Katy S.

10/12/2022

We cannot quite put into words how fantastic Oonagh is.  From our first meeting, we felt an instant connection and were struck by her warmth and calm.  She provided fantastic guidance during the final weeks of pregnancy, sending resources (though being careful to curate only the most relevant info so as not to overwhelm) to support my mental, emotional and physical well-being.  During her prenatal home visit, she made us both feel empowered and ready for labor and delivery.  She was accessible and regularly checked in unprompted just to see how we were doing.  By the time labor did start, we already felt connected and at ease with Oonagh.  When she arrived at the hospital shortly after we were admitted, again we immediately felt calmer.  She communicated with and worked alongside our nurses and midwife, sharing our birth plan with the team and--perhaps more importantly--supporting us as that plan shifted many, many times.  During labor, she was an invaluable emotional support for us both, suggesting ways to get more comfortable, breathing with me, holding my hands, making the environment more comfortable, and supporting every decision we made.  I went 17 hours without medication and certainly couldn't have done it without Oonagh.  When labor didn't progress and I had to get an epidural, then when we continued to face issues and had to get an unplanned C section, she tailored her support to meet our changing needs.  Not only did she impressively stay with us for nearly 30 hours of labor and delivery, she seemed to know exactly what we needed at each stage.  Oonagh was such an important part of welcoming our baby into the world, we would absolutely be reaching out to her for support if and when we have a second child.  Again, we cannot say enough good things.  If you have the opportunity to make Oonagh a part of your birthing experience, don't hesitate!

Caitlyn

9/13/2022

The short version is - add Oonagh to your birth team! I cannot recommend Oonagh enough! Oonagh helped my husband and I prepare for and ultimately enjoy the birth of our first child -- and I hope she will also be there with us when we decide to have our second. Please add her to your team - it was one of my best choices.

Preparation for labor: I am a person that likes information, and Oonagh made sure that we had all of the details we could possibly want, which helped my husband and I to feel confident going into the birth - we knew when to go to the hospital, we had techniques to use while we were home in early labor, etc. It took a lot of the stress out of the anticipation.

During & after labor: Though we went in with a detailed birth plan, when things ultimately needed to change in the moment Oonagh was a calming presence and extremely supportive through the entire process. She helped coach me to give me the confidence to advocate for myself, and her presence was reassuring and calming for both my husband and I. (My husband can also attest that she helped him be very involved in the process, particularly because he had ideas on how to help from much of the prep we did). I was extremely happy with my birth experience. When Oonagh came for our postpartum check in, it was great to see her but also bittersweet that it was our last session. She is truly the best!