very comfortable with her. She was very open-minded about our preferences and she made it clear that she would be there to support both of us.  Our first impressions proved to be true, as throughout our experience we found her to be non-judgmental and supportive of our choices. We always felt comfortable having Amanda around during the intimate and personal process of having a baby, and our families and the hospital staff were also quite comfortable with her.

Amanda’s pain-relief suggestions and techniques were very helpful for me. I hoped to labour at home as long as possible, and I was able to do this with the help of Amanda’s birthing ball and her support while I laboured in the bathtub. Later, her counter-pressure technique and assistance with breathing were especially helpful as contractions intensified.  

At the hospital Amanda was a consistent source of strength and support. Different doctors and nurses were in and out of the room, but Amanda was always there encouraging me. During the pushing stage, I had trouble getting the hang of it, but Amanda coached me to remember the doctor’s instructions and soon enough our baby was born without any interventions.

After our baby was born Amanda asked the doctor if our daughter could be laid on my chest as soon as possible, and that all interventions be delayed while we bonded with our baby. This turned out to be the most amazing experience of my life as I gazed into my daughter’s eyes for the first time. Although it felt very natural and perfect, it is apparently pretty unusual for this to happen in the hospital setting so we are very grateful to Amanda for making this happen!

We highly recommend Amanda to anyone seeking a doula, in fact we would recommend her to any woman or couple wondering how they will get through labour and delivery. Amanda’s help really made our birth experience wonderful.

Sincerely,

Julie & Jeff

Dear expectant parent,

Amanda Burke was our Doula for the birth of our son Samuel – who was born July 25, 2005. She worked very hard and stayed with us for over 24 hours during our long labour. In our opinion, she made a valuable contribution to the whole experience and was a great support for both of us.

We would recommend Amanda to anyone who is considering labour support for their birth.

Best wishes,

Jackie & Rick

Dear Parents-to-be,

In the time that I've come to know Amanda, I am impressed with her dedication to her work as a doula. Amanda is caring, professional, reliable and respectful of her clients. She is highly resourceful and enjoys being able to help her clients. She is self-reflective in her practise as a doula and seeks out advice from her colleagues when needed.

Upon her doula training, Amanda and I have connected many times around various doula issues. It has been an absolute pleasure to mentor Amanda and being able to share my years of knowledge and experience with her. I am proud to have her as part of my team. I enjoy working with her as well as refer her to anyone who requests a doula.

In hiring Amanda, I have no doubt that you'll feel more empowered and satisfied with your birthing experience.

I wish you a wonderful birthing experience and if you have further concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the address below.

Sincerely,

Kelly Ebbett RN, BN, ICCE, CD(DONA)