Matilda White Doula Profile

 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!

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.

 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!

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.

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.
 

  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.

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.

 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!

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.