Matilda White CD(PALS, DONA) - Let It Be Birth

Matilda was hands down the best doula we could have asked for. We met with her just once after interviewing her. She asked us some great questions - some that really got us thinking about what we wanted or didn't want for our birthing experience. But, we did keep in contact via text or calls several times prior to giving birth. Matilda was actually out of town the first time I thought I was going into labor. She did an amazing job talking with me on the phone to determine if it was the real deal. We both thought it was so she actually left her vacation and came back to Seattle! Unfortunately, it was not the real deal, and I didn't end up giving birth for another 3 weeks. When the actual day came, again Matilda was truly supportive over text and then by phone. Although our initial plan was to labor at our house first, my contractions came on so suddenly and strong, that we decided to meet at the hospital. She made it to the hospital just moments before we did (whew!) and did an amazing job during the rest of my labor (which ended up being just under 3 hours). She gave great massages - to me and my husband, offered words of encouragement, kept calm and relaxed, ensured me and my husband got the food or water we needed, and offered great laboring position ideas. After the birth, Matilda took some great pictures of an experience we will never forget. We highly recommend Matilda as a birth doula!

Posted 5/12/2013

 I had heard about the benefits of hiring a doula from my brother and sister-in-law. They raved that having a "supportive third party" at their daughter's water birth made a huge difference. I thought I'd look into it, especially since my husband's job likely would not let him have the time off when I was going into labor. I can tell you that I immediately appreciated Matilda's style when we met for coffee. I could tell right away that she has that unique and special blend of warmth, dependability, sense of humor and strength that I was looking for in labor support. This was my first pregnancy (although not first child), so I had some concerns about the whole birthing process (specifically, the pain part of it). Originally, I was planning on delivering in the hospital and then at about 35 weeks, I had a change of heart and decided that the birth center and water birth was really and truly my hearts desire. I could not have found someone who was more supportive of my decision. As we got closer to my due date, she was checking in with me frequently to see how I was doing, which gave me a lot of encouragement. When I finally went into labor (one week after my official due date), she quickly responded to my text and was right there to support me emotionally and physically.  Through the whole labor, she was right there by my side and knew when to step aside when my husband was able to get to the birthing center. I had a quite pushing phase (my son has a large head!) and Matilda's words of encouragement and hands massage on to alieve back labor definitely helped me to keep going when I felt like giving up. I am proud to say that with her support as well as my husbands and those at the birthing center, I was able to go completely drug free -  which something I was aspiring to do. Thank you Matilida for the wonderful work you do! The passion you have is clearly evident and I so appreciate you being there for our very special day!!

Posted 4/13/2013

Hiring doula for my first pregnancy was the best decision my husband and I made. I cannot be happier about having Matilda as my doula at my birth. I appreciated so much about her presence, her expertise, and her warm and caring personality throughout my labor. I was really nervous about how to deal with the contraction and labor pains but her calm presence and her pain management suggestions and massages really helped me stay calm and made the pains much much more bearable. She listened and cared every concern and question I had and this assured me I was in good hands. She was so considerate, thoughtful, and loving and I felt perfectly comfortable with her the wholetime and she knew exactly what to tell us at each moment and each stage of the labor. I really could not have given birth the way I did without Matilda's compassion and her most sincere and helpeful support. I also loved her witty sense of humor that helped me stay relaxed and at times even smile and giggle through the labors which worked as a huge breather! I am so confident she can provide the same service with any pregnant woman who comes in contact with her. Matilda is not only a professonal doula but her passion and her heart to help pregnant women seep through her words and actions. Her service is absolutely beyond what you can exchange with $$. I recommend her with no reservations whether you're interested in doula service or not because you will only be so thankful that you did. She will help you "enjoy" your delivery and make it a most memorable one. I can't thank her enough for that.

Posted 7/25/2012

I chose to give birth at the hospital, but wanted my childbirth to be as natural as possible. Having Matilda there as my doula, I truly think, has made that possible. Matilda has a very gentle, nurturing approach, just what a laboring woman needs during childbirth. She was there not only for me, but for my husband too, who also needed guidance through this unfamiliar experience. She was there as much as we needed her (and we needed her a lot!) in this difficult and miraculous journey of bringing our baby into the world. I managed to deliver my baby without an epidural just like I was determined to do, although I don’t know if I would have been able to do it without Matilda there at my side.

Posted 7/16/2012

We hired Matilda, planning on having a midwife assisted home birth. She was incredibly supportive and we immediately felt very comfortable with her. I had been having an easy pregnancy when I was sent to the hospital because of preeclampsia at 34 weeks. Due to some complications with my son because of the preeclampsia, we had to have an emergency cesarian with about 30 minutes notice. It was Matilda's wedding anniversary, but she dropped everything and rushed to the hospital to be with us. She held my hand throughout the surgery, describing what she could see in the reflection of the light over the table since they wouldn't let her or my husband watch. She was clearheaded enough to ask for me to see my placenta, something I wanted to do but would have forgotten about in the moment. She stayed with me as my husband went with our son to the NICU and was able to give me updates on his (healthy!) status while I was in recovery. I honestly don't know what we would have done without her and am so grateful that we had her with us that day. My son's birth was so very different from what we had planned and Matilda was a rock for us throughout. My husband and I were so thankful that he could go with our son and focus on him completely, without worrying about how I was doing because Matilda was able to stay with me. I recommend Matilda with no reservations whatsoever and would absolutely love to have her with me if we have another child.

Posted 7/16/2012

 Matilda was a great doula. She was very professional at our prenatals and she really listened to what I wanted for my birth. I felt very safe and supported going into my birth with Matilda. From the moment she arrived during labor, she was hands-on. She remembered everything I asked for prenatally and worked very hard to help me achieve those things. When my baby was in a funky position and labor was moving slowly, Matilda knew what to do immediately. She was very focused throughout the entire process and I was very glad to have her there. I will definitely call her again if we have another!

Posted 4/4/2012

We hired matilda late in my pregnancy only a few weeks before the due date of my first baby. Neither of us had witnessed a birth and were both nervous. As soon as we met Matilda we felt much less anxious and we hired Matilda on the spot. She had all of the qualities we were looking for---self assured, compassianate, sense of humor, but most important we both felt at ease in her presence. She has a very calming nature. I cannot imagine doing it without her. Every woman owes it to herself to hire doula and if you do I highly recommend Matilda.                            Labor was long and at times discouraging as progress was slow. Matilda helped us through it all --she massaged, used pressure points, lit battery candles, and much more. She was a wonderful calming presence throughout. She stayed with us for about 30 hours. Unfortunately she had to leave us early. She had a very important conflicting engagement -- we discussed it and I knew it was important to her to go and we told her we were ok with her leaving us. She offered to have her backup come but we declined. As much as I wish she had been with us to the end I know it was not a decision made lightly and all of her coaching prior helped us through the last part on our own-- with the help of the midwife and nurse of course. In the end after 48 hours of labor I gave birth to a gorgeous, healthy baby boy. he was placed skin to skin, we bonded, he nursed. we were all happy. I look back on my birth story with pride and satisfaction. I do not believe it would have been the same positive experience without her compassion, encouragement, support and don't forget those wonderful pressure points. Love her. I wouldn't go through the experience again without her. Hire her you, will be so glad you did.

Posted 6/26/2011

 I found Matilda through random chance, after the previous Doula I chose fell through. I am SO glad that this happened! Knowing now just how my birth would unfold, I cannot imagine doing it without her. From the moment I went into labor, Matilda was there on the phone, advising me what to do, and just to let her know when I needed her there and she would be right over. She made me very comfortable to call under any instance. My whole labor lasted 46 hours, with me pushing for 3 1/2, but the little guy just did not want to come out! We transferred to the hospital for a c-section, and Matilda stayed with me the whole time. She was in the operating room holding my hand, reminding us to ask for the placenta to take home, and taking pictures of the three of us when our guy was finally born. Matilda has such a soothing presence that I never felt down for being at the hospital after our much wanted home birth didn't go as planned. She was there until the last minute when our baby was falling asleep after eating, and everyone else had gone home. Matilda was priceless to have at my birth, and I would for sure ask her to be there in any other births I may have in the future!

Posted 6/19/2011

We were lucky enough to hire Matilda early in our pregnancy so we had a lot of time to get to know her. We instantly felt comfortable with her and that we had made the right decision to hire her. She has all the qualities that you could ask for in a doula. She is compassionate, knowledgeable, sincere, supportive, honest and has a good sense of humor. During pregnancy she was always there to answer our questions and concerns. During our labor and birth she proved indispensable! She was there exactly when we needed her and helped me through the pain with supportive words and back massage and hip squeezes that helped alleviate the pain. She was wonderful at being able to tell what I needed from her and giving it to me. It was her voice that calmed me and reminded me to breathe and drink water when I needed to. She worked wonderfully with my husband, too, including him in everything so he never felt like she was taking over. We made the best decision by hiring her for our birth and should we choose to have another baby we wouldn’t hesitate to hire Matilda again as our doula.

Posted 6/15/2011

To have a doula at birth of my baby was a very good decision. To have Matilda as my doula was an even better decision. She was amazing and I have to say without her support we would not have had such a smooth and satisfying experience.
Matilda helped us put together our birth plan. She gave us a lot of great suggestions to include in it that I wasn’t even thinking about.
She was very supportive; having her with us in early stage of labor at home made us not to rush to the hospital too early so we were able to have more relaxing hours of labor in our house.
One of the biggest benefits of having Matilda was that she was very helpful with decreasing the pain and uncomfortablility of the contractions with her various pressures and positions and breathing techniques – especially as my birth was all natural without the use of an epidural or other drugs.
She also made sure that the hospital staff was following our birth plan as we wanted, and after Milena was born, helped to start her feeding as soon as possible.
Matilda also came twice to visit us after the Milena was born. The first time was last minute call since I needed help with breast feeding, which was very nice.
We would recommend Matilda very much to be your doula.
 

Posted 3/3/2011

  My husband and I had planned the perfect birth for our first child, Elliott. One of our last decisions (and most beneficial) was to hire Matilda White as our doula. We had no idea how much Matilda would positively affect our labor experience.
From the moment that Matilda responded to our first email, we felt that she was the right fit. She’s the perfect balance of professionalism, humor, compassion, warmth, and knowledge. Prior to Elliott’s birth, she met with us twice, and we went over our birth plan. She also went over what we would want to do in the event that things did not go as planned. Things, did not go as planned.
To make a very long story very short, Matilda assisted us with a 30 hour natural labor that ended in a C-section. She helped us decide when we needed her to meet with us during the labor, provided much needed support physically and emotionally during and between contractions for hours upon hours, helped us come to terms with the c-section that had become necessary, and supported both of us during the actual c-section. Looking back, there is no part of our labor story that we would have wanted to experience without Matilda. She is invaluable.
Matilda is the doula you want to press on your back during contractions, to talk you through the moments you don’t think you can make it past, to stand up for your birth choices, and to not only keep you and your partner from panicking but to keep everyone in good spirits.
Matilda has taught me how priceless doulas are. I cannot imagine having another child without Matilda present. The word doula cannot possibly express all that Matilda White will be for your birth. Whatever fee she charges you, after your labor you will know how you could never pay her for what she’s really worth! Matilda has found her calling and we are all lucky she has.

Posted 12/9/2010

I was fortunate enough to connect with Matilda 6 weeks before I gave birth. Not only is she warm and reassuring, but she is full of good knowledge and information that prepared for what I may expect in the weeks to come. If she had not told me what to look for as detailed signs of early labor, I would not have been prepared for my birth, as my water broke suddenly. I was not mentally prepared to be early with my first child, but after my meetings with Matilda, I knew better than most that I may deliver before my due date. This was based on my discussions with her about what I was feeling physically, how I had progressed after OB visits during my pregnancy, as well as her getting a sense of my birth plan and physical history.

So, when my water broke suddenly, I do not think it was as much of a surprise to her. She was at the hospital to help me within the hour once I called her, and she came prepared! I was so happy to have her there to talk me through that difficult day and a half of labor, and to walk me through the changes and physical preparation to deliver my baby in a calm, caring manner. I am grateful for her in every sense of the word. Even though I have a loving partner, I felt that I was not alone in this new experience with Matilda by my side. She was also a wonderful support person to husband through the long hours in the birth center, helping right along side him while I was in active labor, and being there for us so that he could sit down and catch his breath or eat when he needed to. I learned so much from her in such a short time, I can't imagine having another child without her present.

Posted 11/1/2010

Matilda White is an amazing doula! We interviewed Matilda a couple of months before our due date and then met up with her one day before the labor, but it felt like we had known her for much longer! Matilda met us at the hospital the morning of our son's birth. She was ready to support right off the bat! We walked, did squats, stairs, and various positions during contractions that really helped me to progress in active labor. Matilda put pressure on my hips during every contraction and it really felt great. There wasn't one moment when I needed her that she wasn't there. She stayed by my side for 16 hours with one small break. She constantly gave me words of encouragement that helped me to keep going. I labored in the jetted tub for a couple of hours, and she brought little electric tea lights to put around the tub. It was so relaxing and a wonderful way to labor. My husband and Matilda together made the perfect team for me. My husband was very impressed with Matilda's ability to sooth us both. Matilda also kept my family in the waiting room up to date on where we were at with the labor. They were also really thankful for the information and her kindness. My husband and I highly recommend Matilda for your labor and delivery. Matilda is very professional and her ability to sooth helped us to have an amazing birth experience. It was an incredible day, and it puts a smile on our face when we reminisce about it. Thank you Matilda!! ~ Danielle and Kilmer Porter (and baby Jackson)

Posted 8/25/2010

I had never heard of a "doula" before my daughter's experience. We are from the east coast, and I said it must be a "west coast" thing! I am so glad I was able to meet Matilda and share in this wonderful experience. She was so encouraging and so soothing during the 16 hours that Danielle and Kilmer were in the hospital going through labor. Matilda made it a point to come to the house a couple of days before Dani went into labor. I was able to meet her, and she answered any questions they had. She told them she would be at the hospital for them when they needed her. She was there promptly when called. She stayed with them the entire time (16 hours) and kept us parents informed when we were in the waiting room. I was able to see her "at work" myself, because being Dani's mom allowed me time with her during labor. I got to see Matilda doing what she does best! She coached Danielle and Kilmer, soothing them with kind, soft words of encouragement during the difficult labor pains and kept them relaxed and happy during the other times, much like a dear friend would do. She set up a Jacuzzi to ease Dani’s back pain and brought her own non-flaming candles, then turned down the lights in the room to give her an atmosphere of calm and peacefulness. When Dani and Kilmer were in the labor room and Dani was in hard labor, Kilmer and Matilda worked with Dani as a team to keep her comfortable enough to ease the pain by holding her and pressing on her hips to release some of the unbearable pain. Matilda worked with Dani and Kilmer to make their experience the best possible and one to always remember without fear and with a lifetime memory to cherish. I would recommend Matilda to any mother-to-be because my daughter and son-in-law, along with my husband and I, had such a wonderful experience knowing that the birth of their child was a beautiful blessing to be enjoyed and always be a positive memory in their life. ~Gloria Molella (Mother of Danielle)

Posted 8/25/2010

 Matilda White is a wonderful doula.  My husband and I enjoyed her sense of humor, her calm demeanor, and her willingness to be as present as we desired.  When we needed her, she was there.  When we wanted space/privacy, she was also very respectful of that.  My husband and I had done a lot of preparation on our own to be ready for the labor/birth, and weren't expecting to use a doula.  However, we were very pleased to have Matilda there for labor and delivery.  It was her first birth, but she seemed very experienced and through the entire process.  She's also a great singer, so she sang to my tummy as my husband played the ukulele.  It was a memorable time.  We recommend her!

Posted 6/10/2010

We had the pleasure of using Matilda for our birth.  Suffice it to say, Thank Goodness she was there.  My wife's labor went MUCH faster than everyone expected, and Matilda ended up coaching her through the whole process and...  Catching the baby as well!  The baby came so fast our midwife couldn't make it in time, so Matilda communicated with our midwife through speakerphone.  Throughout the whole thing, she was calm and collected.  I - on the other hand - was a wreck.  But Matilda maintained her cool.  I'm very glad that Matilda was our doula.  Our newborn sends his appreciation as well.

Posted 6/4/2010