Shari Aizenman Doula Profile

 Shari was a God-send when we needed her most.  After our previous doula left on vacation the week we were to deliver, we were desperate to find a doula who would be there to help us deliver our third child.  We stumbled across Shari and she was the answer to our prayers.  She is compassionate, understanding, and a supreme expert when it comes to babies and delivery.  

When Ashley went into labor, our first call was Shari and the second was the hospital.  When Shari arrived at the hospital, the room went from chaos to calm in an instant.  Shari was there and she was in charge.  She was our conduit between us and the doctors and the doctors knew that Shari had our full confidence.  When our son was inverted in utero, the doctor stood up in disgust, took off his gloves and told the head nurse to start prepping for a c-section.  Shari convinced the nurse to give her 1 hour alone with us.  Shari did some techniques with Ashley to get our son moving around and 30 minutes later he was facing the right way and crowning.  If the doctor had waited 3 more minutes he would have missed the whole delivery.  

You will struggle to find someone more respectful of your wishes, educated about peaceful childbirth, compassionate to your situation and circumstances, and in tune with the mother and her baby than Shari.  We have recommended her to everyone who even looks like they're pregnant.  She has been, and continues to be, a wonderful woman and a great friend to our family.

I am proud and honored to have had Shari's support during my VBAC in 2011. In the weeks leading up to my daughter's arrival, Shari worked to develop a solid, trusting relationship with my family. The groundwork she laid made all the difference and was critical to putting me at ease so I could do the work of birthing.

I was so thankful for her calm and reassuring presence. She moaned with me. She reminded me that birth is natural and normal, and that I'd get to see our baby very soon. I practiced hypnobirthing, and Shari knew just which key words to use to help me refocus when I felt out of control. When I looked her in the eye during a strong contraction and yelled, "This hurts!" Shari held eye contact and, in the calmest voice, said just three words: "This is birth." I cannot describe how powerful that made me feel at the very moment I needed support the most. She is masterful at encouraging people to aim higher, go further, and dig deeper. She taught me to truly believe in mind over matter.

Shari embodies an authentic spirit of support. You can't fake that; you just have it or you don't ... and she does. She also has an encyclopedic knowledge of birth and babies, an extraordinary asset essential for any woman who chooses such a journey. I feel confident in saying that she is capable of handling any situation with dignity and strength.

Shari was our doula for our first child.  My husband and I both had a great experience.  Shari was very informed about local birthing options and provided me with the information I needed to inspire me to switch my prenatal care and delivery practice.  She sent me emails with helpful information about pregnancy and childbirth, and reviewed our birthing plan with us.  Shari attended the practice session of our birthing class (Hypnobabies) with us and talked us through the stages of birth. 

My daughter arrived almost three weeks later than expected.  Shari was encouraging during this time, sending notes about other late-due babies and suggesting some strategies for naturally inducing labor if the time was right.  Once labor started, Shari arrived at our home shortly after being called and stayed with me through early labor, giving my husband a chance to nap before labor progressed.  She recognized when it was time to head to the hospital, and our daughter was born less than two hours after arriving there.  She was a great support in the hospital, encouraging my husband to advocate for our birthing wishes while guiding me through labor.  When it looked like our midwife might not arrive in time, I was still comfortable because I knew Shari was fully capable of delivering the baby if needed.  

Since neither my husband nor I were familiar with local options and resources, we found Shari's knowledge, good humor, and genuine love of her work to be both comforting and energizing.  With this support, I was able to give birth without medication to a bright-eyed baby girl.  My husband and I both believe that our daughter's calm demeanor and infectious joy can in part be attributed to the birth she had, and we are so grateful to Shari for her role in supporting our desires for a medication-free birth.

Shari is the consummate birth professional. Her support, knowledge, generous spirit and sense of humor were invaluable during my pregnancy, labor, birth and beyond. Shari shared timely, relevant information and articles throughout my pregnancy. She also spent time listening to my husband and addressing any concerns he had—which reinforced the understanding that we operate as a team. He appreciated that so much.

Even more so, he appreciated Shari’s calm, instructive manner on the phone after he delivered our baby at home unintentionally! Shari arrived before the paramedics and helped him cut the cord. At the hospital, she helped me relax (I was FULL of adrenaline after the delivery!) while the midwife and nurse examined me. During the weeks that followed, Shari knew how important breastfeeding was to us and not only provided breastfeeding support but also put us in touch with the right resources to make sure breastfeeding was successful.

In such a relatively short amount of time, but a time of significance to our family, Shari changed our lives for the better—simply by being there and being herself. Just recently we ran into Shari and our daughter locked eyes with her...I think she remembers the woman who helped her start life in comfort and security.

I think having the right team of practitioners to nurture and support a pregnancy can cut down on the fear many women and their partners feel about birth. For my husband and me, Shari was a reason to feel comfortable—we trusted her skill and judgement. Anyone who works with her will know they’re in capable, confident hands.

From the moment we met Shari, when I was in my 3rd trimester with our first child, we instantly felt at ease.  Up until that moment I was scared, anxious and feeling powerless about what to expect during labor.  Shari came with a world of knowledge and showed us a path I hadn't even considered, until we met.  After our first meeting, we scoured the internet researching and gathered more information.  Starting to believe in myself and the possibility of a completely natural water birth, I switched practices at 35 weeks.  Shari continued to support me and my husband and provide us with information and resources throughout the remainder of the pregnancy.  During labor, Shari's support, calm nature and soothing words helped carry me through and we now have the memory of a beautiful birthing experience.  Shari is an educator and always gently encouraged us to ask why and seek more information.  Never judging and always supportive of our decisions once she knew we educated ourselves.  A beautiful, kind, giving heart and ever so grateful she entered our lives.  Shari continues to be a part of our lives as we have learned Shari is far more than *just* a doula.  Whenever I relish in the memories of our daughter's birth, I know Shari played a big role in the magnificent outcome that became my proudest and most memorable moment in life.

Shari was an INCREDIBLE postpartum doula for our family and I really cannot express how much she helped us in this testimonial. I had an unexpected medical emergency after the birth of my son which had me in the hospital for a couple of weeks and in the ICU for several days. Because our baby came three weeks early and our family was visiting from abroad, we were completely overwhelmed and alone at the hospital for several days while trying to deal with an incredibly challenging situation. 

Shari was a consistent source of support, knowledge and care for us during this time. She was a calm and assertive presence when everything around us was chaotic, frightening and filled with heavy uncertainty. 

She researched my heart condition and brought me information so that I could make informed decisions about my treatment. She helped advocate for my needs and our baby's needs with a stubborn hospital staff when my husband and I were too exhausted to do this for ourselves. She brought my husband coffee and real, non-hospital food, kept me company, and held and helped take care of our newborn baby when I wasn't able to. Shari knew how important breastfeeding was for me, and when I was told I couldn't breastfeed because of medication I was on, she helped me to find breastmilk donors.

Shari is passionate about birthing and helping newborns thrive and has a personal philosophy of serving others that far exceeds what you will find anywhere else. This woman is doula-excellence personified. I am limited to the amount I can write here, but I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about Shari if you are considering hiring her as your doula (You can contact me at gujjarigabrielle@gmail.com). Hire this woman. It will be one of the first and most important decisions you make for yourself as a mother and for your new baby.  

Shari willingly and lovingly stepped up when my previous doula left at an inopportune time.   Our prenatal visits solidified my trust in her abilities, and my Husband and I just liked her SO much.  She has a very comforting presence.  She raced to be by my side as quickly as she could arrive, even breaking thru a car accident scene to make it to the hospital.  Once she arrived, the room immediately became calmer and I could focus on helping my baby arrive and know that she would make everyone else LEAVE ME ALONE.  In her care, I knew that my Birth Plan would be followed as closely as possible.  Her knowledge of birthing modalities, medical jargon (fluff and not), calm and cool touch, and ability to puff up to over twice her size makes her perfect for being a doula.  I'm honored that she was my doula and should I be so fortunate as to be blessed by pregnancy again, I chose her as my doula again. 

Shari is loving, strong, knowledgable, and incredibly supportive.  She goes above and beyond what one would expect from a traditional doula. We lucked upon her late in our 2nd pregnancy and give much credit to her for the fact that I was able to achieve an unmedicated birth (a far cry from my first birthing experience). 

Shari knows people - she can read what you need before you even knew that you needed it.  She is gentle in her approach but not afraid to ask the hard questions.  This assertiveness leads her clients to be clear on what they want both before and during the labor/delivery experience.  Shari also knows pretty much all things pregnancy, labor/delivery, and postpartum.  And if she doesn't know offhand, she will find out in 2 seconds and provide you with references and a list of resources!  Her care starts when she meets you and continues well beyond your delivery. 

Shari is simply living out what she was put here to do.  She believes in her work as evidenced by how darn good she is.

We would recommend her with all of our hearts!

Shari was my doula for our first baby, born in October.  I interviewed and researched other doulas before meeting and choosing Shari.  I found Shari knowledgeable and a good match for my and my husband's personalities.  She has lots of experience and exudes strength and confidence.  I really wanted a natural water birth, and Shari played a large part in making sure that happened.  I also spent time visiting Shari for massages during my pregnancy and postpartum.  She is an amazing masseuse - both "on land" or "by sea" :) she does water massages that are just perfect for the pregnant body.  

The night of the birth, Shari came to our home and instilled a sense of calm and confidence in my husband and me.  We knew that she knew what she was doing, and we could turn over to her the decision of when to go to the hospital.  I have heard so many stories of going to the hospital too early, but I knew that Shari would take care and be aware of when was the right time for me to go. When she came to our house, she took over watching me from my husband... which was great, since neither of us was truly prepared for the pain and speedy regularity of my contractions.

I will always remember her coaching me through my final hours and while I pushed in the tub.  I am so grateful to Shari and could not have picked a better fit as a doula for us. She is a great resource for information and contacts related to birthing, classes, nursing, etc.  Her support was and continues to be so awesome.  I am very lucky Shari has played such an important role in the birth of my son - both before and after.

Shari was my doula in May 2010 for the birth of my second son. I met her at a meet the doula tea and loved her sense of humour, her confidence, her strong personality, and her down-to-earth attitude towards birth. She later came to my house for a one-on-one meeting with my husband and I and we decided she was a great fit.

I had a lot of hopes, expectations, and emotions invested in this birth because I was attempting a VBAC. Shari helped me throughout my  pregnancy with building my confidence in my body's ability to give birth. At times I was scared and very emotional and Shari never waivered in her support and confidence. She treated me like any "normal" mother about to give birth which was wonderful! We had very open and honest communication and she always answered questions and concerns almost immediately.

During my labor, she provided positive verbal encouragement, physical support through touch and massage, and helped me regain my focus when it was needed. Shari also helped me communicate with hospital staff by reminded me of my wishes if it looked like something was about to happen that was not in the plan. She helped to set the expectation with the nurses that *I* was the one making decisions and that if I wanted to get in the shower, then I would! It took the pressure of of myself and my husband to have an extra advocate and voice. From the beginning of my labor to the end, Shari helped both my husband and myself every step of the way.

Shari shared in the joy of me having an empowering, healing, and amazing vaginal birth after cesarean. My first birth was scary and traumatic but my VBAC was just the opposite with a lot of help from Shari. I do want more children and would love to have her at future births. 

Shari is absolutely wonderful.  She helped me deliver a 9 pound 13 ounce baby without a single drug.  I whole heartedly believe if it weren't for her support and encouragement, I could not have accomplished such a daunting task. 

My daughter was born at Atlanta Medical Center in Nov. 09 with Shari and a midwife in attendance. I had done the circuit of Doula meet and greets and at some point in the summer ran across Shari. Her personality lingered in my mind and I made plans to meet with her. The chemistry was as good as I hoped and so we made an arrangement. Now besides just liking her energy and attitude, here are some of the tangible reasons I chose Shari. She is grown folk. There are plenty of 25 year old doulas out there but I was a "mature" first time mom and didn't want a kid at my bedside. So I believed in her experience. Also, Shari has never given birth herself. This might be odd for some people but for me, it meant that she really believes in the miracle of pregnancy and natural child birth and chooses to bring this experience into her life again & again. Shari is a hands-on type of gal. She gardens, she fixes up her houses. She radiates confidence & competence. This was not a woman who would get flustered in a tense situation. 

Now I'll focus on some proof positive points from my labor. She was my champion & advocate. She knew my wishes and spoke for me when I could not. She knew how to work with, rather than against the medical staff to get the results we desired. She knows how to be flexible yet firm and isn't afraid to rock the boat in the right way. Also she is hilarious. The things that come out of her mouth are priceless. The best comment of the night isn't one I can type here  ;-) My birth went well, although not exactly as planned and she helped me adapt and make the best decisions for each stage of labor. My labor was 13 hours and other than to step out in the hall and consult with staff, she never left the room once. She was at my side the whole time. I guess all that is left to say is that I will be counting on her again if we are blessed with baby #2 at some point in the future!