Sunbin

12/14/2022

I met Christine while searching for a doula when I decided to try VBAC with my second pregnancy. I had a very traumatic birth with my first pregnancy, which involved medical induction, 12-hours of labor, and an emergency c-section. I felt helpless the whole time, which made me think I needed help and support from someone who understood the birthing experience.

I interviewed several doulas, and Christine was the warmest, most informative, and most compassionate. When I explained to her my previous experiences and why I wanted to try VBAC this time, she listened with all her heart. She was highly resourceful and always provided the right advice at the right time. She never forced me to do things in specific ways and always communicated gently. With her help, I safely delivered my child through VBAC without any medical interventions. The whole process was surprisingly smooth and quick!

The baby is already 7-month-old, but even now, Christine is still the first person that comes to mind when I need help with lactating or parenting. Thank you, Christine. I really wish I had known you during my first pregnancy. And I can vouch for you over and over again for those who need help with VBAC or any births.  

Anastasiia

5/11/2020

I'm writing this review for Christiane more than 6 months after our son was born. I myself am in the healthcare field, so this review is not only an emotional thank you from a new mom filled with joy, but also a huge thank you from a healthcare professional who understands how much work and knowledge was required to help me labor the way Christiane did, and to help my husband fit into his role the way he wanted. 

I am so glad that Christiane was our doula. Her knowledge, kindness and positivity gave me and my husband all the support we needed. Our families live far away, so she was our rock before, during and after birthing experience. I would highly recommend Christiane, as her knowledge and love for her job is making her an incredible doula. Helping women go through labor is truly Christiane's calling. 

After thinking back about my pregnancy, labor and post-partum period, I am beyond thankful for everything that Christiane did, and did not do. She knows exactly what words to use, and what words/things to avoid, to help you understand the process, to guide you through it and to support you the entire time. She is incredibly kind and generous with her time, always willing to answer questions and help with whatever you are going through in the moment. 

I was fortuante to have an incredible birthing team, and Christiane was such a great team player and was definitely a big help in me giving vaginal birth without any significant complications. I also had some challenges with breastfeeding in the beginning. Christiane is a lactation specialist and she was able to help me with positioning tips, breastfeedinga advise, and general post-partum information. All this helped me understand what my baby, my husband and I needed the most during that time.

I would highly recommend Christiane to anyone who is looking for an experienced, kind, knowledgeable doula. 

Kelli GalDiaz

9/13/2019

I absolutely loved working with Christine. She was attentive to our needs, and was very good at listening to our story and our vision for the pregnancy and birth. She has a plethora of knowledge of pregnancy and birth. You will feel so comfortable knowing she is taking care if you, your partner, and your bundle of joy. 

During delivery we had a few decisions we had to make that were “outside the birth plan.” With the help of her knowledge, my partner and I were able to come up with a game plan, feeling 1,000% confident in it. She stayed up with me all night when my contractions were at their peak. She was my guarding angel, helping me feel comforted and safe even during a few twists and turns that could have left a first time mom feeling scared and I prepared. 

Even after postpartum, she came to visit, and helped with breastfeeding as well. She is absolutely wonderful.

I highly recommend Christine- and will have her at our next birth. 

Corinna

6/6/2019

Christine was amazing!  She was an incredible resource for us in pregnancy, and a great support during labor and after.  She gave us a lot of very helpful information prior to birth to get us oriented on what to expect and the possible choices we might face so we could think about them ahead of time.  

My labor and delivery was eveything I hoped and I was able to have a birth without any medical pain relief (only intervention pre-birth was a saline IV because I couldn't stay hydrated). I credit Christine and her experinece, coaching me and my husband through labor, providng ideas and advice regarding different positions to try and management techniques, with allowing me to do this.  I wanted a doula for the labor support since the birth classes we took beforehand would not make me an expert if we even remembered.  We also appriciate Christine's knowledge about birth and expereince providing support in a hospital setting as it provided yet another data point if/when we needed to make decisions about the labor that were not consistent with what we had planned -- and when this happened, I appricate that Christine was reaonable and supportive of medical intervention as needed and did a good job of allowing the doctor and nurses to operate as they needed to while still helping us stay as close as possible to our brith preferences. 

Afterwards, she was very helpful in the labor room as we got to know our baby in his first minutes of life and I think helped us get going on the right foot with breastfeeding right afterwards. She helped with positioning, checking his latch and otherwise tweaking.  We were lucky and our son was a good eater but it was great to have Christine present to answer questions and help reassure us. In the post-labor visits, she was a great source of knoweldhe as we peppered her with questions about breastfeeding and other baby care questions.  

Wendy Hammond

8/12/2017

We were looking for a doula that would make me feel relaxed and supported during the birth of my second child.  My previous experience with labor had left me feeling traumatized and anxious about having to do it again.  I had not had a doula the first time around and decided to hire one this time.  I feel so lucky to have found Christine.  I had actually interviewed several doulas before I met Christine and decided she was the one I wanted at my side.  No regrets.  Christine was very willing to come to our house for each visit despite the long drive.  By the time the first sign of labor showed itself, I felt relaxed and ready to experience labor again.  Christine was amazing at keeping me grounded.  The labor progressed beautifully and quickly.  Thank you so much Christine.  Our family enjoyed having you in this wonderful chapter of our lives.  We would never birth another baby without you.

Rashmi Raghu

8/9/2017

Christine has been the doula for the birth of both our children. She is a warm and friendly person, kind and a healer by nature. Even under the most high pressure conditions, she is on top of everything that needs to get done to make a mother feel comfortable through labor and delivery. She was extremely supportive of our personal desires for the births, including difficult choices in the face of medical uncertainty, and helped reinforce our stand. We have been very blessed to have her in our lives and help to bring our children into the world. Thank you Christine, you are always part of our family!

Audrey

7/24/2017

When I was pregnant with my first child I wasn't so sure I needed a doula, but I took my midwife's advice to hire one and I took her recommendation for Christine. I was so incredibly grateful that I did! Christine was an enormous help during my labor, supporting me with her immeasurable physical and emotional strength. I didn't know what kind of help I might require in labor, but Christine was able to anticipate my needs and provide assistance in ways I never would have asked for. She just stepped in and helped. Everything she did for me was always most welcome, from providing hands-on support during contractions to offering encouraging words. I didn't know what I would have done without her!

The story of my first birth turned out to be a deeply tragic one, and after the loss of my son I found in Christine a genuinely caring friend well beyond her role as my doula. Her heartfelt compassion was resonant and she stayed in contact with me in my grief, letting me know that she cared for me. We developed a relationship that transcended any expectation I had for a doula.

When I became pregnant with my second child Christine had already made it clear that she would like to be my doula again. I would never have asked her or expected her to do so given the trauma we all experienced, but she had no hesitation and wanted to be there for me. I of course couldn't have asked for a better support person and she was there for me 100% when I gave birth to my daughter who arrived safe and sound. Christine's joy for my family and I has been deeply genuine.

My experience with Christine has far surpassed any expectation I could have ever had for including a doula on my birth team. She had a meaningful and positive impact during both of my births and I couldn't recommend her enough. You will be very happy that you invited Christine to be a part of this most intimate experience of your life.

Michelle Paulin

6/23/2017

Christine is a very loving, passionate and reassuring doula. Since we met I saw in her a true and compassionate support that could guide me in a loving way through pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding.

We had a great relationship where she got to know and respect my needs and desires. She made sure to understand how to better comfort me at all times.

When delivery came, I felt very calmed when I saw Christine. Her words and guidance helped me to deliver my baby in the fastest, painless and calmer way possible. I loved that she stayed with us until I moved to the recovery room, so she helped make sure that baby had a good breastfeeding start and was thriving.

I will blindly recommend Christine to anyone desiring to have a doula. My husband was also truly satisfied with Christine’s support.

Sofya Elperin-Smirnov

6/22/2017

Picking Christine as our doula was one of the best decisions of our life!  This review is overdue as i have a 3 month old but I coudln't have been more happy with our experience!  I wanted to have an unmedicated delivery but I wasn't 100% confident that I could do it.  Christine was so supportive the entire journey from first meetings to when our son joined our world.

Christine is so upbeat, energetic and patient.  What a blessing it was to have her by our side!  She was always available for questions. She went the extra mile on delivery day and was willing to stay at my house during early labor but i said she didn't have to.  I'm SO happy Christine was our doula. Best decision!!

Yara Ruiz

6/19/2017

I'd like to start by saying that I don't consider myself a natural holistic type person. I had never thought about hiring a doula until it was suggested at the Kaiser hospital's "meet the Midwives" orientation. I chose to hire a doula for emotional support, advice. and guidance since my first birth experience was traumatic. I knew that for my second pregnancy I wanted to try a non-medicated birth. I started looking for a doula pretty late in my pregnancy, about 33 weeks. Everyone was booked by this point but thankfully I was referred to Christine who was willing to take us. She met with us immediately. I was most thankful to Christine for the emotional support she provided to me the day I gave birth to my second child. I have anxiety and that combined with the horrible experience of my first birth rendered me terrified but Christine was very calming and soothing. I really needed this during the process. She was also able to recognize when it was time for us to head to the hospital despite me not wanting to go. I wanted to labor at home for as long as possible because I did not want to give myself the opportunity to ask for an epidural or other pain medictions at the hospital. My baby was born about 45 minutes after arriving at the hospital. If it hadn't have been for Christine urging me to get going, I would have given birth in the car. I was able to give birth with no pain medication and I know with one hundred percent certainty that I would not have been able to do it without Christine. I still can't believe I was able to do it. I also very much appreciate Christine's ability to remain objective about ceertain decisions I made that are not so "natural holistic". For example I chose not to breast feed this second time around and she absolutely respected that and conveyed this to hospital staff too. I am so very thankful that Christine was a part of my second birth experience. Best decision I made.

Christine Nalty

12/7/2016

My husband, Jeff, and I had a wonderful experience with Christine as our doula during the birth of our son, William, just over a month ago at Sequoia hospital. She made us feel comfortable and was very attentive the whole time. She explained everything to us and her healing hands allowed our 11+ pound baby to be born vaginally after 34 hours of labor and several suggestions by doctors and nurses that we consider a cesarian. We highly recommend Christine!

Danielle Savage

12/6/2016

Christine was amazing!!!!!!!!

When I first thought about giving birth...about two seconds after the test confirmed I was pregnant...I was terrified. That continued up to the minute I met Christine:)

Christine was recommended to me by a friend who stated she couldn't have gone through the birthing process without her:)

In the two months leading up to the birth I meet Christine. She has had six children which put me at ease. I figured if she did it six times and servived I will too! Also she has soooo much experience! it felt like she had seen everything! I knew that I would be ok after my first visit with her:) She has a great welcome guide and very informative and helpful things to read and do leading up to the birth.

Go time! During the actual day she was invaluable:) She helped me control my breathing and gave me a massage literally the whole time!!!! It was incredible! I'm not sure where she got the energy. Also, she helped me play mind games with myself to take my mind off the pain. The games worked because I made it without the epidural!!!! It was amazing and life changing and I couldn't have done it without her:P

Hope this helps you with your decision!

Danielle

Kasey Halcon

12/4/2016

My husband and I could not be more grateful for Christine's presence and assistance during our labor. We had intended for a natural vaginal birth but vomplications led to a 64 labor, several medical interventions and an eventual C-section. Throughout the process Christine was calm and resourceful and a source of great comfort to my husbabd and I. We would highly recommend her to anyone looking for doula services.

Christine Xu Neyer

11/26/2016

I hired Christine Vermeersch as my birth doula for my first baby due in Aug 2016. I phone interviewed about 5 doulas and narrowed it down to 3. Meet them and eventually decided to go with Christine Vermeersch. The reason why I chose her was because I really felt connected with her and felt as if she was my mother. She's also on her way to become a licensed lactation consultant, which turned out to be very helpful. I'm really glad that I chose Christine. What a great choice I have made! Christine is very knowledgeable and educated/informed me of all the things I needed to know for a natural birth. I can't imagine what I would've done without her support during labor. She's calm, gentle and patient. At the final moment when I was pushing, I wanted to her to hold me, rather than my husband, lol. I ended up delivering a healthy baby girl in a natural birth without any pain medication, which was exactly what I had hoped for.  My birth experwince was very positive. I don't think I could've had such a positive experience without her support. I highly recommend Christine as a doula. And I think I will choose her again for my future births.

VaniKumari Pulendra

4/22/2016

Christine considers birth as sacred and her true calm nature with the right blend of humor is what made her unique, eased our tension as first time parents and we decided her as our doula. She has tremendous birthing knowledge with a wealth of suggestions on just about any mom and baby topic. She also gave me great tips on exercises during pregnancy, breastfeeding after delivery, gave me a lot of connections for other services I was interested in, and just generally made sure we were doing well after the birth. Christine guided me through how to breath and my husband on how to best sooth me during labor. She helped me with different positions during labor, her relaxing aromatic oils were very soothing. She helped me with placenta encapsulation. She gave us a full baby massage session after three weeeks of delivery and my baby enjoys his massage eveyday now. Our experience with christine was a true  JOY.

Alissa Winzeler

3/11/2016

Christine was the doula for the birth of our first child in Jan 2016. She was absolutely wonderful, and I would absolutely call her again for another birth. She had the perfect combination of experience and training, plus the ability to fully put me at ease. Some specifics:

• She is extremely well educated and can help you figure out what to do in the moment. She has multiple certifications and even spent time at “The Farm” of Ina May Gaskin fame. We were working with a midwife who has one of the lowest intervention and C-section rates in the Bay Area (Bay Area Maternity), so we weren’t worried about needing someone to “fight” for us, the way that one might with an OB, but I’m sure she could play that role. We had complications in our birth that required more intervention than we had hoped for, however, and it was very helpful to have Christine there to help us weigh the options.
• She is a calming presence, and really knows what to do. When I called her to come to the house, I had been laboring all night and was starting to get overwhelmed by the contractions. She walked in, and immediately started giving me a back rub to help me get through the next one. She was great about suggesting new, helpful positions without being pushy and helping me stay in a calm, steady state of mind.
• She found the right ways to help my husband support me. He was nervous about things being all on his shoulders, and she was great about giving me so much support that he could back off if he needed a break, but also showing him the most effective ways to help me.
• She was untiring in her support of us. My labor took 36 hours (28 without an epidural), and she was there for me the entire time, even when we tried to give her an opportunity to take a break to eat or take a quick nap.

Again, I cannot recommend Christine highly enough. She was amazing.

Holly K. M. Henry

3/9/2016

We had an absolutely wonderful experience with Christine as a doula! She was a warm, calming presence from the moment we met her! She was very flexible with her time for meetings and always available via phone or text. She spent a lot of time listening and talking with us. She listened very carefully to my preferences and you could tell she adjusted her style to meet them. She is passionate, generous, caring and extremely knowledgeable about resources for natural birth and breastfeeding in the community!

Although this was our third birth, we were still incredibly happy to have an amazing advocate as a doula to join us. She worked so well with the nursing staff at Kaiser Santa Clara where we delivered. She made us feel so comfortable and well taken care of. She was very hands on, which we asked for, and directed us as to ways to be comfortable. She also reminded me to share my wishes with the nursing staff at key points in the labor! I would recommend Christine to anyone looking for a doula, she really was the most nurturing, gentle, funny, caring and supportive person I could have asked for!

Amy Shamus

3/8/2016

My husband and I had a wonderful experience with Christine and I would recommend her to anyone. She is kind, open, funny, and lovely. All things we wanted to surround us throughout our pre-birth and birth experience. I had really wanted a natual birth but after 3 days in labor, Christine helped guide us through our options and help me understand what would be needed of me once the baby was actually born. And although at the time it felt like the baby would never come, he did, and she was right. I needed energy for him. Thank you, Christine! We loved working with you!

Bailey McRae

3/8/2016

Christine was an amazing doula from start to finish. She has a calm, warm, intelligent nature and she is the reason I had the natural birth that I always wanted! She helped me write an effective birth plan, helped me manage my pain throughout labor, and was there for me at home and in the hospital. Her guidance and positive encouragement made me believe I could do it, and I did! I would choose her again in a heartbeat if I had another birth.

Emily Smith Parafinyk

7/13/2015

I recommend Christine to everyone I meet who is pregnant and looking for a doula, so I figured it is time to write a review here as well. Christine was everything we were hoping to find in a doula: she has this warm, positive energy that I bet makes her an excellent mom. Despite having a seemingly quite full schedule, she never made us feel rushed in our prenatal sessions – in fact, through my whole third trimester, she made me feel like I was her top priority.

Christine knows a lot about birth and pregnancy, and she knows a lot about what goes on in the local hospitals. With her guidance and timely tips, I felt like I was able to make the best decisions for myself, for instance, in choosing a hospital. Christine is excellent at offering advice in a non-intrusive and respectful manner.

I had a feeling that I would have a very fast labor based on previous experience, and this created a lot of anxiety for me. Christine took my concern very seriously. Although my labor with this second baby was fast at less than an hour, Christine was at the hospital with me hours before my labor even started. She had her car packed with everything she needed for my birth weeks before my baby was born, so she could hightail it to the hospital when the time came - that is just how awesome she is. She used some special massage techniques that made the labor feel more managable, and I gave birth with no pain medication, as I had hoped.

The only way I will consider having a third child is if Christine can be my doula again. I am only semi-joking.

Lauren Rosenfeld

7/12/2015

We hired Christine as a doula for the birth of our second son because we were attempting a VBAC. Her experience with VBAC births was important to us so that we had a guide throughout the end of my pregnancy and labor. We were faced with some challenging and anxiety provoking visits with my OB and Christine provided an objective and thoughtful perspective that helped us prepare for time with our physician. Once I went into labor, I experienced start/stop labor, and she was right by our side attempting many different tricks to try to get the baby in a good position and help me continue to progress.

While I had a non-emergent repeat cesarean birth due to lack of progress, we are grateful to have had Christine's partnership and couldn't have done it without her. She is kind, honest and knowledgable about the birth process and supportive of both my and my husband's needs before, during and after our birth. We are thankful to have her in our lives and would highly recommend her.

Liza Monroy

7/8/2015

Christine was an absolute delight and a godsend during pregnancy and labor/birth. My husband and I felt an instant affinity for her warm, compassionate manner and the breadth and depth of her knowledge and experience with labor, birth, and the crucial post-partum time. From our first meeting, I knew she was the perfect doula. We met twice during my pregnancy, in the second trimester and again in the third. Christine provided excellent resources and information on things that were important to me, such as how to avoid a positive beta-strep test, prenatal herbs and nutrition (I was anemic and Christine made excellent suggestions for adding iron to my mostly-vegetarian diet), and how to devise a birth plan that would express our wishes without being off-putting to care providers. In addition to fruitful meetings, Christine responds to emails and messages with questions in a timely and thoughtful manner. Before we ever entered the birthing suite, I already felt so comfortable and well-cared for with Christine. During labor, her skill and support were absolutely indespensable. As I experienced the intense sensations of labor, she walked and talked me through it all with everything from supported squats with my husband, massage and pressure, various positions, Tens unit, etc, and she never left my side during the 24+ hours. When things did not end up going according to plan, she helped me to adjust to the changing conditions of my birth and gave me much-needed reassurance. And when our precious baby girl was finally born, Christine was right there with excellent breastfeeding advice, and our baby latched on right away. She checked in on us again at the hospital, and once more at our home to make sure things were going well. I want to have another baby so Christine can be our doula again! Now being on the other side of labor and birth, I would never do it without a doula, and one of the best, most experienced, compassionate and amazing ones is definitely Christine.

Srinivasan Vasudevan

5/31/2015

We feel fortunate that Christine was with us during our son's birth. Below are some objectivite aspects about her.
1. Exteremly prompt in communicating (email/phone) including being on-time for all visits. When we told her that we will get to the hospital she was in time waiting for us even though we got delayed.
2. She has all the time for her clients and doesn’t rush. Many of our appointments went past 3 hours. She doesn’t wear a watch just so that she can stay in the present. 
3.She respects our preferences. Even though she has welath of experiences, she never thrusts them. She feels that the best course of action should be guided by our internal feeling and the current situation. She does empower us with all the information in a calm way.
4.She is extremely compassionate and exercises her skills efficienctly. She used different massage techniques including use of aroma oils ( She is also an aromtherpist) that helped tremoundously with the contractions.
5.Being a Lactation consultan is a big plus. We had issues with breast feeding that put us in dispair. She went extra mile and came to our house helping identify key issues with the position and preparation which improved the situaton.

Birth is a miraculous process where you and your partner will go through variety emotions, including being amazed at the way nature has designed such intricate process. Christine truly appreciates this miracle and will make this experience better for both you and partner through genuine care and wealth of experience. After our son was born I noticed that she was in tears. Few days later when we met and recaped on our journey, I asked her gently what made her so emotional. She said she feels honored that she can witness this miraculous process, even after witnessing 100+ births. What she added further sums her up. She said the day she doesn’t feel such strong emotions she will hang her boots and do something else.

Lisa W

5/21/2015

Christine is an absolute gem! She is a very nurturing person, is easy to talk to and is incredibly knowledgeable on pregnancy, birthing and newborn care. I felt very confident going into the birth, trusting that Christine will give me the best guidance and support for however the birth will play out. While the midwives and nurses at the hospital do give helpful support, I felt that Christine’s support is another level. She has “a bag of tricks” and I listened to every suggestion and direction that she gave. Because of Christine’s invaluable support, she helped me experience the amazing and intense experience of delivering my baby girl through natural labor. I cannot thank her enough for her superb care and how happy we are with our decision to hire her as our doula.

Helen M

4/25/2015

I highly recommend Christine as a doula. I'm sooooo thankful she was there with me! I'm a FTM and really wanted as little intervention as possible. My labor progressed very qucik... I was in so much pain I didn't think I could make it without an epidural, and started asking for one. When Christine arrived, she quickly took control of the situation and helped me deal with the pain without an epidural. We now have a beautiful girl, and we're very thankful Christine was there to provide her expertise!

Bharti Daswani

4/21/2015

We hired Christine for our birth and she was SO worth the money. We were beyond blessed to have found her. Christine was very professional, has so much expertise yet she has this sweet nurturing side to her which was amazing. I am done having my kids otherwise I would hire her again! She came to our house when I went into labor and was very receptive to coming whenever we wanted her. She is very responsive. I went into labor around 2:45 am, and called her around 5:30am when I felt that my contractions were getting regular, and she stayed until I delivered the baby, which was around 6:53 pm. She left only after I was settled into my room, and that was around 8:30 pm. I had a VBAC birth and Christine made sure we did things according to my birth plan and she was great with massage and support during the hard labor. My labor was unmedicated btw! She was very gentle and supportive towards me and my husband. I only have great things to say about Christine, nothing negative comes to mind. If you hire Christine you should consider yourself blessed and lucky to have such an awesome labor support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Megha Sharma

3/20/2015

I can't say enough good things about Christine! Getting a doula was perhaps one of the best decisions we made during our pregnancy, getting Christine was the next one!

Prenatal: She was always available over phone and gave us excellent advice about questions that emerged throughout our pregnancy

During labor: I had a really long and stressful labor - I do not think I could have survived that and held on for as long as I did without her help. Throughout our time at the hospital she was the one calm objective voice in the room helping us make difficult decisions and then making us feel confident about the decisions we did make. She was amazing at involving my husband when trying different pain coping methods. What was even more amazing though was how she made sure my mom did not feel left out. She would constantly ask her "What do you think about this or that". When you are in so much pain and are exhausted from 20 hours of labor, it was impossible for me to think about all this. Also, I'm not sure where she gets all her energy! She was constantly doing hip squeezes for me - even my husband was not able to do it with as much pressure as she was applying - and that was after we'd already been at the hospital for more than 12 hours (mostly awake!!)

Postpartum: After I had my baby, I had a tough initial few days because I did not have enough milk, baby had to go to ER because he was dehydrated etc - all in all really stressful and emotional time. Christine was the first person to ask me how I was feeling (when we had our postpartum visit)

To summarize Christine is an expert at the technical aspects of being a doula (pain coping, exercises etc) and will be a great emotional support for you through the magical and extremely emotional process of giving birth.

Simona Konegen

3/17/2015

Christine was supportive, calm and very helpful. We had our second baby in January 2015 and even though we contacted Christine just two weeks before I went into labor I felt very comfortable with her.  I was calmer and more relaxed during this labor and the hospital staff seemed to be much more supportive of our birth plan this time around.  I feel certain that Christine's presence during this labor made all the difference in our overall experience.  Unfortunately our attempt at a VBAC failed due to unforseen circumstances but I'm really glad we tried for it and that we had Christine there to support us.  I would recommend her to anyone who is wants extra support during labor, even if you're planning on having an epidural.

Yan Zheng

12/21/2014

Christine is a great doula and her dedication and skillfulness played a critical role in the natural unmedicated birth of our healthy son.

We were in our early forties when my wife became pregnant with our first child. As first time parents, we were in uncharted territory, nervous and uncertain. We were hoping for a natural unmedicated birth, but really deemed it a long shot given our circumstances.

When we first met Christine, we were impressed by her calm and sweet presence. She listened intently to our questions and wishes, and drew on her vast experience and knowledge to address our unique situation. She didn't impose any ideals, instead she respected our views. After the first meeting, we already felt significant relief as our pressing concerns were addressed. She is very sweet and loving, yet the quite confidence she exudes is unmistakable and provides the crucial mental and emotional pillar that we can rely on. With her subsequent visits we grew more relaxed about the upcoming events.

Then the big day came... Christine provided guidance over the phone in the early labor process and helped us remain calm. When we arrived at the hospital, she was already there with a wheelchair ready for my wife. In the hospital, Christine was my wife's main support person and she stayed at my wife's side continuously for more than 11 hours. She walked the hallway with her, helped her to use effective comfort measures and postures, breathed with her, provided massage and gave words of assurance and encouragement. Her dedication is exemplary and she really cares about the our well-beings. After delivery, she stayed to make sure we settled down.

In retrospect, the great result far exceeds our expectations. Without Christine's help, natural unmedicated birth would be impossible, and my wife would have to endure much more pain and suffering.

We highly recommend her without any reservation.

Vidya Schechtman

11/17/2014

I am a first time mom with plenty of anxieties and Christing was great at listening and helping me prepare myself mentally and physically for the birth. Christine was the perfect Doula for us! Among the thigs we liked about her, she was very experienced and was really good at educating us in advance about all the options we would be presented with and possible situations we could find ourselves in. She also was very respectful of our desires and would provide education without judgement so as to not unnecessarily sway our decisions. We also appreciated her help reviewing our birth plan.

On the day of our birth, she was extremely supportive and brought lots of coping techniques including the use of her TENS unit, healing and relaxing massage,  suggesting changes of position, and other strategies that helped me cope with contractions and get through the birth without the use of pain medication. She even had tricks up her sleeve that we didn't end up needing, like she brought a birthing ball to the hospital just in case we wanted to use it.

She was also really good at fitting in as a member of our birth team, working will with my husband and me, and also the midwife and hospital staff at KP Redwood City. And she did a wonderful job of creating the perfect environment (perfect for me at least) in the birth room, helping us keep the lights and sounds to a minimum and the aromas therapudic.

We would 100% recommend her to any of our friends! We feel like we had the perfect birth and Christine's support was a huge contributing factor.

Diane Vitunic

11/7/2014

Our experience with Christine Vermeersch as our Doula was nothing short of perfection. From the interview process to the actual labor, Christine was a paragon of professionalism, compassion, and wisdom. My wife and I have no doubt, especially since this was our first child, that without Christine's patient guidance and advice, our ideal wishes for the birth of our son would not have been realized. We recommend Christine with the utmost enthusiasm.

Sincerely,

Andy and Diane

Rusty Carter

11/5/2014

Summary: Christine was our Doula for the birth of our first child (born August 2, 2014). My wife and I both agreed that when she gets pregnant with our second child, our 3rd phone call will be to Christine (right after my wife's parents, and my parents) to ask her to be our Doula again! We are not sure what would have happened if we didn't have her, but are so incredibly thankful we did. Hiring Christine (and a midwife) are by far the best decisions you can make to have the childbirth you want, with the utmost confidence that you have the best knowledge and care for the child, and parents.

Christine: She is an amazing person. She is caring, congenial, knowledgable, and strong. She ensures your wishes are followed, and can be firm in the nicest way possible (in speaking with family, nurses, etc). She also is strong in the care that she provides and her endurance is impressive (through 20+ hours of labor, she didn't waiver for a minute)! Her focus is on the well being of the baby, the mom, the spouse, and THEN the family and everyone else.

Doula: Calling a Doula as a "Birth Coach" is honestly like calling an architect a pencil scribbler, or a software engineer a typist. During the pregnancy Christine provides thorough information, resources, and knowledge regarding developing a birth plan. She reviews your plan, answers questions, and makes sure you are ready for everything. During labor she knows what's causing different pains (and how to minimize them), helps mom stay comfortable and progressing well (massage, repositioning, baths, etc). She is an expert. She also helps manage "everything else" from sending messages to family, to making sure the nurses know what mom needs.

Professional: She is incredibly responsive, prompt, thorough. You couldn't ask for more.

Overall: Our experience with Christine was easily worth 100x the cost. We love her!

Sirena Lueker-Boden

10/20/2014

Christine is a wonderful doula, and was a great support before and during my VBAC.  She is very experienced, and made me feel comfortable going forward with the labor and delivery I wanted.  In particular, I wanted to labor at home for as long as possible, while still delivering in a hospital.  She guided me through the labor at home, doing a good job of helping me deal with the pain through massage and positioning.  When it was time to push, she was able to ascertain that it was not too late to leave for the hospital (we did stay home perhaps a touch longer than we "should" have, but it worked out beautifully). Christine is also very easy to talk to, and is as enthusiastic about having non-doula conversations as she is in talking about the task at hand, which is nice, given that you'll be spending some time together.

All in all, I would absolutely recommend Christine for her doula services.

Rebecca Trieber

9/30/2014

The nice thing about Christine is she makes you feel very comfortable in just being yourself.She figured out quickly that I was a hands off person (I didn't even realize it at the time myself!) she lit some candles in the bathroom and turned off the lights in there and got me into the shower. I had told her I wanted to labor in the shower. She was like the little guardian angel that swings into action when all you can do is focus on your labor. She makes it all run smoothly. I got in the shower and she instructed me how not to tense up during the contractions but to visualize certain things that would help the cervix to dilate more quickly and have the baby sooner.  While I was laboring in the shower as a vbac with a previous injury, I had not one nurse come in and bother me! I had the monitors on my stomach but besides that, Christine was out in my room stopping the nurses who were coming in for their routine checks. I LOVED that! Looking back, I found myself so comfortable knowing she was out there protecting my birth, allowing me to relax and labor in the shower the way that felt best.  I know I would have been tense and stressed if I didn't have her there to guide me and answer my questions.  When I was pushing, she was just the only face I could focus on. it was like the mother instinct in me related and clung to her as the authority in the room. my labor was only 3 hours at the hospital! after he was born and a nurse took the baby she reminded me how I wanted to have the skin to skin bonding for the nursing to get off to a good start. In my excitement, I even forgot what was important to me. I'm so glad she memorized and remembered all the things I had told her I wanted at my birth. I can't imagine not having her at this birth. my vbac and previous injury weren't even a thought during this birth & I fully credit Christine! I'm looking forward to another birth experience with her in the future!

Kim Kendall

9/24/2014

We had an excellent experience with Christine! Our labor was only 7 hours long and we were able to have a natural delivery with a baby who was over 9 pounds. My husband and I really believe that we did not have to use any interventions because of the presence of our doula. She really knew how to keep labor progressing and helped tremendously when it came to pushing. I would highly recommend Christine to any expecting mother. She is so knowledgeable and calm before, during, and after birth.

Lindsey Huff Breitschaedel

7/5/2014

Christine's support through the end of my pregnancy, the birth of my first son and the transition to life at home has been amazing for me and my husband. From the moment we met her, we both knew that she was a good match for us. Her attitude is very soothing and relaxed and she has a lot of tips and tricks to make things easier both from her six children and also the many births of which she has been a part. We both recommend her highly and can't imagine having gone through this experience without her (especially a natural childbirth!)

Dimitra Vergyri

7/4/2014

Christine assisted me with the birth of both of my children, in 2011 an again in 2014. She is  a great doula, very patient and understanding, and she has a lot of experience, which you want by your side. Though I chose to do an epidural, and not a natural birth, I still wanted to have her by my side as I was delivering, since so many things can go wrong.

She was also extermely helpful to us after the birth. Especialy with our first son, when we had no experience at all, and no family nearby to turn to for help, she was very helpful when it came to breastfeeding questions, worries about the baby's sleep and cries  and she even came with us to the emergency room when we needed to go (thankfully it was nothing serious).

She also worked with us as a nanny for a few months. Clearly we trust her completely, and highly recommend her to any new parents that need guidance and support.

Robert Kam

6/26/2014

Mrs.Vermeersch stayed with us during interviews, sessions, and
the actual birth, as long as desired. We felt unrushed. She
answered questions helpfully.

During the birth she steadily helped my wife by doing certain
pressing motions as well as other soothing actions. She let me
take a nap break during the initial part of the birth (although
I couldn't fall asleep).

She was congenial toward coming over in the middle of the night
or whenever needed.

We're happy to have had her as our doula.

Sandhya C

6/22/2014

It’s with pleasure that I write this recommendation for our doula Christine Vermeersch. She was simply amazing throughout the time we engaged with her - calm, patient and full of great advice. Right from the start, she was very committed to help us prepare for childbirth mentally and emotionally. And we were glad to have Christine with us during the labor. Her gentle, reassuring encouragement and unwavering support gave me a lot of strength and I was eventually able to have a natural, unmedicated delivery as planned. My confidence in her increased with every session we had during my pregnancy and it was a relief to know that she was around to handle the situation when my contractions began. Her level of preparedness was evident when she was ready with our birth plan which we completely forgot to pack! Most of all, I absolutely love the fact that she has a natural remedy for all aches and pains. She gave us plenty of good advice to cope with postpartum recovery and handy tips to care for our newborn. I was very satisfied with her services and would recommend her to anyone looking for a gentle and caring doula.

Lisa Bolton

6/5/2014

I cannot say enough about how caring and encouraging Christine is! She had such a wealth of information to share prior to my delivery and treated my husband and I like family. I didn't have the easiest of deliveries, so I was so thankful Christine was present so I could ask her for more information and find out what was considered "normal" and "safe". She helped keep me relaxed and as comfortable as I could be while helping my husband be a fabulous labor partner. I was hoping to give birth naturally, but ended up requesting an epidural after a few hours on pitocin. Christine supported me every step of the way and helped me to not feel "guilty" for changing my birth plan. I wish that every woman could have Christine as their doula during their delivery!

Allison Largent

5/1/2014

Christine is truly a wonderful person and amazing doula!  I really don't know what we would have done without her!  My labor was very long and Christine stayed up with me all night, massaging me, walking with me, making me feel more comfortable and at ease while allowing my partner to rest.  She really went above and beyond all my expectations.  She is extremely knowledgable, helpful, gentle, kind, and amazing!  I would recommend her 100% with no reservations whatsoever.  She made me feel very relaxed, helped ease the sensations during contractions, and provided my partner and I with much needed emotional support.  I really cannot say enough positive things about her!  If we have any more children, we will definitely contact her!  Thank you so much, Christine!

Kimarie Giles Budge

4/20/2014

When I got pregnant, my husband and I decided we wanted to find a doula to help us through a (hopefully) non-medicated natrual birth.  We realized that I might be screaming for medication with the first contraction, and wanted to find someone who would be open to both a natural birth as well as a full on epidrual with all the bells and whistles.  The last thing we felt we would need at that moment would be someone who was judgemental.  The other thing we realy wanted was experience.  We both both in Christine.

I had a difficult labor.  I was not one of those women who can "barely feel their contractions" or had a short labor, it was a long hard battle and between my husband and Christine, I was able to make it though most of the labor sans drugs.  Unfortunatley, I did end up having an epidural around hour 30.  At the time, I felt like a failure, but Christine helped me understand that there is a time for everything... even an epidural.  After 40+ hours of labor, I ended up having a c-section.  I was devastated.  After all I had been through, I didn't even get to deliver my baby.  Chirsitine was wonderful through it all and reassured me the entire time.  After brith she graciously made herself available to me through calls and texts as well as visiting me.  Our baby has terrible reflux.  It is a horrible condition that makes a colickly child seem serene.  We are currently in the process of finding a solution for her discomfort.  Christine has been so wonderful to us through all of it and has been a source of information as well as comfort.  We highly recommend Chrsitine to anyone looking for a doula who is NOT judgmental and is highly skilled.  She is a gem.  My husband is amazing, however, even with his help I would never had been able to do as much as I did.

Melanie A-K

4/3/2014

I met Christine at a Meet the Doulas event. I choose her as my birth doula, due to her calm nurturing presence and her knowledge of labor and delivery. She explained how she watches for a woman’s behavior during labor instead of focusing on cervical dilation, which made more sense to me. During prenatal visits with Christine, she took her time to talk to my husband and me and to answer all of our questions. I never felt like she was in a hurry or on the clock. I was on the fence about having an epidural, but did have some concerns that it would slow down labor and increase the amount of interventions. To my surprise, I did not end up needing an epidural or even an IV. I was able to give birth naturally in the hospital, and I don’t think I could have done it without Christine. Christine used a TENS unit, a labor link, massage, aromatherapy, coaching, breathing techniques, and encouragement, which all helped me have a positive birth experience with minimal discomfort. And it’s obvious that this is what she truly wants for all of her clients.

Jessica Quintero

2/20/2014

I had my first child about a month ago. I cannot tell you how many times I would go to my monthly checkup and come home feeling very anxious and nervous and all around scared. Especially during my last couple of months. Christine contacted me during my two greastest panic moments, once via phone, once in person,  and managed to calm me down without even knowing what I was feeling at the time. It was a great blessing to have someone who could come around amd ease your fears tremendously. Especially when there is so much you really do not understand the first time you are aboout to give birth. All you have is what others tell you. I never thought I would be so afraid. I didn't even want to take the birth prep class because I felt it would just make me more anxious. And because I knew Christine would be there during every step in my birthing process, I did not feel it was worth the extra money. I still believe that to this day. Not only did she calm my fea rs about the process, but she helped me to find the perfect hospital to deliever at and gave me several recomendations on doctors that deliver there. And although my labor went so fast that the doctor I chose couldn't even make it on time... I have now found a doctor who will be there with me for both general health reasons as well as during my next pregnancy.  If it weren't for her my husband would not have felt as confident as he did. Nor would I have had the support that family memebers such as my mom and sis could not even provide though they said they would. She managed to keep their heads on straight as well as my own. Labor wasn't fun, but I know that at the end of the day it could have been worse. I wouldn't have made it naturally. I wouldn't have felt the support that I did from everyone without her knowledeable leadership. I beleieve that I have truly met a friend for life. And know that she feels the same. :) Thank you Christine, for everything!

Sara Sushila Avery

1/25/2014

Christine impressed my husband and I right away when she came to our house for an interview. She's very intelligent, has a fun style, a big family of her own, and of course a very gentle kind demeanor. My husband hadn't been so sure about having a doula but was instantly converted and felt very relieved that he wouldn't need to be an experct birth partner.

When I met her at the hospital, Christine made me comfortable for the first time in a couple hours very quickly and set up my husband to give me some relief. My son's birth happened pretty fast from there but I realized later that at every step she remembered what I had expressed to her in our first meeting. She had a copy of my birth plan, which I'd left in the car and really didn't want to think about getting, and she communicated my wishes, which I really didn't feel like vocalizing. I just got to stay internal and breathe.

Since my birth was smooth she didn't need to pull out many tricks but she sure did have a couple moves that really relieved the pressure I was feeling and she made sure the nurses didn't tell me how dilated I was, which was seriously against their nature.

I used Hypnobabies, which was awesome, and Christing knew how to help me with it by using the relax cue.

I've wondered if the fee wasn't a lot of money to pay but I had a wonderful birth in large part because I was confident ahead of time that I'd be well supported, and because I was in fact well supported when the time came. Just a little bit of expert counter pressure can be such a relief! I always end up concluding, therefor, that my money was well spent.

Helen Chen Abrams

12/10/2013

We had originally hired a different doula but another client went into labor just a little before I did. So our original doula asked Christine to fill in. Christine came over to our house on super-short notice and arrived in time to help us through what turned out to be a long and painful labor.

She was great! She was calm and had many different techniques to help me manage through my pain. She encouraged me to stay at home throughout active labor, but when the pain got too much she also respected my wish of going to the hospital to get an epidural. I felt that we were in it together as opposed to her being just a support person on the site doling out advice.

I actually ended up being 7+cm dilated by the time I got to the hospital and was going into transition. All this I did at home without drugs. This was all because of Christine's support and encouragement at home. Were it not for her, I probably would have gotten to the hospital sooner less dilated.

My original doula ended up being available before I started pushing, but Christine stayed anyways! It was so great of her to do that, and it shows just how dedicated she was (even though I had only known her for less than 24 hours at that point).

Jo Winn

10/12/2013

When my husband and I found out we were expecting our first baby, we knew we wanted the birth to be as natural as possible so we hired a doula to ensure the that experience. The first doula we interviewed was Christine Vermeersch, and we immediately knew she was perfect. Christine was sweet enough to come to our home for all the prenatal visits. She helped me to be well informed of what might go on at the hospital and to think through potential situations. She also encouraged me to often sit down in a quiet room and think positively though the birth. That one piece of advice would later help me so much as I labored. Christine was always on call with anything we needed. She even loaned us her personal books as resources.

When it was came to go to the hospital, Christine was there minutes after we were. Upon her arrival, my husband and I felt at ease. She coached me through each contraction. Then, as they started getting more intense, she grew even more calm and walked the maternity floor with me, caught my vomit in a bag, and rubbed my head/back. She also showed my husband how he could help me through the contractions. For several hours Christine kept this up never showing signs of fatigue or frustration. Even in my weakest moments when I knew I couldn't do it, Christine reassured me I could. When it was time to push, she held my hand and talked me through.

Once our boy was born, she helped me get him started breastfeeding. She stayed with us for several hours after he was born to make sure we were well taken care of. She even came back the next day to make sure our baby was feeding properly. Once we left the hospital, she came to our home to check on us again. I would recommend Christine to anyone considering a doula. She was more than our doula. She became our friend. She treated us with respect, helping us achieve the experience we wanted. She has been the greatest resource to me and I know she will be on hand when we have our next baby.

Neta benhorin

10/9/2013

Jennie Furrer

8/1/2013

The first time my husband and I met Christine we knew she would be a blessing to us. Not really knowing much about doulas, we consulted with our Dr. about them and he recommended Christine's name telling us that he enjoyed working with her and that she was very helpful to one of his patients. The fact that Christine was recommended by our Dr. speaks volumes to who Christine is and how well she works with others. We set up a time to interview Christine and it did not take my husband and I long to see the special heart and love that Christine has for her job and the mommys and daddys involved. We figured we here people to fix our cars, and do maintenance around the house- highering a doula to help with something so special only made sense and to hire someone as kind as Christine made it easy for us to ask her to be our doula. She was patient, kind, understanding, very knowledgable, and very compassionate. When birth day came and I started to feel what I thought were labor plains, I called Christine and she was at my house in 20 minutes. I was able to labor at home wih the encouragement and support of Christine and my family. It was not easy but Christine was always there telling me how great I was doing when I began to lose strength. She was with me in the middle of the night as I labored in the shower and she (for hours) sprayed my body with warm water. She never made me feel uncomfortable even in my most vulnerable moments. After almost 12 hours of labor I was ready to give up and go to the hospital and get meds. Christine helped me think through this and set a goal for myself. I never needed my goal, God is so good and when I got to the hospital I was ready to start pushing and an hour and a half later I was holding my beautiful Madalynn. Christine helped me give birth naturally when I never thought I could. She will forever be a blessing to us and if the Lord allows us the gift of parenting again I would choose Christine as my doula 100%!

Karen Lo

7/16/2013

We hired Chris as our doula for the birth of our son. I'm a first time mom, so naturally I was nervous about childbirth. After speaking to a few doulas, we felt that Chris matched our personality the best. She was very easy to talk to, and was a wealth of knowledge with tips on how to best prep my body for labor. It was very important for me that my husband felt comfortable with our doula too, and right after our first meeting with Chris, we both felt that she was the "one"!

I had the natural birth that I was hoping for and despite that my baby's 1 month birthday is coming up, I'm still turning to Chris for support and tips.

Highly recommended!

Marta Antoszkiewicz

6/20/2013

Christine was a wealth of knowledge during our pregnancy and at the birth of our baby boy. We were not familiar with the healthcare system in California and did not know what options were possible during labor and delivery. Christine made us feel comfortable and let us know what were the important questions to ask of our healthcare providers. She was able to walk us through the different options, explaining the benefits and risks and helped us make informed decisions through her experience and the materials which she gave us to read. It was a pleasure each time we met with her and it was amazing having her there at the birth of our son.

Rashmi Raghu

6/8/2013

Christine Vermeersch is an amazing doula. She was absolutely crucial during the birth of our son in April. Our little boy decided to arrive about 3.5 weeks early! There were many things we had not finished setting up for the birth of our son but we are so glad we had decided on Christine as our doula. The arrival of our son was sudden and things were changing rather rapidly during labor and it was Christine's expert and calm guidance that helped us through the process. She arrived at our house within 30-45 minutes of calling her. She was very well prepared with all the necessary equipment to help support the labor process - including coconut water for mom (this was just the right energy booster for mom during labor - something we had not thought about before). Christine also knew the right time to go to the hospital - we arrived there not too early and not too late! Her presence in the hospital was really calming and reassuring. There were many times we turned to her for advice when interventions were suggested and she did not disappoint. Her suggestions for posture and massages were what helped with labor since most of the traditional positions did not help. Mom, dad (and grandma) could not have had such a wonderful, natural birth process without Christine's help. Christine also had many suggestions for the weeks before birth to help prepare for labor. We were not fully able to take advantage of those, however, since our son came early! We highly recommend Christine to any one who is looking for an expert, calm, resourceful and friendly doula.

Casey Wilke

6/6/2013

Having Christine at my birth was the best decision I could have made and made my first birth experience much less stressful than it might have been. Her warm, caring, gentle presence put me and my husband at ease and she was always available to answer questions before, during and after the birth of our daughter. I would describe her as the motherly presence that you want at your birth. She will be with you every step of the way and will be as hands on or off as you need and has amazing intuition to know just what you need and when.

Leading up to the birth I made the decision that I wanted a fully natural birth. I spent months preparing for this and discussed extensively with Christine how she could help me stick with this decision during labor. When I went through transition and felt the strongest contractions and started to feel like I could not continue without pain medication she never once said I could not have them but she continued to remind me how close I was to meeting my daughter and how I did not have long to go before I could feel relief from labor. It was hard but without her steady presence and calm reminders I would not have been able to have the completely natural birth that I so wanted. She also gave us things to do leading up to the birth to prepare my body to birth naturally and I was able to remember these during early labor and they were very helpful.

Just having someone so knowledgeable and there for me whenever I needed her and came to visit me before, during and after the birth made me feel supported and cared about. I would ask Christine in a heartbeat to be at my next birth. She was a huge help not just to me but to my husband, sister and mother who were all concerned about my wellbeing. Plus she makes you feel like you are the only mother she is caring for and that is special.

Ikechukwu Ibeawuchi

4/16/2013

 I must say I was a huge skeptic about using a Doula. My reasoning was 'how hard can it be?' My wife spent hundreds of hours researching for the baby's arrival that I was rest assured that we were on the right track. How wrong was I.

Before I met Christine we interviewed a few Doulas but Christine stood out. Being a mom of 5 kids she definitely had a lot of tricks in her bag to offer. Her wealth of knowledge spans various techniques and tips we never would've thought about and all her recommendations and advice were spot on for the D-Day.

Christine has a huge heart and was more than willing to accomodate our numerous requests and as a husband I couldn't thank her enough for her early arrival at our house and labouring with us for almost 8 hours and also making the right call as to when we should leave for the hospital. Thanks to her we got the hospital 7cm dilated and the rest of the journey was quicker. Her postpartum services are awesome, and even had all the right connections for our placenta encapsulate and baby photography... need I say more?

I have personally recommended her to all expectant mommy friends; she's indeed worth every cent you invest and much more.

Happy husband & dad

Ike Ibeawuchi

Amarachi Okorie

3/29/2013

I wanted Christine as a doula after meeting her because of her calm, reassuring presence, her extensive experience with Kaiser hospital births, and her flexibility to work with our specific needs before and after birth.

I was blown away by her ability to quickly learn and help me use my hypnobabies relaxation cues during labor since I was her first client using the program. During labor I unexpectedly needed additional pain management help, which she was able to provide in the moment. She was able to work well with my husband and hospital staff to provide all the support I needed. And also helped us with dropping us off the placenta for encapsulation.

Postpartum, she continues to provide a wealth of information, contacts and advice. I can't recommend her enough!

Shira Sandford

2/7/2013

Christine was amazing. She was just what my husband and I needed for the birth of our little girl, Elizabeth (who is now 1 month old).  Elizabeth is our first child, and Christine was there to help us when we needed her.

When we first met Christine, we knew right away we had been blessed with the right person. She was very easy to get to know and very personable. She put both of us at ease. As the delivery date approached, she kept in contact and checked in on us to make sure our questions were answered.

Then when I was going into labor she arrived at our apartment ready to assist us. She knew techniques to help with the labor, and showed my husband where to press to ease the pain naturally. We found out when we got to the hospital that our baby had flipped (face up), as a result labor wasn't progressing as it should. When I got to the hospital I was only 1.5 centimeters dialated. Christine and my husband took turns rocking me back and forth for two hours nonstop and successfully got labor progressing. After they finished, I was 4 centimeters, and labor progressed normally from there on out. By the time I gave birth, Elizabeth was in the correct birthing position. Christine was there for us through the entire experience and did whatever she could to help out.

Her love and care made our giving birth so much better than it would have been without her. I think especially on your first birth, it is so nice to have someone with you the entire time that knows what is going on. Both my husband and I were extremely grateful for what she did for us.

After the birth, Christine visited us in the hospital and again when we got home. We didn't have any family in town when we were giving birth, and the extra support she gave was just what we needed.

I can't say enough how thankful I am for her, and I highly recommend her. 

Jocelyn Jones

1/21/2013

Once I met Christine I knew instantly that I wanted her to be our doula.  My husband was not convinced that we needed a doula but after the birth he said that we could not have made it through without her.  She is so open, caring and personable.  Christine was always available to me when I needed her, before, during and after the birth no matter the time.  She drove out to our home in the middle of nowhere at 4 a.m. when I thought I was in labor and stayed with me for hours.  Then when the time finally came she was our rock for our 32 hour labor.  Christine helped me to focus and get through most of it drug free...due to circumstances beyond our control we ended up with an epidural in the final hours but did have a successful vaginal birth.  The whole experience was exhausting but because of Christine my husband and I were able to have the best result from a very difficult situation.  We can't thank Christine enough for all of her time, patience and effort she put forth!

Elizabeth Choe

1/17/2013

Our homebirth with our second child went great thanks to a wonderful birth team which included Christine as our doula. We were hesitant at first to have a doula this time around because our home is rather small, but happily, the team worked well together in our small space. I was fully complete and dilated by the time the team arrived, and Christine immediately started to gently rub me and encourage me beween contractions. Hours later, she was still at it (like my first daughter's birth, I had rather long second stage of labor), and she would back off when I needed to be alone or to catch my breath and was fully present when I needed her to be. I'm so glad we decided to have Christine as our doula! I highly recommend Christine--in addition to being hands-on with a gentle touch, she is very knowledgeable and passionate about birth and babies. She's had six children herself, and, having given birth in Belgium and here in the U.S., has a unique perspective on birthing practices (sounds like they don't rush you over there like they do in hospitals here!). Thanks again for all your help Christine!

Tanya Smith-Johnson

12/16/2012

 First and foremost, words can not express how grateful i am for finding Christine. There was something about Christine from the very first conversation that resonated with my spirit and said that she is "the one" for us. Everything about Christine's demeanor and approach to birth is amazing. From the start she was open, attentive and truly listened to my wants, expectations and needs for this birth. And since, this was my fourth birth but first homebirth...i needed someone who would follow my lead and intuit exactly what i needed throughtout labor...and Christine did exactly that! She was there waiting, watching and listening to me as I labored. She respected my boundaries and need for completely privacy in the beginning stages. She let me labor the way i wanted from the beginning and was able to step in at the right moment to aide me when things started to get rough. She held my hand and whispered words of strength and encouragement to get get me thru each contration. Knowing Christine was there solely for me during the hardest patrs of labor was very reassuring. Christine was totally focused on me...and it felt awesome. She came prepared with her "bag of tricks" that included a TENS unit to help with back labor, aromatherapy and homeopathic aids and a birth ball...all of which helped me. And not only was Christine great with me, she was fantastic with my three children and reassured them as labor got intense. She even talked to my son, who was crying amd scared, until he fell asleep. Simply put Christine is a godsend !

eepSimply prut Christine was a godsend and I wouldnt do another birth without her!

Mia K

4/12/2012

Words can't express how fortunate I am to have had Christine as my Doula. This being my 1st pregnancy, I wanted to find a discerning person to support me & look out for my best interest through this very personal experience. Christine was just this person & much more. She met with my husband & I twice toward the end of my pregnancy. She patiently answered all of our questions & helped me w/ my birth plan.  Christine was also readily available over the phone whenever I had a question/concern. She was able to answer all my questions & provide great referrals.  She has a wealth of contacts & was more than happy to point me in the right direction.  When my big day came, Christine was by my side taking care of me. I was able to take advantage of her “bag of tricks” like her TENS unit & massage balls, to name a few. My labor was very long.  With my husband, Christine tirelessly comforted me by helping me get into different birthing positions, massaged me through my contractions, used aromatherapy & gave me lots of encouragements. My husband & I decided to do Cord Blood Banking & Placenta Encapsulation; I didn't have to worry about a thing as Christine ensured everything was taken care of. After delivery, Christine was invaluable in my initial weeks of being a new mom. She visited me while I was still hospitalized.  I remember having major breastfeeding issues & despite it being near Christmas, Christine happily volunteered to come to my house to help me. I’ll never forget that postpartum visit. Not only were her hugs comforting, but also her help was the turning point in my breastfeeding journey.  I find Christine to be confident, very knowledgeable, attentive, dependable, genuinely caring, dedicated, & in a word: AMAZING! I am so thankful & will not hesitate to entrust her again in the future. Thank you Christine for being who you are & what you do!

Delores Montgomery

3/19/2012

Christine was a lifesaver for us. Before giving birth she visited my house and we spoke about so many issues. She gave me books that empowered me and helped me feel confident that I could trust my body and give birth naturally.   When she came over while I was in labor she helped me find comfortable positions during my contractions. I was having "back labor" so she put her TENS unit on my back. This worked wonders and allowed me to get through these very tough contractions. When we arrived at the hospital she respectfully told the staff my wishes. Although my husband and I had taken Bradley classes the last thing I wanted during my contractions was anything suggested during that class. Christine understood that and she was able to provide a soothing and relaxing voice and very gentle touches, which helped me dilate from 3 to 8 cm in less than two hours. I had the natural instinct to give birth standing up, which my care providers weren't prepared for.  Without her, things would've gone badly because instead of assisting me in pushing standing up, my nurses were scambling to get a birthing stool for me, even when it was obvious the baby was coming. Christine was also helpful after the baby was born. She helped me establish breastfeeding and also helped keep family away while my husband and I enjoyed precious time with our newborn. After giving birth she visited and talked with me about my problems and gave good advice and books that were invaluable resources. I can honestly say that my natural drug free birth was made possible by Christine.  I will definitely hire her if I get pregnant again.

Z Khan

2/14/2012

Christine was a great help during my pregnancy and labor.  She is soft-spoken, kind, but firm, which was exactly what I needed.  She was a support during late pregnancy, helping me stay calm and focused.  During labor, she was equally helpful, at my side throughout the entire (long) labor.  She interacted with the hospital staff very well, and was able to negotiate with them successfully in our desire to use a squatting bar.  The staff was not used to it, and were hesitant, but Christine managed it very gracefully.  After the delivery, she followed up several times, and I still consider her a resource for questions I may have.  She is very warm, and enhanced the labor experience for both me and my husband.  I highly recommend Christine, and I hope she is available if/when I am pregnant again.  

Christine Ehrlich

8/9/2011

Christine  was an invaluable resource during the later weeks of my pregnancy.  She met with my husband and I twice in the last couple of months and was always available by phone or email.  She listened with interest to all of our questions and concerns and always had practical advice at the ready.  I particularly appreciated her focus on more natural approaches to dealing with pregnancy and labor-related issues.  She has many connections and we made use of some of the contacts that she suggested including one for Placenta Encapsulation and another for Lactation Consultation.  Christine is also experienced in massage therapy and aromatherapy, both of which I looked forward to using as resources during labor.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, my labor was so fast that we didn't really get to utilize most of the great tools she had provided but her presence was of great comfort to myself and my husband.  She helped to set the tone for a relaxed, calm atmosphere as we mostly labored at home.  Once at the hospital, she made sure the staff had a clear understanding of my birth plan and again, helped to create a very supportive environment.  She made two additional visits, one the next day in the hospital and another at our home a week later, to check on us and the baby and to address any new questions or concerns we might have had.  Overall, Christine helped to make this pregnancy and birth a positive and wonderful experience and my husband and I are truly grateful for that.

Karen Roos

7/6/2011

I highly recommend working with Christine Vermeersch as a doula. I enjoyed every moment of the process with her: getting to know her during pregnancy, having her presence during labor and birth, and her postpartum visits. Christine is very capable, super objective, extremely kind, caring and intuitive. She is an excellent communicator. She worked with me on a birth plan, and I had no doubt that she would stand behind my wishes 100%. During labor, Christine taught my husband about counter pressure techniques, which was so very helpful to me. She was right by me all the time, a gentle, calm, assured voice and hand throughout. My older daughter told me after our baby boy was born that she wants Christine to be her doula when she has a baby one day. I can't think of a better endorsement!

Lisa Bello

6/26/2011

I would highly recommend Christine.  I was immediately comfortable having her in my home.  She urged me to rest as much as possible and let her help out.  She would offer to do things before I would even think to ask her!  She is a wealth of knowledge and experience both in part from her being a mom as well as by being a Doula.  She listens and anything I asked of her, she did.  She understood that my 2 week old son did not like to be swaddled, so she did not try to swaddle him.  For anything I asked her on for advice, she immediately understood my concern, and hearing her experience made me very comfortable knowing I was doing everything right!  She even emailed me after a visit to check in to see how my son was doing and check on his diaper rash and offered more advice of things to try.  My son was very comfortable with her and once, when I went to take a shower, I saw her singing to him, and holding him and walking him around and I knew we had made the right choice.  I will definitely use her again for my future baby if I have another!

Marta Vaisberg Correll

1/7/2011

Christine is an extremely compassionate, open-minded and intuitive doula. As a mother of 6, she draws from her own birthing experiences as well as modern methods, and her knowledge of today's birthing trends and procedures is quire impressive

She is very attentive and strives to carry out her client's wishes to a 'T.' She is also a potent advocate and made sure the hospital carried out its responsibilities according to my birth plan, but was also flexible enough to carry out my wishes when they happened to deviate from my birth plan.

Christine was tirelessly by my side throughout my long labor, and I don't know what I would have done without her soothing attentiveness and pleasant, knowledgeable manner. She arrived to the hospital immediately, even though it was on short notice and happened to be in the middle of the night and in bad weather.

In short, this doula is a must-have and a treasure, and I would enthusiastically recommed her to every expectant mother. My childbirthing experience was immeasurably better for having her by my side. I cannot say enough positive things about this wonderfully dedicated, skilled, kindhearted and capable human being.

Charla Alino

8/10/2010

My husband and I had Christine join us in the labor room with the birth of our first child. She is wonderful. Very passionate, motivated and great at what she does. Without her help I would not have been able to deliver our 8 lb 14 oz baby girl without epidural. The hospital staff seemed confident in Christine to help us through everything without intervention and followed my birth plan perfectly. No IV, was able to eat and drink etc. She was very helpful in the labor room. She has many techniques that helped and knew just what I should do next to help with the pain. She was very calm and confident about what needs to be done. She also gave updates to our waiting family so that my husband could stay with me. We definitely recommend her and plan on using her next time.

Melissa Cowsar

3/30/2010

My name is Melissa and my husband and I opted to have Christine become our doula. During our first meeting she talked to me about what she was aspiring to become and her experience having six children of her own. I was looking for a strong, kind woman to help me stay calm and focused during my labor. Just during that first meeting while talking to her I felt relaxed and noticed my breathing getting heavy while listening to her voice.Thirty seven weeks into pregnancy I was informed that our baby was in a breech position. Two weeks later all 3 of us attended a ECV in hopes to turn her around & to ensure a vaginal delivery.  Now everyone said to me, including the resident attending the procedure, how bad this was going to hurt. With My husband stroking my hair and Christine calmy talking to me in a low voice while the doctors quickly attempted to turn her twice, I felt no pain. Sadly we left with baby still in breech position.My doctor scheduled my for a CS on April second but on Friday March 26th I went into real labor with contractions right on top of each other. I was again beat to the hospital by Christine. An hour in a half later my new family emerged from the surgery room and was met by eager Christine who helped my baby latch right on and I have been nursing like a pro since.Christine was an excellent extra support the last few weeks of pregnancy and during my stay at the hospital. She never judged me or discouraged me from any decisions I had made. She helped me to say the right thing to the doctors just before my CS to ensure that they closed me back up securley for a furture VBAC.Even though she knew there was a real chance she would not get credited towards becoming a doula from attending our birth any longer due to our breech baby and the CS, she still kept in contact with me, came to the hospital, answered my calls at school, and was trully selfless and responsive to my needs.