Shaun & Anya Cooper

11/4/2020

We would highly recommend Natasja's services.  She was incredibly polite, comforting, knowledgable and supportive throughout.  In particular, her presence during labour was invaluable for both Mom and Dad.  She was always there with a helpful suggestion, words of support, breathing assistance, and all kinds of small but impactful actions and comments that made our process better than we could have asked for.  If we have another, we will absolutely be hoping to work with Natasja again.

Katie

10/15/2020

Our experience with Natasja can be summed up as empowering. At every step of pregnancy, labor and postpartum, she offered us the knowledge, tools and support for us to make the decisions we wanted! Working with her gave my partner and I such a boost of confidence and it made for a really lovely experience. 

Alida Holt

8/29/2020

I cannot say enough great things about our experience with Natasja! She gave us amazing support through all aspects of our birth experience with our second child. She started by giving us a refresher on the topics we learned in our prenatal class with our first child. She supported all stages of labour through reassuring text messages in the early stages to in person support at home and the hospital. She was so knowledgeable and helpful and spent hours squeezing my hips with my husband when that was the only thing that helped me through my contractions! We also used her postpartum services and was that ever a help in getting some extra rest while she helped with dinner and child care. She went above and beyond in all areas and her expertise and support is the main reason that I was able to reach my goal of having a natural birth. If we ever have another child, she will be one of the first I call to ensure I can book her in for the birth! Thank you so much Natasja!

Chanel Avarello

6/19/2020

Natasja provided postpartum support for our first baby. The knowledge, comfort and humour she brought to our home made our experience as first time parents less intimidating and far more fun than it would have been otherwise. When we found out we were having twins a couple of years later we were almost as excited to have her back as we were to have more babies. We can't thank her enough for all she's done for our family and would recommend her to anyone and everyone. 

Nathan

6/10/2020

We absolutely LOVED our experience with Genuine Comfort Doula Services. Natasja made everything so much more comfortable compared to our first child's birth where we went it alone. Every step of the way she was there to support and comfort us, even including cooking and cleaning for us after we brought baby home! We could not recommend her enough

Corinne Sefton

6/9/2020

Natasja came to me highly recommended by a family member and it was immediately clear why. Natasja is very approachable, and I felt comfortable talking to her about my upcoming birth. I didn't use a doula for my first baby, and having Natasja for my second delivery made an incredible difference to my experience. Natasja was available when I needed her and was extremely supportive through my labour. She knew how to keep me calm and relaxed and when things got difficult she managed to stop me from panicking. She also helped guide my husband so that he was a better support for me, which we both really appreciated. My birth ended up being complicated, but unlike my first this time I didn't feel weak or like a failure. With Natasja's support I felt empowered in doing what was right for my baby and my body, and for this I am so grateful to her.

Stephanie Keyowski

4/8/2019

After meeting with several doulas during our pregnancy, my husband and I felt that Natasja would be the best fit to join us on our birth journey. We are so glad we did, because she was such an important part of the process. We met with Natasja twice before our son was born; these meetings were so helpful in our preparation. Natasja discussed what we could expect from labour and delivery, had us determine our preferences where possible, and helped us to understand what choices we could make to feel in control of our experience. We felt prepared, calm, and confident after these discussions.

When I went into labour on Christmas Eve, Natasja was a huge support right from the beginning. She coached us over the phone before joining us at home. We were both feeling scared and overwhelmed when things started off differently than we expected, but Natasja helped us to remain calm and take things slowly. At the hospital she encouraged me to advocate for my needs and remind me of the type of labour experience I had hoped for. She helped my husband find ways to support me and was there for encouragement when things got hard.

Following our son's birth, Natasja came to visit us and talk through our experience, give us tips for caring for our newborn, and provide further support.

Without Natasja, I'm not sure how we would have done it! We are so incredibly grateful for her support, guidance, and care throughout this experience. We highly, highly recommend Natasja!
 

Jennifer de Bruyn

5/18/2018

Hiring Natasja as our doula was the best thing we ever did. My husband and I had Nastasja as both a birth and postpartum doula, and both times she was invaluable. I had a long labour (45 hours from the time my water broke) and having the extra support was crucial for both my husband and I. She was professional, caring, tireless and focused the entire time she was with us (from the start of active labour to a couple of hours after the birth). She ensured that my husband was able to get a bit of rest and eat, and suported us through the sometimes tense situation as the labour was long. Natasja helped me focus so that I could last as long as possible without an epidural, and was supportive and encouraging in every aspect.

Even more invaluable than the birth support was the postpartum support. Unless you have family to help, you will need this support! We had Natasja for 9 hours per week in the first two weeks, and then again from 1.5-3 months of age, once we had no family around and my husband was back at work. Our little one has not been a great sleeper, and from Day 1, we could not get him to sleep in his bassinet, which meant we were even more sleep deprived than we anticipated. Having Natasja around allowed us to catch up on some sleep, eat, and take care of some tasks. Natasja was so good with the baby, taught us some strategies to help him to sleep better, got him to nap, and supported me, as the mother. She provided advice and support on breastfeeding, helped us figure out how to use the clother diapers we were determined to use, did dishes and laundry while the baby slept - most importantly, taking the initiative herself to do this.  (When you're sleep deprived, this is so important - it's much harder to respond to the questions "What can I do?" than "Is there laundry I can do while you sleep?"). She was a steady hand when at times we were anxious and stressed learning to care for a newborn. If you are looking for a doula, look no further!

Luis Murguia

5/4/2018

I will start by saying that I do not know how we would have done it without Natasja. My wife had a very long (and stressful at times) labour and delivery process, and Natasja was there with us in every step of the way providing the most experienced and compassionate support to my wife and me. And I mention myself because I think it is important to give my testimonial from the father's perspective. My wife will give hers as well. I am a physician and as such, I was worried that I would not be able to detach myself from the profession during those stressful times but Natasja helped me so much to experience it and enjoy it as the first time father that I am and also to support my wife in the best ways possible. As a Pediatrician, I have been actively involved in hundreds of deliveries and I can tell you that during those moments, having someone as thoughtful and considerate but also as knowledgeable as Natasja being part of your team, is a blessing.

And Natasja's help did not end at the delivery, we had the extended fortune of having her as our post-partum doula during those first weeks and months of adaptation to the new reality at home, especially with a baby that loves to party and thus does not like to sleep that much, and also when I had to return to work.

I cannot recommend Natasja enough. She is simply the best doula. Search no more.

Andrea Korver

4/16/2018

Starting with our first meet-and-greet in our home through until our final post-partum appointment, our experience working with Natasja as our Doula was fantastic and we highly recommend her.

Natasja is personable, caring, thoughtful and the kind of person that you immediately becomes a close friend and welcome with open arms. Being one of the most vulnerable times of our lives - Natasja supported us, helped us to feel safe and comfortable and showed us love, compassion and empathy when we needed it most.

Trina K

4/11/2018

Reflecting on my experience with Natasja brings a rush of fond memories and emotions: comfort, joy, and most of all gratitude. Within only a few minutes of meeting Natasja I knew she was a person I would be able to lean on for my pregnancy, birth and postpartum period. She has a strong and steady personality, but manages to balance this with an incredibly nurturing demeanour and very warm hugs. Natasja was generous with her time and services and consistently went above and beyond the duties of the role. She was able to predict my needs and offered her support before I knew I needed it. She was always calm in a crisis and made awkward situations feel comfortable. Natasja prepared me very well for my delivery and postpartum period and hung on when "the plan" took a crazy turn. Additionally, she was an informed advocate; she asked the right questions ahead of time and always ensured my needs and choices were being respected throughout the experience. Did I mention her labour skills are awesome? She was able to offer a wide variety of techniques for pain management as my labour progressed, and managed to read my signals with a precise intuition. Throughout the postpartum period my whole family looked forward to her time with us. She never spent a minute without being helpful in some way and she wasn't afraid to jump in - no matter how messy or crazy the home was. I always felt accepted and supported by Natasja. "Doula" is not a job for Natasja - it is a calling. I am so incredibly grateful that we crossed paths.