I decided only very late that I wanted the assistance of a doula for the birth of our first child. It was a truly wonderful experience because of Leila. I instantly connected with Leila and felt relief that she would be guiding us though the experience. Leila was full of energy throughout the long labor. She consistently had options for me to move into positions, first for comfort then to relieve pain and finally to help move baby to the correct station.
She encouraged me non-stop which was empowering and gave me the strength I needed to progress. Her guidance was invaluable.
Leila has impeccable intuition, strength and empathy. She made sure my choices were voiced though out the labour, I felt fully in control of the environment because Leila was there to support my choices and manage the interaction with the nurses.
Leila gave my husband an opportunity to be a real participant and empowered him to make a positive impact during the labour. Im so grateful that he also had a memorable and less than traumatic experience.
It's hard to express how grateful I am for the care Leila gave us. She will forever stay in my heart and I wouldn't dream of having another child without her present.
Mama Masha P Donnelly
Leila was a fabulous support not just to my wife but for me as the supporting husband.
It is hard to understand how much more at ease I was from the support Leila provided both of us. The most important thing was that my wife was much relaxed than had it just been us. And that’s great. But Leila also provided support to me: she suggested really useful things that I could be doing for my wife. That was great - without having that experienced direction I think both of us would have been more stressed and worried.
Leila’s experiences made me focus on relevant things that made a tangible difference to my wife. So instead of two left feet, I just had one right and one left. Also, not to be underrated is that Leila did make sure I got some rest too. Otherwise I might have just stayed up all night worrying about worrying.
Having someone who can i) provide support and ii) make sure you are focused and rested is worth so much. That’s all very generally relevant for any doula but Leila was particularly amazing - very focused, very well briefed, very much working for us and consistently in a good mood - even after 30 hours!
And it was her birthday.
Papa Thomas Donnelly
When we met with Leila we had just experienced a shock with a Dr keen for induction and we realised we needed help to have the natural birth we wanted. Leila just made it happen for us.
Leila is absolutely amazing, not only did she support and help us create our ideal birth experience she also helped my husband be even more supportive through the process because he knew how to help. It made it a really special experience for both of us. Leila has an amazing capacity to be both fierce advocate and caring big hearted cheerleader. She was literally with me for every breath from start to finish. Her voice is the coach that got me through every contraction and made breastfeeding a joy. She's super caring, knowledgeable and confidence inspiring. I hadn't realised your doula is the only one caring for your wellbeing and birth end to end.
What would we have done without you Leila? Thank you for everything!
Carolynn Bae
Leila has both the motivating and gentle side to her personality that I found so helpful during our pregnancy journey. She was inquisitive about both our health and emotional well being. During our son's birth, she was on top of things and offered a voice of reassurance that gave way to our beautiful home birth experience. We couldn't have felt more guided about birth if it weren't for her help!
Jo-E Blanding
Leila joined my doula team at the eleventh hour, however she proved to be the anchor that kept me grounded throughout the delivery of my very first baby. I experienced a 'back labour' (where the baby is facing the wrong way, with the spine against mine), but Leila's continued support got me through my eight-hour labour without the need for any pain medication whatsoever.
I will never forget her sweet angelic voice whispering in my ear, reminding me to relax my shoulders and breathe deeply during each contraction. She also held my hand, massaged my back, showered me, held me, and told me I could do it whenever I doubted myself. I held Leila's wee hand as my baby entered the world in the water, and she didnt even complain about how hard I must have squeezed her! We also laughed together once my baby was born, and Leila supported my husband and I as we entered our journey as new parents.
Leila is an enormous person in a tiny and beautiful package. She is full of loving energy, which is exuded in her work and passion. I would not hesitate to recommend this gorgeous lady to any mother-to-be looking for a doula to support her in her labour and mothering journey. Don't be surprised too if she ends up becoming a good friend to you, as she has now become to me.
Angela/Neil Little
Determined to have an amazing natural birth, I came to Leila for help. I was looking for someone who could understand me and my requirements, provide moral support and be there on the day! Leila was just the right person.
Having her by my side during labor was a real blessing. Not only did she help me get in the right positions, but ensured I was well taken care of and all my requests were noted by the nurses. Thanks to her, I was at peace with myself, confident and calm on the inside, all of which allowed me to give birth the way I wanted.
I’m very grateful to Leila and definitely want her to be there for the birth of the next baby.