Sandra & Peter

12/13/2023

We took Michelle's prenatal classes and knew 100% that we wanted to be there as part of our labour and birthing experience. She is so knowledgable and has such a calming presence. Every time I had a question leading up to the due date, she responded via text or phone call immediately. She was always available and shared super helpful advice and resources every day. Her support and encouragement really helped calm my anxiety about the labour. She helped me breathe through contractions and have a super empowering experience when birthig my baby. I would highly recommend having her as a doula, especially if your priority is to have a positive natural birthing experience.

Aubrey Stiene

7/19/2022

My husband and I chose Michelle as our doula for the birth of our first baby. She has incredible knowledge and intuition and a calming presence. She knew exactly what I needed to get through each challenging moment. Thanks to Michelle, I had the positive unmedicated birth experience I've always dreamed of. I wish every mother had a Michelle in her life! 

Jessica Gale

3/25/2022

We are so profoundly grateful for your support Michelle. You were a key part in making a more difficult birth less scary and traumatic and instead one where we felt supported, safe, and empowered. You helped us advocate for the birth we still wanted for a smoother recovery. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Kate Murphy

2/6/2022

My partner and I took Michelle’s prenatal classes and found them extremely helpful in preparing for the birth and parenting. We especially appreciated how she presented comprehensive and diverse information as objectively as possible so that we could make our own informed decisions in the ways that suited our family’s needs best without bias. We also had the privilege of having Michelle as our Doula. Her guidance, brainstorming, support, care and kindness were a game changer for our birth experience. Michelle transformed what could have been a stressful, and potentially traumatic experience into a story of resilience, empowerment, and strength. We would recommend Michelle’s courses and support to anyone! She's magic! 

Olivia & Chris

10/29/2021

My husband and I did 4 pretnatal classes with Michelle and they were absolutely wonderful! Her warm welcome and kindness helped make our learning experience one that will never be forgotten. Michelle has experience on so many topics of pregnancy and answers to the questions that could occur on the day of birth. We used so many tools from Michelle's classes' on the day our son was born. We highly recommend Birth Beginnings to anyone who is interested. 

Paul

10/11/2021

My wife and I attended 4 prenatal classes with Michelle and learned a lot. Very informative and would definitely recommend. Thanks Michelle for everything!

Brad and Emily

7/27/2021

My husband Brad and I just finished up a five week prenatal course with Michelle. She came highly recommended from my sister and brother in law who took her course when they were expecting their first baby, and she definitely did not disappoint! We opted for private classes and in the weeks and months leading up to our course, Michelle was great with staying in touch, giving us options (and outlining potential limitations) due to the pandemic. She was very flexible and made sure we were comfortable with everything along the way. Michelle is so knowledgeable and passionate about what she does and was able to customize the class to suit our birth plan and gave us great ideas for pain management. There were also weekly videos and other resources she provided that we found very helpful. Now that we have wrapped up the classes, we feel very prepared and confident going into the natural birth we are hoping for. Michelle is very warm and easy to connect with and I would highly recommend her classes to couples looking for education and support when growing their families.
Thank you for everything Michelle!!
Emily, Brad and "Baby B"

Melanie & Mike

3/16/2021

Michelle was our doula for both of our births (one hospital and one at home). There is no way I could have gotten through either birth without her. She is able to hold space, presence and strength during such a vulnerable time. She coached me through the entire process and was truly the one who enabled my daughter to be safely born at home. I feel there is a gap in our medical system with regards to providing women with pain management support, as well as labour and pushing coaching -Michelle fills this gap! She also taught my husband pain management techniques that were crucial to getting through contractions. She provides incredible support during pregnancy and post, not to mention the top notch connections she has in the community from lactation consultants to dental surgeons to pelvic floor physios. I feel so lucky to have gotten Michelle for both of my births and would highly recommend her to anyone!

Ben and Ashley

12/14/2020

Highly recommend taking prenatal classes with Michelle! My wife and I are first time parents and had almost zero baby experience, so we wanted to get prepared by taking a prenatal class.

Michelle was so knowledgeable and helpful on so many different topics, and she gave us so many tips and resources to be able to navigate the process of labour and caring for a newborn.

Michelle also really takes the time to get to know you and caters her lessons to what fits your lifestyle and your values. Also, no question or topic is off limits.

We're so glad we took the class and it's safe to say we feel so much more confident as we head into delivery and parenthood. Again, highly recommend the class, you won't be disappointed!

Diana & Cooper

10/15/2020

My partner and I recently completed Michelle's prenatal course and we were so impressed by the amount of information covered and the depth of each topic. Michelle really took the time to cover each aspect of labour and delivery, breastfeeding, and life with a newborn in great detail. She has a very calm, sweet approach that made the classes feel like a cozy chat with a friend (a VERY knowledgable and experienced friend!) and we feel much more confident knowing what to expect as we approach our due date. I would highly recommend her courses and working with her in any capacity throughout your pregnancy!

Davi Vasal

8/27/2017

I highly recommend a Doula to enhance the birthing experience and am so glad I selected Michelle. I found her to be an invaluable resource both during my pregnancy and afterwards. To have all that info at my fingertips was incredible as she was just a phone call away. She was able to answer all my questions very quickly. Just talking through my birth plan eased much of my nerves about labour.

My baby was feet down so I had to have a CSection and required some post partum visits at home and what a machine Michelle was! I had a live baby expert with me during those confusing first days and she dove right into my outstanding list of house chores we just couldn't seem to get to. It was so overwhelming at first - but so glad she was with us. Even my husband who initially wasn't fully on board with my decision to hire a Doula was grateful for it in the end! The tips and tricks I learned from Michelle were just priceless- and not so easily found online or otherwise.

Also just knowing Michelle would be by my side took the pressure off of my husband that day. Even though it turned out to be a cesarean I felt more prepared leading up to those last few weeks:).

Aleksandra Cockett

6/30/2017

My husband and I just finished Michelle's prenatal class and we are so glad we have signed up for them. We did it over the 5 week period. Classes are full of very useful information and Michelle is the best person to present it and explain it. From the very beginning we felt very comfortable with Mochelle. She is a wonderful person and very compassionate about what she does. We have learned so much and we have learned things that we would not know from books or other sources. We would strongly recommend this class for any family expecting a child.

Katie Tran

11/8/2016

My husband and I just completed Michelle's prenatal classes and they were exceptional. The classes were run on Sunday afternoon for three consecutive weeks. This gave plenty of time to learn and discuss every topic that needed to be covered in the course.

Michelle offered so much support; sharing her expertise, knowledge and experience she has gained over the years as a professional and mother. Michelle covered every aspect of the birthing experience- from what to expect leading up to labour, circumstances that can arise during labour, how your partners can be involved to bringing baby home.

We really appreciated the way Michelle always involved each couple, making sure that our individual worries, concerns, excitements and questions were addressed .Michelle has a very kind and supportive demeanour who has a wonderful way of sharing her passion. She also had a great way of making everyone feel comfortable and relaxed when discussing more sensitive topics.

I would highly recommend Michelle's prenatal classes and for any prenatal, postpartum support that you might need.

Nas Panwar

8/2/2016

"Having a doula before, during and after the birthing process allowed me to feel comfortable, confident and secure in my decision making. I learned a lot about the baby's development and what to expect during the pregnancy and at the birth. I felt like I had a coach nearby to alleviate my anxieties and fears. Michelle was able to do this because she is non-judgmental, very open and does not speak in euphemisms." - first time dad

Niki Poirier

6/16/2016

Michelle was fantastic and supportive through the entire process. She helped us create a positive and calm environment for my home birth and helped me achieve my birth plan successfully. What made her exceptional was all her help and support postpartum to get me back up on my feet and make me a stronger mother than before.

Leanne s

6/14/2016

"Michelle came highly recommended to me by a number of health care professionals and other doulas. I was planning a home birth after a previous traumatic c-section. So I was looking for someone who could help me feel empowered and remember the strength and power I had within myself. When I met Michelle I knew she was exactly who I needed to assist me have the labour and delivery experience I needed. During our meetings Michelle asked a lot of great questions and also seems highly intuitive about what I needed, so we were on the same page before the birth. She listened without judgement and made me feel heard and validated. She helped me to believe in myself again. During the birth I didn’t have to communicate much verbally. She always seemed to know what I needed, even before I did. She remained close throughout the process and was so comforting. Michelle was my rock during the labour and delivery. I truly believe I would not have achieved my goal of a home birth without her. She provided the support and comfort I needed to remain calm and let my body do the work it needed to do. I practiced Hypnobirthing during my pregnancy, but during labour found we did not need to use the cds – Michelle became my cds! Her constant words of comfort and encouragement were exactly the things I needed to hear. She spoke in such a calm and loving voice. I was so in the zone I don’t really remember exactly what she said, but at the time it was exactly what I needed to hear. She was also great at providing cues and assistance to my husband on how to be more involved and supportive during the birth. We love Michelle! After spending such a special moment in our lives with her she feels like a member of the family. She provided us a beautiful book with photos and her thoughts and reflections from our birth which is so appreciated and above and beyond her role as a Doula." - Leanne

Jessica Qian

6/14/2016

My ultimate goal was to have a natural, unmedicated birth. I read evidence-based research that having doula support greatly reduced both the risk of complications and need for labour medications. Birth Beginnings and Michelle's services were recommended on a BabyCenter message board. I felt Michelle was always available to address any questions I had (greatly appreciated the prompt, helpful responses to my sleep deprived text messages once at 2 am! The initial meetings before the big day were extremely helpful to get to know each other well as to discuss our birth plan and preferences. Through these discussions I was sure that my husband and I would feel supported throughout labour and that Michelle was the right person to advocate our needs and wants once we reached the hospital. Michelle knew exactly what to say and how to guide me and my husband, particularly in suggesting that I use the TENS machine which became indispensable as my method of pain relief as well as breathing techniques during transition which I remember was the most difficult." - Jessica, first time parent of Elise

Kathleen Lantos

6/14/2016

"Having a doula saved me. My water broke a month early. I did not know what to do. (Our classes were just about to begin.) So being able to call Michelle early in the morning and get her advice to go to the hospital immediately, and be informed as to what was to be expected was priceless! Not to mention that she was going to meet us at the hospital really eased my stress level! Having someone on your team to guide you, that has participated in over 100 births really gives you confidence at such a vulnerable time. There are so many things that I found helpful during birth. From the thing she put on my back to her wonderful disposition, smile and knowledge. Michelle was like a conductor gently guiding the orchestra, yet knew when to be involved and when not to. Words cannot describe how amazing Michelle was for the entire process!" - Kathleen, mother of Ariella

Amber Griffin

6/13/2016

Having a doula gives you the reassurance and confidence that everything will be fine. Having this reassurance helps keep you calm during the birth process, which goes a long way to having a successful birth. In addition, the postnatal follow up helped, as your hormones are raging, both mom and dad have no sleep and are completely out of sorts, so having our doula helped calm us both down and gave us perspective. - Amber, first time mom