Carling

7/2/2020

We have had the support of Trish for all three if our babies now. She was absolutely amazing before, during, and after the birth. She was always there for me when I needed her. When it came to the intensity of the contractions, she was right by my side encouraging me and talking me through it. She made me feel safe. She also thought me ahead of time and in the moment what to do at each stage of labour both mentally and physically. This was especially helpful when the baby was almost out because she coached me through a successful VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). I am forever grateful to her. I highly recommend Trish and my husband would agree, she is very good at what she does and made all three of our birth experiences so wonderful. 

Leanne Bryce

9/29/2019

My experience with Trish started back in 2010 when I was pregnant with our first child. I found her on the DONA website.  Her calming voice, her support and knowledge was amazing through it all.  I wanted an unmedicated labour and she was there to rub my back, squeeze my hips for hours and even moaned with me through transition to keep me in rhythm. The support she gave my husband as well was undeniable. He was very thankful she was there to help him with his own fears and anxiety of watching his wife in pain.  We laughed lots, we kept it light and I was able to achieve my goal with her in my corner and I am forever grateful.... Soooo... we hired her for our next two children as well!!  I would highly recommend her to everyone!  She is the kindest, sweetest, and will have your back no matter what.  Thank you again Trish for your hard work, and your friendship that started back in 2010 :)  Leanne and Michael Bryce + (Brooklynn, Naomi and Jaren) 

Davey B

7/27/2018

Trish made the difference in our labour. She was a tremendous advocate for us in the delivery room. We would recommend Trish as your Doula.

Initially we were unsure of using a Doula, but we reached out to Trish for an initial meeting. There was no pressure from Trish to commit to using a Doula. We were comforted by her experience (150+ deliveries), and impressed by her knowledge, understanding, and approach. She listened to us, provided insight and guidance when asked, and helped us prepare for the big day.  We received 2 prenatal visits, a longer than expected delivery, and 2 postnatal visits.

Our delivery was difficult: 14 hours of labour, induced, 4 1/2 hours of active pushing. Trish was there through it all, staying with us at the hospital through the night, ensuring both mom and dad were comfortable, giving us reassurance when things got tough.

The one moment which we will be forever grateful for is when Trish spoke up on our behalf to have the induction slowed down so that we could reconsider our options (which we did and opted for an epidural).

We found support before and after birth beneficial, but her actions during birth as a patient advocate were invaluable.

Trish should be part of your birth plan.

-Dave & Erin

Carling Hendricks

6/21/2016

Trish, Thank you for making the birth experience of our first child so amazing, memorable, and all that we had hoped for. We are so grateful to have had you to ease our minds before the birth by coming over and explaining our options, during the birth - you made my home water birth dream come true, and after the birth - you were very supportive and helpful as we adjusted to having our new baby. The birth story you wrote up is absolutely beautiful and we will cherish it forever. We look forward to having you by our side again one day in the future for the birth of our second child.

Aleena Lalani

6/13/2016

I met Trish 3 years ago, right after I found out I was pregnant with my first child. My husband and I went to a 'doula speed dating' session where we met with and spoke to around 10 + doulas, and we then each ranked our top 3 doulas, and not surprisingly - Trish was the number 1 pick for the both of us !! So it was a very easy deciision to have her be our doula.

Trish was an amazing asset throughout both my pregnancies - and in fact is probably the reason why I didn't need an epidural for either pregnancy - she was able to ease the pain of my contractions and encouraged me to walk around and use gravity to get the baby to descend. She also guided me through the pushing phase of birth and was also amazing with my husband and encouraged him participate in easing my pain and also guided him through the birthing process/telling him what to expect next.

Trish also took some amazing pictures of both my children as they were being born - memories I will forever cherish. She came to visit me twice at home after I (recently) gave birth to my daughter, and spend hours teaching me how to breastfeed and was extremely patient with me. I would recommend Trish to all expecting mothers, and would use her again if I ever had a third child!!! She is talented, patient, experienced and I can't say enough good things about her.

Raelene Gardiner

6/16/2014

When I met Trisha I knew right away that she was a good match for me! I used her for my second birth - I did not have a doula for my first. She was present, calm, and interested in my first birth experience.

Trisha helped me achieve my goal of labouring longer and more confidentally at home. She was an experienced, caring person in the room who was fully dedicated to my needs - something I definitely needed at my long second birth. Her calming presence gave me the confidence to continue during my labour and delivery. When I lacked confidence, Trisha knew what to say and do to keep me going and keep me focused.

As a second time-mom, Trisha reminded me how important it was to take care of myself prior to the birth, and to be in the right emotional and mental space. That allowed me to take some time for myself and get prepared for the new baby.

I highly recommend the use of a doula for any first, second or third time mom!

Aleena Lalani

5/13/2014

I met Trish in a Doula "speed dating" session about 6 months ago. After having met over 8 different doulas, my husband and I ranked our "top 3" based on a 5 min chat with each lady, and shared our impressions with each other. Trish was the top pick without a doubt for the both of us. She is a professional, compassionate, likeable and experienced individual who made our birthing process seamless. She was definitely not after money, and instead, concerned with making sure her client was comfortable - she in fact met with me over lunch for a couple hours to speak to me even before I hired her to be our doula.

Our son was born 3 months ago, at Foothills hospital, and even though he arrived over 3 weeks early, Trish had no problems at all about being "on call" for me many weeks prior to my actual due date, when I told her the night before I gave birth, that my contractions had already begun unexpectedly.

If it wasn't for Trish, I am not sure I would have been able to give birth to my son drug-free. I had no epidural and a totally natural birth, with the help of massages from Trish, encouraging me to use gravity to deliver my son. She also included my husband throughout the labour and taught him what to do to make me feel relaxed.

She is a graceful and talented doula that I would highly recommend and surely hope to have again for any future births I may have!

Nikki Stewart-St.Arnault

5/5/2014

Trish attended the homebirth of our second child, Sander, in April 2013.  I felt immedietly at ease when I met Trish.  She was very easy to talk to, was eager to gain homebirth experience, and I just felt  she was the right "fit" for me.

Even though I already had one natural birth (in hospital), it was still helpful to have Trish over to talk through the stages of labor about my experience with my first son (what labor felt like for me at different stages, what comfort methods had worked and not worked for me, what I was hoping to do differently or the same this time around).  Even as an "experienced mom" it allowed me to work through some anxiety that I had (labor hurts!) and also allowed me to become even more connected with Trish.

We called Trish early Sunday morning before labor started because my water broke in the night.  My husband called back half an hour later, and I think Trish was surprised at how fast and how intense labor had started, but as soon as she heard the sounds I was making in the background she hurried right over.  Trish was just the person that I needed to get me through my quick, intense labor.  She was like a mom, comforting me just the way I needed (but without the bagage!) and like a coach, cheering me on when I felt exhausted or my confidence was lagging.  I had backlabor, and Trish was able to help my discomfort with massage, heat and cold, and also with pressure in the right spots.  She was also able to coach me into the best positions and help coach my husband into the best way to help me get more comfortable as well.  Sander arrived less than 3 hours after labor started, and I was so thankful she was there through it.

Afterwards, she made sandwiches for everyone and kept me company while the midwives did their paperwork.  Trish was an amazing doula. If we have a third child she is the doula I want by my side!

Reanna Toye

4/4/2013

Our experience with Trish was something that I wouldn't trade anything for during the birth of our daughter.  I was uneducated about Doulas until about 2 months prior to our due date which was pretty last minute!  I found Trish a couple weeks later and she went above and beyond to accomodate our tight schedule.  Our visits with her prior to the birth were very educational and helpful.  After learning about the effects that pain drugs / some interventions can have on the mother and baby it was my wish to have a natural birth.   I was very nervous about whether or not I could handle this.  Trish took me from about a 9.5 out of 10 on the 'scared scale' to about a 2 in a matter of 3 sessions and some email communication.  I felt like I could do this!  The actual events that transpired while at the hospital were not what I wanted and was back to the 9.5 out of 10 again!  They wanted to induce me because my water had broken.  After holding off as long as I could and Trish being calm and objective  with the me and the medical staff, I had to give in.  Again, Trish relaxed me and convinced me that this was the new reality and I could still do it without drugs.  Her positive and encouraging words were so powerful.  Three hours later and 20 minutes after that, our beautiful daughter was born!  Trish was very knowledgable about positioning, breathing, and educating us on what to expect and how to manage the different stages of birth.  My fiance would have been very lost without her and is equally as greatful as I am for Trish.  She was as much of a help to me as she was to my fiance and helped teach him to be an integral part during labor and the birth of our daughter.   We will be hiring Trish again in the future and would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone looking for a Doula!  

Brandy Trapp

8/30/2012

I first considered the possibility of a birthing doula after a referral from a co-worker.  She explained that not only did she find Trish's support helpful, but her husband claimed they would NEVER have another child without her.  With my husband's anxiety/panic issues and with the realization that my family would not be able to be there to support me, I knew I needed to find some additional help.  After my first meeting with Trish I knew that she was the type of support I was looking for.  I was able to speak frankly with her regarding my fears and concerns and also get a realistic view on the birthing process.  I had always hoped for an "intervention free" labour and delivery, but wanted the option for pain medication should I need it.  Trish was the perfect Doula for me.  She understood completely the type of labour and delivery I wanted and would help me make educated and reasoned decisions during the intense labour process.  My husband was a little skeptical about the "birthing doula" idea but was very supportive of my decision for choosing this path.  Once our son was born and we had a moment to reflect and discuss the delivery, we both agreed it would NOT have been possible without Trish.  Jon was at a loss to help me during the intense labour process and Trish gave him the confidence and knowledge to support me.  Both he and I have and would recommend Trish to anyone considering an "intervention free" labour.  The support you will  receive from her is invaluable.