Diksha Berebitsky Doula Profile

When we decided to have a doula, we interviewed several. Immediately after meeting Diksha we knew she was the one for us. She was warm, genuine, and very attentive to our needs and plans for our birth and our baby. During our 38 hour labor, NOTHING went as planned except for the end result, our beautiful baby boy Gavin ? . Diksha pulled out many tricks in order to make me feel special and taken care of. We don’t know what we would have done without her. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, and she helped me with that. I wouldn’t have wanted to share this experience with anyone else. She was so knowledgeable and could even tell just by my contraction pattern what was going on in there! It was amazing. Not only was she essential for our labor, but the prenatal visits and post-partum visits were a God send. She provided us with books, DVD’s and advice that helped us with sleepless nights, breastfeeding, and being new parents. I am truly thankful for her and my husband swears by doulas now! Diksha will always be a part of our family. I feel that I didn’t just gain a doula, or a positive birth experience, but a friend as well. For that I am so thankful.

Anytime I needed Diksha, she was always there (in person or to talk), no matter what time of day or night it was. One time, she spent hours with me walking in a park at snail speed and at 6 cm dilated... in very cold weather. Her visits with you are completely tailored for you and your whole family's needs. She works with whatever you want for your birth and does not try to push you toward another direction. One time, she spent hours with me walking in a park at snail speed and at 6 cm dilated... in very cold weather.

She made sure I stayed hydrated, and had protein and food in my system even though it was not the first thing on my mind. It was nice to know that she had been through this herself before, and that she has a lot of wonderful experience from helping other family's bring their babies into the world.

The encapsulated placenta was something that I thought was pretty weird and wanted no part of, but I ultimately did try it. The pills were awesome and I felt great.

our prenatal appointments with Diksha were great! we were so comfortable. she always made us feel like we could say anything and not be judged. she is sweet and funny and a pleasant person to be around. she had a lot of information she shared with us and she answered alot of questions.     during my labor she had a mother like feeling to me, in a good way. she helped me with massage and just her presence was calming and made me and my husband feel very safe. the extra confidence she gave my husband was invaluable. i had an amazing and beautiful labor and natural birth and truly believe that the safety and confidence i felt with my doula and midwife played a huge role in that. i also had Diksha encapsulate my placenta and make me a homeopathic tinxture and that has been very helpful and just cool to have for the future. we now have a beautiful baby girl and i look back on the birth experience with intense happiness and love. thank you Diksha, from the bottom of our hearts.   xoxo, kate & william & atira thompson

I was so fortunate to have found Diksha! I was put on bed rest for the last 8 weeks of my pregnancy and I needed a doula that could support me during this time. She helped tremendously by caring for my 2 year old son who developed a bond with Diksha and her children. She also brought me wonderful birthing books and videos. The video "Birth as We Know It" inspired and empowered me and was exactly what I needed to watch in order to have my water birth. I had a dream of a birth and Diksha was instrumental in making that happen. My water broke at midnight and I immediately went into labor. I called Diksha on the way to the hospital and she arrived within minutes after us. I forgot our camera but Diksha had brought hers and took photos. While I was in labor she stayed present with me massaging my back and knowing exactly what to say to help my body relax and transform the intense energy of my contractions into feelings of bliss. After my daughter my born she suggested that we move the baby warmer over to me so that I could continue to hold my daughter skin to skin. I would not have thought to ask the nurse if we could do this but Diksha made it possible. At one point I became dizzy and felt like I might pass out and Diksha gave me honey sticks, which immediately revived me. Before saying goodbye she left me with food, liquid peppermint (in case I felt dizzy again) and some tea lights to create a warm and magical ambiance in our room. When I returned home I had an array of beautiful gifts waiting for me. She encapsulated my placenta and dried part of my daughter's ambilical cord and placed it in a lovely box. I took the capsules and noticed a significant difference in my mood and energy level as compared to the birth of my son. Diksha embodies all the qualities I was looking for in a doula. She is thoughtful, caring and compassionate and was always there to help with anything I needed.

Two weeks before my due date, I had decided to switch from birth center to hospital birth. Diksha moved right with me through this difficult decision and helped me stay focused on my natural birth intent, despite my hospital fears. She prepared me in only two visits with knowledge of birth positions, birth situations and various comforting methods during labor. Because of her own experience with HypnoBirthing, what was also my way of approaching birth, Diksha was totally in tune with me, and Shawn Maximilian arrived fast and safe in this world, and on my chest. I still ingest capsules with powder made out of my placenta that Diksha had prepared after my birth. I am so grateful that also this wish of mine came full circle.

Diksha’s confidence, knowledge, and willingness to answer any of our many questions was a gift. Her experience and calming presence was a large part of allowing us to be relaxed enough before and during our labor to have the kind of birth that we wanted, safe and comfortable in our own home.

Knowing that we could, and still can, call her with any concern we had was a great source of comfort and we would recommend her to anyone expecting a baby in the Olympia area.

I would not recomment Diksha for doula services in a hospital. I chose Diksha from our pleasant interview and I enjoyed our prenatal visits. I appreciated her time spent (too much time as my birthing experience was extensive due to a 2 1/2 day induction process) which was very didcated in making sure I was not alone very often during my stay in the hospital. What i do not appreciate was her pushiness with the nurses and the tension with them. The final straw was when Diksha entered my room and asked the nurse to move me to a different room (without even discussing it with me first). This was after 3 days in the room and I'm all settled! There were other times of anxiety when Diksha would bother my nurses by buzzing the button frequently for unipmortant requests (i.e.'s a fresh ice water, a straw, a different cup) and I felt like she had the attitude of being better than the nurses. I finally had to say something to her because it was making me very uncomfortable and worried that the nurses would become upset with me and not be very helpful during the acutally birth time! I did not receive the 2 post pardum visits nor any communication after I provided constructive citisism to both Diksha and her back up/partner doula Emily Flynn. Emily was an unexperienced doula used for to gain experience in trade for taking and providing pictures of the birth. Unfortunately she did not take pictures of the birth. I have yet to receive the pictures she took with her camera. All in all, I am very disapopinted with this team and would highly recomment that you interview other doulas.

For my second child, my husband and I initially planned a hospital birth with nurse midwives. I hired Diksha to provide labor support, for my husband as much as for me. From the start, her compassionate presence and sustained generosity told me that I was wrong not to expect love and support from the people attending my labor. She was fully engaged with my physical and emotional progress as I moved toward birth. She cared about my first birth experience and truly helped me to heal from it. Midway through my term my husband and I decided to return to the same licensed midwife practice we used for our older child's birth, and to have our baby at home.

After 19 hours of labor, Agnes was born at home in the water. Diksha helped me with positioning, offered massage and aromatherapy, and encouraged me to draw from my own reserves of strength. She also brought us delicious food to eat! Having both of my daughters caught by the same midwife--the first baby in the hospital, the second at home--closed the circle for me in a way that is difficult to describe. If I endured my first labor, I can honestly say that I was nourished and strengthened by the second. Diksha was instrumental in allowing this to happen.

After Agnes' birth, Diksha helped to clean our home. She preserved and encapsulated my placenta, an incredibly valuable service that she performed joyfully. During my term, I appreciated the books and other informational resources Diksha lent me; the time she spent with my husband and me; and the friendship her children forged with mine. She is a special person, and my husband and I recommend her and her services wholeheartedly.

We are so thankful to have met Diksha and to have her support as our Doula during the labor and birth of our baby. Her attention and focus was much appreciated. She provided a strong, steady energy that filled the room with comfort. Her pre-birth consultations were social and purposeful, helping us determine and visualize what we wanted in a birth. Since our birth was not without complication, Diksha again provided a "big picture" perspective when she reminded us to get some 'skin on skin' time before Owen was whisked away. For this, and much more, we will always be thankful for.

Drew and Coral Macy
 

Diksha was very helpful in my labor. She was able to calm me down and helped me with her loving care and empowering /confirming words through my contractions. Diksha was also able to pull my husband together when he was having a hard time. She also applied her massage therapy skills which gave me god relive.

Diksha is a wonderful edition to the birthing world and I believe that she will help many women to bring there wonderful baby's into the world.
 

This is a letter we send Diksha after the birth of Magnolia.

Diksha, thank you so much for the warmth and loving spirit that you brought to Maggie's birth. Your knowledge and support helped us to have a fantastic birth experience. We really appreciated the positive attitude and intentions toward relationship building that you brought to the hospital and your interactions with the staff there. Having a natural childbirth in a hospital setting was what we wanted and that's exactly what we got. Thank you!

Love, Dawn and Jim
 

At one point in time I felt that I could never overcome my post traumatic birth experience. I needed someone to tell me that how I was feeling was perfectly okay and in no way reflected what kind of person I was or what type of mother I would be to my child. That person for me was Diksha.

Diksha became more than just a doula, she became a friend. And, like friends do, she supported me and reminded me of all the positive things about myself, my body, and my baby. In the end she took what I already knew and re-enforced it. My birth was a quick one, everyone (including my husband and children) missed it but I was able to walk into that hospital, alone, and birth my baby knowing that I wasn’t the only one who had faith in me. Without fear and without doubt, birthing my baby became just as natural as nature intended it to be; A beautiful and loving life changing experience.
 

For my second baby, Diksha helped me to fulfill my wish of having a natural childbirth. Diksha's open-hearted presence throughout my birth provided comfort, reassurance and constant emotional support. Her loving, consistent postpartum care (over the phone and in person), helped me navigate the challenges of my body's healing process, as well as intuiting my emotional needs during the often turbulent first weeks after birth. Henry Stephan Walter came into the world very peaceful and healthy (8lbs 12oz) .I labored a very intense 2,5 Hours from beginning to end.

Thank you so much Diksha you are amazing.

"Diksha was at the birth of our son, Max. As first time parents we are very grateful that she was! Max was 4 weeks early and we had not finished our birthing classes let alone all of the other last minute things that get done when your having a baby.

We had our first doula appointment with Diksha a week before Max was born and she was so helpful with letting us know what to expect, and what she could do for us. She also helped us find the answers to a bunch of questions that we had been pondering.

The next time we met Diksha we were in labor and she was fantastic! Once active labor hit there was no way I was able to focus on anything but the contractions and because Diksha was there, my partner was able to focus soley on helping me with labor. And Diksha was there to coach him so he didn't have the pressure of trying to remember everything he'd read and learned in the few classes we had.

After Max was born, Diksha was so helpful in giving us resources to help us on our new journey as parents. She was also great and checking in with us to make sure we were doing ok.

We were so blessed to have Diksha with us during this time. She is an excellent doula, and we would reccomend her services to anyone having a baby, especially first time parents.

- Erika, Matt, & Max"
 

Diksha helped to make the birth experience for our son so special. We had an epidural with our first child and really wanted to experience natural childbirth the second time. Diksha made it possible for the awesome experience of natural childbirth to happen for us. We still talk about how wonderful it was to walk through the different stages of labor together as a couple and to have Diksha there to navigate us through.

She had great suggestions for my husband to help me through labor. She came to our house to teach us different positions and relaxation techniques during a prenatal visit. She helped to set the mood in the hospital room. She knew when to step in and assist – giving foot massage during active labor and speaking words of encouragement when the labor was really rough.

We could tell that she was honored and excited to be there as our son came into the world. We would want Diksha present at all of our births in the future because she made it so meaningful.

Thank you Diksha so very much!!

Diksha was truly an invaluable part of my birthing experience.

Though I’d planned on a home birth , my water broke and labor started a month before my due date. So, instead of my vision of midwife, doula, and a couple of close family members at home, we were sent to a hospital birthing center thirty miles away. I was fully laboring when we arrived and fortunately, Diksha had been summoned and arrived very soon. From the start, Diksha was an advocate for me and for the birth experience she knew I desired.

While laboring, the kinds of intake questions, probes, arrangements, forms, inspections, and injections required by nurses and staff were challenging to deal with. I felt like I was on another planet and what they wanted seemed so irrelevant and invasive during the intensity of labor. But Diksha stayed by my side and made sure I got what I needed. She offered good suggestions to make the whole process easier and was simply very encouraging, letting me know that things were going exactly as they should and that I was doing great. It was my first time and  it was incredibly helpful to have this support.

Diksha felt like the only link between me and the world around me. She was able to understand and empathize with my altered state and create a bridge between me and the hospital staff and my family who were attending the birth. I was able to have a natural birth free of drugs and other interventions. With Diksha’s help, I was able to create a birth experience that I feel very good about.

What could have been an unpleasant experience with unnecessary complications, turned into the most positive experience we could have hoped for. I felt such gratitude for having had Diksha there with me. I knew that things could have gone very differently without her.

Thank you Diksha!

We are completely amazed by the assistance that Diksha has provided us on every step of our journey of parenthood. Diksha's help was also invaluable during my labor and delivery. She instantly created a more pleasant environment in the hospital, reassured me that the warm tub was waiting, and she showed my husband how to sooth me. Throughout my labor, she made sure that I was comfortable and relaxed, which helped tremendously with my pain management. Crucially, she was alert to decision-making moments. In each such moment, Diksha served as an invaluable, intelligent, and compassionate advocate. She helped us avoid a vacuum extraction by instructing me to push my baby out before the midwife had time to get the equipment. I will always remember that Diksha's gentle voice was the spark that brought my little Dahlia into the world.

I am particularly awestruck by Diksha's postpartum support. She visited in the hospital and made sure I was well taken care of and had what I needed for healing. She sat with me when I felt devastated that Dahlia had to stay in the NICU for jaundice. After coming home with a healthy baby, I saw or spoke with Diksha several times a week. She brought us a breast pump, videos, and books from her extensive lending library. She had intelligent answers to all my questions and helped mentor me in motherhood. Diksha even fostered a friendship with another new mom. She made sure my house did not dissolve into chaos, I had healthy food to eat, and I had time to recuperate while my baby was happy in her arms.

Through her diligent efforts, compassionate soul, and vast knowledge of birth and beyond, Diksha has far exceeded our expectations for a doula. She has become part of our family. I recommend her services without reservation.