Dawn Nagazina

6/23/2024

Dianne was recommended to us as a birth and postpartum doula by a close friend, and I am forever grateful for that recommendation. Our journey would not have been the same without her. She helped my husband and me grow closer as we prepared for the birth. Her thoughtful questions guided us in understanding what was most important to us, ensuring we felt informed and supported throughout.

Despite unforeseen circumstances that prevented Dianne from being present at our son's birth, she was at the hospital the very next day to assist with pumping and hand expressing, crucial for maintaining my breastfeeding goals. With our son spending the first three weeks in the NICU, Dianne provided invaluable emotional support and expert advice on pumping, always reassuring me that our breastfeeding journey was still achievable, even if it took time.

Thanks to her unwavering support, we transitioned from exclusively bottle feeding to full-time breastfeeding by 2.5 months. She was right — patience and persistence paid off.

After our son was discharged, Dianne's postpartum support became indispensable. With my husband returning to work immediately and no family nearby, her presence was a lifeline. She not only provided emotional reassurance and answered countless questions but also cooked, baked, and cared for our fragile son, allowing me to rest.

Dianne's unwavering support and reassuring presence made the vulnerable experience of breastfeeding feel safe and manageable, even during challenging moments. We highly recommend Dianne to anyone seeking compassionate and knowledgeable doula support, and we look forward to hiring her again in the future!

Kelsey Andries

1/15/2024

I am SO happy that my husband and I found Dianne. As my due date got closer I asked my midwives about getting a doula and they were like DO IT! I found Dianne and we did a consultation. I knew instantly she was the right person for me. We connected personally on many levels and she was authentic, down to earth, calm and funny! My husband didn't understand what a doula was going to do for us, until my water broke and my contractions started and he was like WTF. Enter Dianne! She arrived at our house and focused our efforts and energy on what needed to be done. She was an amazing coach for me and to this day I can hear her coaching me through my contractions by blowing out the imaginary candle. She was the best team mate for my husband. I required lots of hip pressure (when I say lots, I mean EVERY ONE!) so they tag teamed for the entire labour. My husband is a big strong guy but I am telling you, Dianne is like SUPER STRONG! He was shaking like a leaf by the end and she was still holding that hip pressure like an absolute boss! To this day my husband is like "Dianne was a god send - no way I could have done that without her." We ended up transerred to hospital. Dianne was an amazing support for me, espically when I wasn't really thinking straight (the drugs were very good). She encouraged me to ask the OB's questions and understand all my options. She stayed with us the whole time, listening, supporting, caffienating (it was a loooong night) and just being an amazing calming presence. When the decision was made to have a c-section, Dianne wished us well and we made a date to have a post-natal visit. Being home was very hard, I was in pain and very overwhelmed. I felt so vunerable that day and thank goodness she was able to come over. She showed up, helped with my son, listened to me and she made me feel seen, heard and supported. I could blather on for pages as to why you should choose Dianne as your doula. Book a consult and see for yourself. 

Sabrina

1/12/2024

A friend of ours recommended Dianne to us, and we are so grateful she did. Dianne was timely, easy to communicate with, highly knowledgeable, and very respectful. Most importantly, she was amazing with our baby and gave us helpful and practical tips on how to keep her sleeping for longer periods in her crib. She was also very thoughtful of our eldest daughter, helping her with night wakings, so we could get our much needed rest, and surprising her with some toys in the morning. Highly highly recommend Dianne, she is a gem. 

Lisa Helfrick

1/8/2024

I cannot recommend Dianne enough to my network of parents who are pregnant or have newborns. Dianne supported us through the evenings with our second baby while I recovered from a c-section and returned to work full-time after six weeks. I felt a huge sense of relief every time Dianne came. Not only did she help Mama and baby get better sleeps, but she was a wealth of knowledge and support for any questions or concerns I had about baby or my own recovery. She reminded me that while baby slept, she was happy to help with other things around the house that would make my life easier. Most days I would wake up to a perfectly organized newborn closet, marinated ready-to-make dinners, and breakfast cookies that were made better than my own attempts. Dianne brought calm and positive energy to our home. She is comforting to be around and is very proactive and thoughtful. Once you get to know her better, you too will wonder how she does it all. If I could go back in time, I would certainly have hired her as a doula through my pregnancy. The friends I have referred her to are grateful and feel the same as we did. Hire her! She is worth every penny. 

Heather Huynh

8/30/2022

Dianne has been such a blessing to our family. She replied promptly when I contacted her during my first week postpartum and she was able to arrange and schedule us in quickly. I am so thankful to have her in the first month, she was knowledgeable and so helpful with my baby boy, I really felt at ease having her support. Dianne gave detailed reports of each nightly feeds, sleep and diaper changes. She was skilled and confident. I would highly recommend her if you are looking for some postpartum support. It's amazing what a few nights of sleep can do!!

Lauren & Steve

4/6/2022

Dianne is a wonderful doula. She is very caring and was amazing with our little one. They say no one will love and care for your baby like you, but Dianne came pretty close. She is quick to learn your baby's cues and is very attentive. She is a very hard worker, and if you are too tired to come up with a list of things to do, she will find chores to do around the house for you. She is always willing to offer tips and tricks whenever you feel lost or overwhelmed; she is a wealth of knowledge. We are in a much better place after the support we received from her, and will be forever grateful for the help she provided.

Jayninn

11/25/2021

Dianne was our birth doula and also worked with us post partum for support. She is amazing! Thorough, calm, really in tune with our baby's needs, knowledgeable, went above and beyond to help us out (we needed night support urgently at me point due to a family situation and she called 12 doulas to find someone to complement her hours). I also really appreciated how kind she was to our dog Toby, who was feeling a bit left out in the hectic days after baby's arrival. An amazing resource, and a truly kind person who cares about her clients. We would highly recommend Dianne.

Nisha van den berg

11/23/2021

Dianne provided excellent post partum help for our family.  We struggled with sleep and breastfeeding in the first month our son was born.  Because of immunocompromised family members, we could not have in person care.  I was skeptical of getting help over zoom but Dianne came highly recommended.  We could not have been happier about the help she provided.  She watched us breastfeed and gave us on the spot tips. They worked!  I couldn't believe it. She also sent over many contacts for us to get the professional help we needed.  She was easy to contact via text or phone and was so warm and caring.  She even checked up on us a few times after our contract ended just to see how we were doing.  We highly recommend her services and would use her again in the future. 

Mandy

2/18/2021

The unknowns of delivery are daunting for first time parents and I wasn't the exception. How will I manage pain? Is it possible to have additional support during a pandemic?

 
As my husband and I sought answers to these questions Dianne proposed other questions to us to consider: How do I want my spouse to support me? What is my ideal birth plan? What interventions am I considering and which ones are a last resort? These are very personal choices and Dianne supported us fully through every decision we made and explained how she could assist in making our ideal birth a reality.
She delivered books I requested from her personal library and sent me articles, links and updates as she received them.

Dianne taught my husband tension release massage techniques that we used in our third trimester. 
Dianne assisted me through every contraction whether it was massage, using the exercise ball, a peanut ball, guiding me through breathing, utilizing a Rebozo or simply distracting me by telling me a story.  
Dianne held my hand and calmed me when our baby was in distress and we had to go undergo unplanned interventions and she stood by our side from the moment we arrived at the hospital until we were moved to the recovery room.

Dianne is affable, empathetic, knowledgeable, kind hearted and we were beyond lucky to have her at our side for the birth of our son. 

Ederlina Candaza

8/16/2020

With her passion and support,  I was able to deliver my baby in a calm and peaceful setting.  Something I would never thought I would do. It was a wonderful experience, I was able to stick to my birth plan and deliver natural. Very comforting female presence  during a period where there is no family member who will support us. My baby is now 8 weeks old and she's still there to check on us. She's awesome giving advices and suggestions. To Diane Liwanag, Thank you for being a part of my birth experience. I recommend her without any reservation. 

Shey Scammell

5/29/2020

Our experience with Dianne was perfect! Her ability to help us relax and feel comfortable during the birthing experience was amazing. She was especially helpful after our baby was born, allowing us to bond as a family. She was more than willing to help and share information before and after our birth. I would highly recommend her to friends and family looking for a doula. 

Suneeta

1/25/2020

My husband and I still talk about Dianne today and what a positive impact she had on my labour and delivery experience. When my water broke, Dianne was readily available and was the first to arrive at my house. She immediately worked on making a comfortable environment for me and gave me massages to help when the contractions came on. She had all these unbelievable techniques to help me work with the pain whether lying in bed, walking around, in the bathtub or in the car on the way to the hospital. She knew that I wanted a childbirth experience without epidural and she really gave me the courage that I could do this with her words. She even guided my husband on what he could do to help me (and trust me he needed it!). My midwife commented that she was the best doula she had ever met and she's been a midwife for over 20 years! Dianne came by to visit us the day after we delivered even though she was making her way home to Calgary from Toronto. I really highly recommend Dianne to anyone looking to hire a doula. Trust me, you won't regret it. She cares about your needs and when you're in labour, it really makes a difference to feel that you have someone you can count on. 

T.Y.

1/24/2020

Dianne is a kind, warm hearted person.  I remember the first day we met she asked me how she could make the birth more comfortable for me and filled with compassion and love.  And it was!  Dianne is the type of person who makes you feel you know them a whole lifetime. I also felt like I was surrounded by close family during the birth. I wish her a lot of succes in her career as she is very dependable and knowledgeable.  

J & M

1/17/2020

We hired Dianne to help with the delivery of our first child in December of 2018. After meeting her through the Calgary Doula Association, I was struck with her friendly and calm demeanor, and no-nonsense approach. We had two pre-natal visits, in which we determined what was the most important things to us during delivery, and went through some tips and tricks that might help smooth out the early labour. Turns out, we had a very quick labour & delivery, and didn't use many of those things we discussed - no time! - but Dianne was supportive through the entire process. First by phone, while we were at home and questioning when to go to the hospital, and then bedside during the actual delivery. We also learned tons from her during our postnatal visit, on breastfeeding, baby wearing and other topics. And on top of that, she was able to take the best photos of the delivery. I was a little pre-occupied during that time, and didn't notice the camera out at all; but she captured the whole thing perfectly. She was a great support for both myself and my husband.