Testimonial for Cheryl Klugmann from Cassidy

Testimonial for Cheryl Klugmann

This is the type of testimonial I wish I had read before hiring Cheryl as my birth doula. She provided more stress than comfort when I was at my most vulnerable and completely destroyed my trust.

Essentially, I paid $3,000 for her to clean my poop during labor and to violate my privacy.

Using her personal phone, Cheryl took photos of my birth, including graphic images of my baby and me. I never consented to any photos because I never wanted them taken. She also posted my birth story on her social media before I had the chance to announce my baby's arrival, without my consent. Although measures were taken to secure anonymity, a mutual friend recognized it was me. I have no way to verify that the photos were actually deleted. The thought of a stranger having naked pictures of my child on their phone is deeply disturbing.

I labored quickly at home with some difficulty, with baby in a suboptimal position. Throughout the night my partner and I repeatedly asked Cheryl to come to our house for support. She declined, instead texting me YouTube videos and telling me to rest.

Cheryl arrived at the hospital about an hour before the baby was born. While I was pushing, arguably the most important moment of childbirth, she chose to act as a birth photographer instead of a doula.

Afterward, my midwives expressed dissatisfaction with Cheryl's services. One joked that she wants to blacklist Cheryl from the hospital and birth center. The other said that she initially thought Cheryl was a friend, based on her late arrival and lack of demonstrated experience in managing labor pain. She pointed out the unprofessional way Cheryl spoke, such as joking about my newborn's "cleavage."

Because of these issues, we asked for a partial refund. She refused.

Cheryl is regrettably a part of my birth story I can't change. I hope sharing my experience helps a new mom make a more informed decision than I was able to.

-Cassidy

August 03, 2026