Caitlin

3/24/2019

I am so grateful we found Pamela! When we started looking for a doula, I was a bit dubious: most of the profiles I was reading sounded a bit healing-crystals-and-faerie-dust, and (to each her own, but) I was looking for somebody down-to-earth and science-minded. Pamela is definitely that, but she is also quirky and fun, and adept at adapting her tone and energy level to the situation at hand. As a result, she was magnificently able to keep my partner and I both confident and at ease before, during, and after the high-stress experience that is birthing a child. In the weeks leading up to my labour, she did a wonderful job of helping me understand my options and talk through my needs and preferences, while also really connecting with my husband and giving him the tools and perspective to be a confident, focused birthing partner instead of a bundle of nerves. When my medical team started talking about early induction and I felt like I was losing control of the birth I wanted to have, Pamela helped me stay grounded and keep things in perspective. During the labour itself, she was a positive, reassuring presence, offering snacks, constructive suggestions, calming words, and lots of water! Above all, what impressed me the most about Pamela was the way she treated my husband and I as a team and made sure we both felt heard and supported. She did a fantastic job of setting us both at ease and supporting us as a unit throughout the birthing process, which allowed my husband to focus his whole energy on supporting me. TL;DR: Pamela is a lovely person and a great doula, and I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Katia

3/13/2019

Pamela is fantastic! She is extremely knowledgeable, helpful, positive, and very down to earth and she really cares about her clients. For us (first time parents) personality was a huge factor when choosing a doula. Afterall, this person is with you in the delivery room, so it should be someone you trust and enjoy being around, especially when things get intense. We instantly clicked with Pamela. She really took the time to learn about us, our hopes/expectations, and helped us set our priorities. Not least of all, she tolerated our sarcastic humour. When the big day came, she was extremely helpful (on the phone and then at the hospital). I couldn't have my mom around for support (she lives far away), so having Pamela was like having a friend there, except this friend actually knew what she was doing. She was very comforting. My husband also found her indispensable, because she enabled him to have some rest (I had long labour). After our baby was born, Pamela came to visit a few times and helped us in the early stages. I would highly recommend Pamela's services.

Cheryl Verheyden

4/26/2018

As a first time mom, I was extremely anxious in the time leading up to the birth of our daughter, and had no idea what to expect. From the moment Pamela arrived at our house, my partner and I both felt fully supported to let go into our experience, with the feeling that she was holding the space for us, which helped us stay grounded and calm. Throughout my entire labour and birth, she was by my side, and it seemed she somehow always knew the exact thing I needed, and exactly what I needed to hear, as if she were somehow inside my head! The team that formed between my partner, Pamela, and myself was pure magic. There’s no other way to describe it. It’s as if the three of us dropped into another dimension together, and all I could feel was seamless, careful, unending support, which allowed me to access a deep strength within myself that I did not know I had. She was able to be very professional while also bringing humour and a sense of ease, which was very much appreciated. I will be forever greatful for Pamela’s presence at our birth, and wouldn’t change a thing about the entire experience.

Lorraine Plourde

4/9/2018

I was great to have Pamela by our side for the birth of our son. We decided to hire a doula since we don't have family members around and there was a good chance my partner would be deployed at the time of the birth. Pamela felt like the right fit. She offered a reliable, calm and supportive presence for both me and my partner for the 16 or so hours she was by our side at home and in hospital. Plus, she has a great sense of humour. Having her with us made the whole experience better. Thanks again!

Diana Cordoba

2/17/2018

We had a great birth experience with Pamela as our Doula. After taking a parenting course with Pamela and getting to know her a bit more through her classes, my husband and I decided that she was a good fit for us. She has an open-minded approach that supported our vision but also provided us with information to make choices. I wanted to have an epidural to manage the pain but also as few medical interventions as possible under this scenario. No pressure to go one way or another, she had open and honest conversations with us which made us feel confident and comfortable with her being a part of our birth. When I went into labor Pamela showed up promptly and stayed with us through the 26-hour labor, helping me and my husband as needed. She also guided my husband to be the best partner he could possibly be during the most stressful moments of labor. One of my favorite things about having Pamela in the delivery room is that she makes sure you understand what our midwives and nurse were doing and help us ask the right questions. She gave us a lot of ideas for keeping calm and dealing with the pressure of contractions and pain. We also really appreciated her sense of humor and calm. We believe that having Pamela on board was one of the primary reasons I was able to have a natural birth and in a calm environment. Pamela visited twice after the birth to check in and offer more support and feedback and she was very helpful with any questions or concerns we had.

We can’t recommend her enough!

Diana and Christian

AnneMa Gagnon

1/21/2018

Pamela has provided us with so much support and shared valuable insights. Her help, wisdom and good spirit have made a meaningful difference in our adjusting to the new chapter with our first baby. I have been able to truly enjoy our little one while Pamela was taking care of so much daily logistic. And as a mother, it was so beneficial to have someone look after me and feed me while I was taking care of our sweet boy. Her resourcefulness in the kitchen was so much appreciated and the healthy and tasty food she prepared was priceless. I can say that our decision to use her services was enlightened!!

Alicia Mattson

7/9/2017

We are very happy that we hired Pamela as our doula. As first time parents with no immediate family in town, it was extremely helpful to have someone to call on for support. Pamela knows the ins and outs of birthing in Victoria, and she is able to share with you the many possible scenarios that can arise. She looks at the family as a whole. She reminds us that the care of the mother is important and that the health and well-being of mom and baby are intertwined. She also offers support to the partner of the mom, which is very important, because they are also going through a life-changing experience. We really appreciated that Pamela never seems to have an agenda or to be pushing her personal beliefs. She discusses different options and situations and then supports whatever choice you make. Most importantly, Pamela ensures that she is available to you during the labour process. We spent 2 nights labouring at home during which we called her numerous times and she offered multiple times to come over to our house during those nights. During labour, she uses her knowledge of birthing strategies to calmly and thoughtfully support mom physically and mentally. Pamela is professional, caring, knowledgeable, and she has a great sense of humour (something that is required for 52 hours of labour!).

Kerry Jupe

6/3/2017

Pam is a complete saviour and hiring her was the best decision we could have ever made.   We hired her for both Birth and Post Partum services.   During the birth she was amazing.   She had lots of great ideas that helped us get through a really hard birth in the best possible way.  She was there every step of the way, which was amazing when we were going on our 5th day at the hospital and 30th hour of labour!   She helped us understand and slow down each decision we had to make and also was great for a few laughs that were completely needed at that time.

As a post partum doula!  I cannot even express how much help it has been to have her.   My review would be too long.  Basically, she comes and helps with almost anything you need to feel whole.  Dishes, diapers, rocking the baby, vacuuming, etc.    If you need anything she's there.

If we have another child. I will DEFINITELY hire her again.    I cannot say enough about how wondering, caring and funny pam is.  it was a pleasure getting to know her and so happy that she was able to help with our little one.

Darla Deschamps Montgomery

1/12/2017

Choosing to have Pamela as our post partum doula was undoubtedly a great decsion that my husband and I made prior to having our first born.  Her knowledge, compassion, calm energy and kind spirit held space for our family while we learned the in's and out's of becoming first time parents.  She helped us gain the confidence and knowledge that we needed to feel comfortable in raising our first child with limited support from family and friends as we are new to the Island.  As new parents we found there was alot of stress surrounding the things that we had so many questions about, Pamela was able to give us the tools to not feel overwhelmed and to be able to really enjoy and truly appreciate our new bundle of joy during this amazing time in our lives. I would highly reccommend her services and definitely be reaching out to Pamela again if we have a second. ;)

~Darla Montgomery

Ryan Bosinger

9/9/2016

This is from "the guys perspective":

Oskar is our first child. We had just moved to Victoria when we found out my partner was pregnant. We chose to hire a doula because we had nobody here when it came to friends/family. Doing so was a very good choice.

Pamela was our prenatal class instructor at The Mothering Touch as we asked her to be our doula. She is mellow, funny and knowlegable and connected to my partner's interests as a photographer.

We went into labour suddenly, quickly and a few weeks earlier than expected. It was a tremdenous help to me, as the father-to-be, to have someone to call. We used an app to determine that we needed to go to the hospital. It happened so fast I thought the app was broken. I got Pam on the phone and told her about the numbers and timings. She confirmed that the app was probably right and we met at the hospital.

Labour ended up being a bit longer than we had thought. We decided to go with an epideral and an assisted delivery via vaccuum/suction cup on the doctors suggestions. Pam was with us during this decision; calmly distliing information to us and making sure we were truly OK with our decisions.

I also felt that Pam understood the type of people we are and the ways we were likely to go about such a new, crazy experience.

It was also super comforting to have Pam come by after the birth to confirm that the way we were feeding and caring for Oskar was OK. It can be hard to be sure of such things as new parents.

Honestly, get a doula. If Pam is available and in your area I'd recommend giving her a call!

Tam MacNeil

7/4/2016

We had our first child this spring and have no family in town, so we knew we would need a hand, but we had no idea how much help we would actually need. Our little guy had tongue tie, and breastfeeding was more difficult than expected. Plus, my husband had to return to full-time school two weeks after our son was born, and I had never changed a diaper in my life.

From the first day, Pamela was a godsend. I could nap, get a shower, and have a break while she answered questions, tidied up the chaos, or made us a meal. When we forgot groceries, she picked them up for us, and when we had questions about feedings, swaddling, or baby carrying, she had answers or knew where to find them.

Pamela knows as much about care and feeding of new parents as she does about little ones, and that made the first three months of our son's life remarkably relaxed and enjoyable. I recommend her to everyone who asks. She's dependable, reliable, and solid as a rock.

Thank heavens for Pamela.

Alisa Holtz

2/11/2016

Thank you for all your help and support. Your prenatal visits were extremely valuable as you really made us think about what we wanted and because of that it was an amazing experience. Plus having you there with your words of encouragement and calming manner were truly needed and appreciated. We couldn't have had such a wonderful labour without you!

Lindsay Hounslow

1/17/2016

Who chose Pamela as a doula because we felt really comfortable with her. She has a casual yet clear presence and a great sense of humour. She has good resources to help with gathering info and having a "plan" for your birth. She respected our wishes and was a great support throughout. During labour she was present when needed without being intrusive. She assisted my husband and supported us both. She stepped up to be my main support when we had to transfer to hospital late in labour and I was really grateful she was there for me. After birth she shared her knowledge of breastfeeding and was really encouraging. She's a great person and very committed to working with families. She's definitely worth meeting if you are looking for a doula!

Ruby Campbell

1/17/2016

Pamela was my rock throughout  labour and delivery. I called her at 2am when my water broke and contractions started. And she stayed with me for the next 22.5 hours until my baby was born. She kept me calm and told me I was doing a great job throughout the whole process which was exactly what I needed. It was so wonderful to have someone there who was focused on me and my wants/needs/feelings. When my daughter was (finally) born  and the doctors were examining her Pamela was my voice "Mama wants to know what's going on with baby!" I highly recommend having Pamela as your Doula. If(when) I decide to have another child, I hope to have her by my side again. :)