Barbara Siqueira

7/1/2020

Quando engravidei pela primeira vez, eu não pensava em ter doula. Porém, conversei com algumas pessoas e percebi como o parto lá  (EUA) era diferente do Brasil, com menor vínculo entre paciente e médico. Então, procurei uma que fosse habilitada em Calm Birth, pois eu praticava e ainda pratico meditação. 
No nosso primeiro encontro, a Joanne me disse que meu parto poderia ter a intensidade que eu escolhesse, inclusive, poderia ser a experiência mais profunda da minha vida. Em uma só conversa eu senti tanto carinho e dedicação, que já saí dali decidida a contrata-la. E ela superou todas minhas expectativas. Durante a gravidez tivemos longas conversas, ela sempre tão sensível, me ajudou muito e me passou tranquilidade e segurança. A massagem dela é maravilhosa, recomendo também. Ela me apresentou o método Calm Birth que foi maravilhoso p mim. Na hora do parto, ela estava lá. Na minha casa, ao meu lado.. fomos relembrando tudo o que nós (eu e meu marido) tínhamos aprendido. Durante o parto ela foi atenciosa e se manteve atenta com o que as enfermeiras faziam. Ela foi essencial. Eu me lembro do olhar dela me passando força e confiança. Em determinado momento, meu bebê desencaixou e, se não fosse ela, não sei o que teria acontecido. Ela usou técnica e experiência, me mudou para varias posições, amarrou o lençol da minha barriga, mexeu pra lá e pra cá e, na próxima vez que médica voltou, o Marco estava encaixadinho de novo!! 
Hoje somos amigas e conversamos muito durante a minha segunda gravidez, que foi aqui no Brasil. Ela é uma profissional incrível, que nasceu para ser doula. Me sinto abençoada por ter encontrado ela na minha vida! Recomendo e assino embaixo. 

Cayla

12/5/2019

Before I got pregnant, I had never heard of a Doula. Once I started researching side effects of the epidural, and decided I wanted to go natural. I saw the research that showed hiring a Doula would decrease the chances of needing pain meds and reduces the changes of a c-section. I had met with a couple of other Doula's who were less expensive, but when I found Joanne, it was clear to me that birth is not something you should be trying to get a good deal on. 

I was pretty late into my 2nd trimester before I found Joanne, and I was ecstatic that she had my Due date available. I am so glad that I hired Joanne, I would not have been able to go natural without her. She took the time to get to know me and my husband and showed us different positions I could do that would help get the baby in the optimal position for delivery. She gave me tons of education to be able to make informed decisions at the hospital in relation to my birth experience and the immediate postpartum experience. 

Joanne has been doing this for a really long time! She knows what she's doing, and she stays up to date on new methods and additional education. She is always talking about a conference she attended or something new that she learned. That makes me extra confident in her knowing that she takes the intiative to continue her education in order to help women. 

The massages in Joannes packages are an extra bonus! I will definately be using Joanne again for any of my future children. 

Kristin

4/11/2019

We were honored to have Joanne as our doula as we brought our son into the world. Joanne was there for our family every step of my (45 hour) labor and delivery including an unplanned transfer to the hospital. As our nurses, midwives, and location changed, Joanne was there - steady and calm. Joanne’s experience, knowledge, and calm presence was reassuring to our family throughout. I don’t know what we would have done without her! She was attentive to our needs giving hands on help when needed and space when needed. She knew what to do and where to be, she knew just how to support us even when we didn’t know what we needed. Plus, her body work was amazing and extremely helpful during pregnancy, labor, and post-partum. Joanne is a gift and will always hold a special place in our hearts and we highly recommend her. 

Ashley Wrightenberry Kamiya

2/15/2019

Joanne is awesome! From the time that we ask her to be our doula till the fourth trimester, she was great! She has so much knowledge from birth to massage.  It was awesome to get to know her before hand and have prenatal massages and classes (one on one with her) leading up to the birth. My husband and I used many of the tools we learned through out pregancy and then during labor.  Day of birth she was there via phone and text until she was needed at our house. It was great to be able to text someone and say - what should we try next, is this normal etc. When arriving at our house before going to WBWC she helped to transition to the next stage of labor by going to a dark quiet room. Had she not come over  and made these suggestions labor would have lasted much longer and I was 9 cm upon arrival at the birth center.  It was a wonderful experience working with Joanne and when we have baby number two I will be calling her again:)

Rubia Misawa Moon

2/10/2019

Im so happy that I had Joanne with me sharing her knoledge and support thru my pregnancy. Because I'm not American I was very anxious about having a baby in USA and it been the first I attempted VBACK. Joanne gave me the conffidence and support that I needed to succesfuly to have my child.

I learned so much from her and we felt very blessed to have her with us.

I highly reccomend Joanna as a doula.

Rubia Moon

Vanesa Thomas

11/26/2018

Joanne was a blessing for me.  I came to her desperately wanting to succeed with a VBAC.  With her help, I was able to find a great care team that would best support me with a VBAC.  She shared great knowledge on how to best take care of myself throughout the pregnancy and the exercises gave me much comfort .  I was induced at 41 weeks and during labor was threatened with a repeat c-section for failure to progress.  It was in this crucial time period that I saw Joanne resort to her books and study how best to help me in the situation.  In a two hour period she helped me reach 100% effaced and fully dilated status.  I was so impressed with her work and am thankful for her everyday.  Joanne, you are wonderful and simply great at what you do, Thank you!!

Theophania Kelce

10/25/2018

Joanne has been a family friend since I was a child. Her daughter and my sister grew up together and remain close friends. After attending the birth of my niece and seeing how much Joanne helped my sister during her labor, I knew a doula was worth having.

Joanne's enormous wealth of knowledge and her great depth of experience provided me with tools that really helped - from poses to help the baby be in an optimal position to techniques to handle the pain of contractions. These things made my labor experience with my daughter much, much less difficult than with my first child.

But, honestly, the most valuable thing Joanne provided was her deep sense of calm. I am not a calm person. I don't have a great obstetric history, and I had a terrible amount of anxiety before the birth of my daughter. Knowing Joanne was there and having her reassurance and guidance is something I'll be forever grateful for.

Mellanie Parrish

8/6/2018

Joanne came in as my back up doula, and though I was hesitant at first, she was amazing! She was calm and supportive and was able to massage my lower back when the contractions got intense. When it was time to push and I was told not to, she was amazing at keeping me calm and focused and reassured me that I could do what was asked of me in the moment. I can't imagine going through the birth of my son without her.

Billie Karel

8/6/2018

Really could not have asked for a better experience with Joanne as our doula! She draws from a very deep well of experience and training, which means the toolkit of strategies she has to offer is tremendous, and her intuition about which tools might be most helpful to you in the moment is spot on. My spouse and I felt a lot calmer and more confident throughout the (admittedly sometimes terrifying!) process of having our first baby with Joanne's support and would recommend doulas in general, and Joanne in particular, to anyone. Thank you so much Joanne!!

Radhika Deshmukh

7/20/2018

Giving birth can be overwhelming and confusing. We knew that as first time parents, we needed someone with us with experience, confidence, and expertise, and that's exactly what we got in Joanne. She is truly a master at her craft. We felt so comfortable with her in the room. She always seemed to know what we needed at each step of the way, whether it was a new position, a soothing scent, or her magical touch. She felt like our guide in the journey, and we were so lucky to have her there. We can't recommend Joanne enough!

Monica Mann Wrobel

6/7/2018

Joanne was a wonderful doulah. I felt comfortable calling her at any time with questions or concerns and she was very responsive and helpful when I did. She helped me decide to go to the hospital even when the nurse was telling me not to, which turned out to be the right decision! She was kind and encouraging during birth, offering me different options for pain management and also was supportive and accepting when I was ready to consider other medical alternatives. Her knowledge of the birthing process was key as she encouraged me to push when I felt uncertain of what to do next and this also was the right things to do. Her prenatal massages were excellent in helping me manage back pain and she coached us on infant massage when my daughter was having her tongue tie repaired. So grateful to have had Joanne kind, supportive, and knowledgeable presence during our birthing experience!!

Amy Schere

6/5/2018

Joanne was able to step in for the birth of my son when our doula got sick at the last minute.  She was wonderful to work with all the way around!  I was using Hypnobabies for my birth and Joanne is very experienced with it and was able to help my husband and I stay calm and use our Hypnobabies scripts and techniques when things got challenging.  She also brings a wealth of knowledge and experience with bodywork techniques and was able to provide some massage during the labor.  My labor was long, and the birth became complicated and required an emergency Cesarean. Joanne was so helpful in keeping us centered throughout the process and changes of plans.  Her kind and calm presence was very reassuring to me throughout the birth.  She checked in with us a few weeks later and also taught us some great infant massage techniques, which have been so nice to use with our baby!  We are so grateful to her for stepping in last minute; she is a wonderful doula and I highly recommend her! ;

Maggie Guest

6/5/2018

I can’t say enough good things about Joanne. She stayed by my side for over 12 hours through the very difficult birth of my first child. She was totally non-judgmental of my birth choices and was a great advocate for me with the doctors and hospital staff. She had many different techniques to help me through the pain and keep me calm. I couldn’t have done it without her. My daughter and I continue to see Joanne for massage and craniosacral therapy. She is a true healer and I highly recommend her.

-Maggie

Clare Deignan

3/8/2018

Joanne Dahill is a treasure of the Triangle! I can't recommend her prenatal services enough. Joanne is definitely one of the most experienced doulas and prenatal bodyworkers in the Triangle. I went to Joanne for bodywork while preparing for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) with my second child. She ended up being a reliable resource and support for me throughout my pregnancy and even came to my birth as an on-call bodyworker. When I discovered I had a rare medical condition at the end of my pregnancy, Joanne was one of the first people I called. Scheduling a bodywork session with Joanne offers more than just relaxation and soothing aches and pains - although she’ll help with that too! Joanne happily shared her knowledge of birthing in the Triangle with me and even referred me to some excellent practitioners to help with my medical issue. (Since I’m not from NC, her knowledge was beyond helpful!) I definitely felt more empowered after every session I had with Joanne. I thank Joanne for speeding up the delivery of my daughter and for helping me achieve my VBAC!

George Johnsen

2/22/2018

Joanne has been with me for three of my five births...the short is...all three went better when she was there! She brings experience, knowledge, and many skills to each birth. There are many things I love about having Joanne with me while birthing. Among my tops are her peaceful and calm presence. Her ideas and suggestions to help progress my labor. Since I've known her she continues to learn new things and techniques to help birthing mothers. I've personally benefited from these. My fourth birth she had just finished a class on lymph massage and I'm convinced this saved me from mastitis! The difference I felt after her massage was immediate! And lastly we just love her!!!

Mary Parente

11/29/2017

Joanne was a huge help during our delivery. She provided a sense of calm; both with her energy and with her experiential knowledge. My spouse was extremely pleased that we decided to have Joanne on our birthing team. The support that she offered him during such an emotional and unpredictable process was priceless. Joanne will forever be a part of our birthing story. We are extremely grateful for that.. and her.

Andrea Mulholland

11/27/2017

Due to severe pre-eclampsia, I did not have the birth experience I was hoping for. Despite this, Joanne was extremely supportive and helped my husband and I during the birthing process. She was a very, very calm presence during my time in the operating room and came to labor and delivery to give me massages. Her insight, presence and help was tremendous which allowed me to successfully and safely deliver my son via c-section. I would highly recommend her services to anyone needing a doula.

Chris Clark

7/11/2017

We used Joanne for both of our children.  Being a healthcare professional myself, having Joanne present added an additional layer of support and insight into the birthing process.  Her unrelenting compassion for our family goes well beyond anything I've experienced in the healthcare field.  Joanne's intelligence and compassion for your family and newborn will be remembered just like the day your child comes into this great big world...unforgetable.

I must also note that Joanne is my personal massage therapist for the past 10 years and has worked out more kinks than I care to recall.  A massage is a great way to start or end your week.

Guenevere Abernathy

6/5/2017

I met Joanne as a prenatal massage therapist. Her knowledge and experience runs deep. It was great to talk thru my pregenancy with her. I learned a lot and that made me more confident in pushing for what i wanted from my birth.

I delivered early before working out my doula support. I know if she had been with me things would have gone easier and my husband would have been better supported. Due to her support as my prenatal massage therapist, I did keep pushing for an attempt at a VBAC. Even with my various complcations my son had a VBAC birth!

I have recommended her to friends and recommend her here.

Stephanie Williams

5/29/2017

Joanne unexpectedly became a key part of my successful VBAC and was truly an angel that appeared at the most perfect time during a long and stalled labor with my second child, as I was on the brink of facing another unwanted c-section.  I had another doula lined up to be by my side during my birthing time, and she was there and was wonderful, yet I found myself needing a little extra push.  I followed the Hynobabies hypnobirthing program, of which both Joanne and Brittany are certified doulas. When it came down to it, the fear of a repeat cesarean and the anxiety of being in a hospital setting tripped me up and stalled progress.  After laboring for hours, I asked my doula if there was anything else we could try.  I knew she had another doula friend in mind who specializes in massage therapy (enter Joanne!!) and she can almost always jump start labor, so I asked if we could call her on the off chance she might be available for a labor encouragement massage. Joanne said she'd gladly come to the hospital and she was with me from 10:30 am-12 noon.  The crazy thing is that I had contacted Joanne myself a few days earlier to schedule a labor encouragement massage if I had not gone into labor on my own by a certain day. She brought Rescue Remedy lozenges and  the most wonderful smelling essential oils to massage me with, which immediately calmed and relaxed me.  By noon, I knew things were progressing by the contractions, my midwife checked me and I was in active labor.  My mind and body got the message and I fully dilated within minutes, and after pushing for a half hour, my daughter was born.  I went from a stalled labor lasting over 9 hours to my daughter being born within 2 hours of seeing Joanne.  I believe that I could not have done it without her; her skilled hands and calming presense are just what was needed to help me to deeper relax and she gave me the confidence to do what my body was meant to do.

Doreen Jakob

7/3/2016

I am more of an anxious person when it comes to health issues thus knew I wanted to hire a doula to assist me on my journey towards a natural, medication-free birth of my first child. My husband and I met with a number of doulas but felt that Joanne was the right person for us. Our son was born after 8 hours of birthing time without any problems or complications. It was so great to know that I had Joanne 'on my side.' In fact, 'enjoyable' is not quite the right word to describe my son's birth, but I would do it again any time (I am quite content raising one child, however). I believe that my short and okay-pain birth stemmed from my hypnobabies practice. Joanne played a critical role in teaching and practicing hypnobabies with me. Relaxation is so important when giving birth and NOTHING prepared me better than Joanne's exercise of birthing a stuffed animal (a giant carrot in our case ;-) To this day, I believe that having gone through all the steps of birthing beforehand with Joanne gave me the confidence to do it again and let nature do the rest in that hospital room. Cannot thank her enough for her support, wisdom, encouragement and belief in me, the baby, and nature.

Briana Simmons

7/2/2016

Joanne was an amazing, supportive resource for the birth of my twins. It was a very long, difficult labor and she was by my side through four shift changes of different doctors and nurses.  She was so calm the entire time and really helped me question and understand all aspects of my care.  With Joanne's support I was able to avoid a c-section, which was one of my main birth goals.

Madhavi Patki

5/21/2016

Joanne was knowledgeable and very experienced.  With her many years of service as a doula, she knows most of the doctors, midwives and hospital policies.  This really helped us be prepared for our birthing experience.  She was a great personal guide to my husband and I for the use of Hypnobabies hypnosis during the the labor.  My husband said he physically noticed my body relaxing and pain reducing when Joanne was whispering the Hypnobabies scripts to me.  He was originally a skeptic about needing a doula, but she even won him over!

Susan Robinson

5/6/2016

Joanne is an awesome Doula!  My daughter and son-in-law employed her for their birth at the birthing center.  She was an incredible help and support for us before and during and after the birth of our amazing grandson!  We can't imagine how it would have gone without her help.  She also gives a great massage!

julie thurman

4/9/2016

Joanne assisted me in the 2 very different birth experiences of both of my sons.  Both times she was instgrumental in helping me acheive my goal of an epidural-free labor/delivery with as few interventions as possible - I don't think I could've done that without Joanne.

At our initial meeting, Joanne got a sense of my previous birth experience, what I was looking for with my current pregnancy and delivery, and she gave me some helpful websites and book recommendations.  Joanne was available to answer any and all of my questions throughout my pregnancy, and when I ran into obstacles, she helped work through them with me.

My first son's birth was fairly quick.  I was about 4 cm dilated when I arrived at the hospital, and my son was born 2.5 hours later (I swear Joanne's massage relaxed me so much that my body just let go!).  What I remember most about that experience was Joanne's calm presence when everything started to happen quickly. She gave me confidence that my body knew exactly what it was supposed to do.

My second son's birth experience was quite different.  After my water broke and I didn't start contracting on my own, I had to be induced.  Joanne  stuck with me throughout the day, night, and into the next morning, when baby boy finally came.  When my IV failed and I thought getting another IV would send me over the edge, Joanne convinced the nurse to ask the doctor to let me labor without the pitocin and see if my body would take over (it did).

I was so grateful to have Joanne by my side as an advocate, a calm presence, and someone to turn to for advice throughout my pregnancies and deliveries. She is absolutely wonderful and truly passionate about what she does!

Divya Mayya

4/1/2016

My experience with Joanne has been very positive.
She was present during the birth of both my children and supported my birth plan 100%.
She was very communicative with me as I neared full term. Joanne had lots of ideas and resources and pointed me to referrals for passing GBS test and pelvic floor care.

When it came to labor and delivery, Joanne was amazing--she's a seasoned pro. She stayed up all night with me, doing massage, counterpressure and telling me birth stories and keeping my mind positive - during the long wait for active labor to start.
She knew almost all the hospital staff and knew whom to ask for what to get things done. This is very critical when you are in pain and in a hospital setting.She was also great with my husband and showed him ways he could be involved and helpful.

In the end, we were very happy with our choice and would definitely seek out Joanne in the future if we have more children in Durham.if she is busy, she is open to back up doulas of your preference and has the great Triangle doula collective behind her.

Honey Thakrar

3/30/2016

Hiring Joanne as my doula was one of the smartest deicsions I made for my second pregnancy. She was available for me every step of the way to guide me through any queries I had about going through my pregnancy as naturally as possible. Her calm presence paired with her depth and breadth of experience make her an amazing birth partner to have in the delivery room. She is well versed in massage techniques, natural pain management, hypnobabies and much more. Throughout my pregnancy she provided me with all the information I asked for without ever imposing any of her views. During my delivery she intuitively knew what I needed to stay calm and focused without me having to say much. She also played a huge role in my postpartum recovery by providing nearly daily ayurvedic style postpartum massages to promote faster healing. I always recommend Joanne to all my friends who are looking for a doula and would choose her in a heartbeat if I were to have another baby.

Erika Perry Haydon

12/15/2015

Joanne helped welcome both our children into the world and I honestly do not know what I would have done without her. I was worried a douala may take the place of my husband but that was absolutely not the case. She was wonderful at including him and showing him how to help me. She is amazing at making position suggestions right when you need them and I was able to birth both children naturally thanks to all her help and encouragment.

Another benefit to her is she works really well with the hospital/birthing teams. We had our children at UNC and because she knew the team there so well they welcomed her with open arms and she was a godsend when both of my births resulted in post labor hemmorages and emergency procedures. The hospital allowed her to stay up by my head and her calming voice explaining what was happening was likely what saved me, both times.

I will be forever greatful to her for the experience she allowed us to have.

She is simply wonderful!

Abigail Fitzgerald

9/3/2015

Having Joanne as my doula for my 2nd pregnancy made all the difference in the world— she is incredibly warm, gentle, and sincere, and has an amazing amount of wisdom to share. I literally don't think I could have made it through the birth without meds if it weren't for having Joanne by my side. When I learned I would need to be induced, and then also that the midwife would need to break my waters I was so scared, but Joanne helped me through every decision and every emotion and I trusted her completely. I only wish I could have had her there for my first pregnancy as well! I would absolutely refer Joanne to anyone— her experience and wisdom is unmatched, and she so clearly loves what she does. I am so grateful that she was my doula!

Charity Herman Strang

8/20/2015

I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on L’s birth (and M's birth) the past few weeks. I have such joy and peace around my memories of L’s birth. And I feel so proud and empowered. I know my positive associations are due to Joanne's presence with us. Her calmness and peacefulness and gentleness and assertiveness allowed me to experience birth the way I wanted to. And I healed so much faster (and with less pain) after L’s birth than I did after M’s, even though my tear was much worse with L. I know it’s all connected and I am SO grateful to her for her role. I tell everyone that asks that I couldn’t have done it without her! Thank you, Joanne, for allowing me and giving me what I needed to have the birth I wanted and knew I could have.

Katie Bauman

7/31/2015

My husband and I were very pleased with Joanne during our first pregnancy & delivery, so much so that we called her again when pregnant with our second. I appreciated being able to call or email Joanne after prenatal care visits to discuss anything that came up, what the midwives were saying, etc. I found her feedback to be very reassuring and comforting. My first labor & delivery experience went so quickly that I don't have a lot of vivid memories of Joanne's presence then, but I do recall her helping apply a lot of counterpressure to ease the back labor I felt. My husband has said many times how grateful he was to have her there, mostly because she coached him on measures he could take to help relieve my pain, etc.

When we engaged Joanne during our second pregnancy, she was willing to be flexible with us about the services we needed since we had already done it all just a couple years before. My second labor/delivery experience was relatively quick, too, but I have more memory of her presence -- I remember her being upbeat, enthusiastic, and very encouraging, which was helpful because there were times when I wasn't sure things were progressing as quickly as they should have been. She also provided and instructed me on the use of her TENS unit, which I found to be very tremendously helpful in distracting me from the most painful contractions. 

I have no doubt that having Joanne on our team (along with my husband and fabulous midwives and nurses) was instrumental in helping me achieve the two unmedicated labors I really wanted. I would enthusiastically recommend her to anyone looking for a competent, experienced, reassuring doula.