When I found out I was pregnant I knew I wanted to try and have as natural of a birth as possible, which set us in search to hire a doula. Thankfully, at around 20 weeks of pregnancy I was connected with Michelle through our hypnobirthing birthing course instructor. It was so reassuring for both my husband and I to know that we were going to have someone attending our birth who had experience as both a childbirth educator and a spinning babies educator, as well as having been through birth before. Michelle was there whenever I needed her prior to birth for questions as well as being there for my whole labor, delivery and a postpartum visit as well. I cannot stress how valuable hiring Michelle as your doula can be. My birth took many different unexpected twists and turns and Michelle was there to help us navigate through different choices and decisions that were right for both baby and I. No matter what kind of birth you plan to have, hiring a doula to be by your side is something I cannot recommend enough! Whether it's helping guide you through different exercises to get baby in the right position, being there to answer questions you have on birthing decisions or just for support through your labor, Michelle is wonderful at it all. I am forever thankful for all she did during my long 30 hours in labor, we could not have done it without her!
Carianne
Michelle taught my husband and I many useful Spinning babies positions that we’ve been practicing daily leading up to our home birth. We had a lot of laughs and appreciated her real time feedback as we attempted the moves via webcam. Without her guidance we would have been doing many things totally incorrectly or at the very least ineffectively. Her class has boosted our confidence in our ability to have a natural peaceful birth at home. Thanks Michelle!
Renee
I took the child birthing class with Michelle and every fear I had about birth were diminished. I strongly suggest this class if you are pregnant. I was not afraid of child birth but there were questions I didn't know how to get answers about my pregnant body and my baby. I feel like we covered EVERYTHING in a couple weeks and had every question answered with open mind/ears! I now feel like I'm ready to do this with no fear because this is what my body is meant to do! ❤️
Alexis
My husband and I attended the child birth class with Michelle. Class size was small, allowing for Michelle to tailor class content to our specific needs. We felt prepared and well informed for the birth of our daughter. When things didn't progress as we envisioned we felt comfortable making decisions because Michelle had already prepared us with the pros and cons and possible outcomes of many circumstances. Next baby, we will attend the refresher course!
Crystal
When I started my pregnancy journey, I was filled with a lifetime's store of fear and trepidation. I have always been convinced birth was something that I couldn't handle, and never planned to have children. After getting married, now in my early 30s, I decided I truly want to be a mom. I was still very unsure about what facing these fears would mean. After finding out I was pregnant, we took Michelle's class, and decided we wanted her doula services as well. This was absolutely one of the best decisions of my life. Michelle was invaluable support through every pregnancy stage, for all my questions and concerns. When the time came, my early labor lasted about four days, which was exhausting with no sleep, and I felt like I might cave in on my resolve to avoid meds. The hospital procedures also made this challenging at times, but in the end having Michelle by my side through the process, I was able to deliver my little girl without any meds, working through the process based on all I had learned. My nurse commented later that it was refreshing to see a patient who was educated on how to handle labor, and told me that Michelle was great to work with. Having a doula was one of the best decisions I have made in my life, and I couldn't have made a better choice than Michelle. I will be thankful all my life for all she did!
Marielle
Michelle is not only a friend of mine but a colleague that I highly respect and and admire. As a birth doula and breastfeeding educator/helper, I have worked with her to educate, encourage and empower women and couples along their journey of pregnancy, birth and postpartum care. Michelle is highly knowledgeable and has a gentle way with women (and their partners) to help them to learn about the process of birth in preparation to make informed, educated and instinctive decisions. She is supportive, caring and has done and excellent job of creating her business, Strong Births, to be exactly what pregnant and birthing women and their families need. I highly recommend her classes!! ❤ (Plus, as a mother of 3, Michelle knows what she's talking about from firsthand experience as well!)
Sara
My wife and I just wanted to thank you so much for your class. Shannon is 39 weeks now, and as of her last couple of appointments at The Midwife Center they are feeling good about baby being head down. Your instruction and your thoughtful advice really made a difference for us. We're still patiently waiting for baby to come, but didn't want to forget to send you our thanks before the big day comes Thanks again, hope you all the best, and a wonderful 2021
Cody & Shannon
I found Michelle at 34 weeks pregnant and trying desperately for a VBAC. In the middle of the COVID lockdowns, no one could give me the professional support I needed to achieve my goal, and my doctor, while nominally supportive, could not offer what Michelle does. Michelle was experienced, patient, kind, and generous with her time and energy, answered all my questions, and gave me the resources I needed to feel prepared, safe and understood. I took her advice and signed up for Spinning Babies and a Webster certified chiropractor, which gave me the strength I needed to achieve my VBAC without an epidural! I highly recommend her services.
Bonnie
As we prepared for the most exciting new arrival, Michelle gave us access to education, tools, and resources taking us through pregnancy, into delivery, and infant care. While we appreciated this, nothing compared to the support we received as she served our family as Doula for our first AND second births. Our first birth was an intervention free natural birth in a hospital setting, and it was incredible. Our second birth required a change of course, and Michelle was there for the whole thing. Although we were induced and relied more on medical intervention, Michelle helped me to navigate the changes, appreciate my body, and welcome our second child. Having a Doula by my side allowed for me, and my partner, to be fully present for the most amazing miracles we've ever seen.
Holly
Michelle came to us for an in-house visit when we were concerned about a breech lie. She was so helpful and willing to help - she even offered some insight and advice with her "doula hat" on, even though we were only paying for SpinningBabies consultation. We would recommend Michelle's services to anyone and will always be greatful for the short time we spent with her.
Cody