Brooke helped ease my anxiety after having an incredibly challenging delivery with my first. Brooke was very empathetic and sensitive to my birth story and my feelings about it. She was incredibly knowledgeable in regard to the mechanics of labor. She explained what she suspected were some of the problems with my first labor and how she planned to prevent them from happening again with this second pregnancy. I’d chosen to have a hospital birth, and she arrived so quickly after our initial call. She came prepared with beautiful twinkly lights and birth affirmations, which she hung in our room. She dimmed the lights to provide a more calming ambiance. She came prepared with so many helpful birth tools- a multitude of positioning suggestions, the TENS unit (which was AMAZING), counterpressure/massage, spikey balls to squeeze in my hands to distract me from the pain, and the rebozo. She heard my concerns and my wishes and was so respectful of all aspects of my birth. I can’t express how grateful I am for her services. My birth ended up being 8 hours with pushing for about 15 minutes, a drastic difference from my first, which was 65 hours and 2.5 hours of pushing. I felt as though the entire process was SO healing, and I am so pleased with how everything went. We could not have had this outcome without Brooke!
Guidance, support, and connection made all the difference during my pregnancy, especially during my labor & delivery. To my guardian angel, Brooke. Our story goes way back to childhood, and ironically the universe crossed our paths 20-plus years later to help foster my birth with courage, determination, and love. It’s important to note that it doesn’t matter how you give birth. We all have our own story, but it is important to play an active role in it.
Brooke, we need more of you in this world. You helped me focus on the beauty of giving birth. You made the pain & intensity seem meaningless. You reminded me that it’s only temporary and to picture myself moving through each contraction with my babe. You never made me feel alone. You made me feel empowered, and what a hell of a woman I am. I’m forever grateful for you, your work, and your passion for birth education. So much love for you!
At a time of great joy and uncertainty, I found empathy, wisdom, and support (so much amazing support!) in Brooke. From the first time I spoke with her, I knew she was the loving, fierce advocate I wanted by my side as I prepared to welcome my second daughter into this crazy world… my “mama bear” companion.
Being pregnant with my second child, in the midst of a pandemic, proved itself to be a beautiful and overwhelming challenge. Many weeks into my pregnancy, inching closer and closer to my due date, my emotions raged as I had big decisions to make. Where was my baby going to be born? Did I feel safe going into a birthing center or hospital? Could I really be strong and brave enough to deliver this baby at home?? There by my side through it all, Brooke had a gift for simultaneously validating my experience, bringing perspective, and helping me find the clarity and peace I needed. All while bringing her thoughtful, well-practiced wisdom and understanding of birth to the forefront. As my husband and I moved forward with plans for a natural homebirth, we were never alone. Brooke guided us along the journey, keeping us both mindful of our ability to take ownership of the birth process and of the need to embrace the unpredictable nature of pregnancy and delivery. After weeks of challenging prodromal labor contractions (again, thank you, Brooke, for helping me ride this wave!), she was there for us the night I went into labor. I felt prepared, empowered, and excited to be in this moment ( And boy was I grateful for the TENS, I sure do LOVE the TENS!) Brooke was there to love on and support my family and me throughout labor, helping me feel safe and protected. After a powerful, beautiful labor, Brooke continued to offer gracious support as we embraced life as a family of four. I am forever grateful for Brooke. For her gentle encouragement, her supreme knowledge and love of all things pregnancy and birth, and her ability to help me believe deeply and surely in the abilities of myself and my baby. (photo cred: @lmmphotobyrobin)
We started working with Brooke in the first trimester, and it was our first pregnancy. She was recommended by our naturopath as we wanted a natural, home birth. Brooke was able to walk us through choosing the right provider, asking the important questions, that I was doing everything I could to be healthy. We immensely enjoyed her childbirth class. It was with only two other couples, so we had ample time to ask our questions, and it felt intimate enough to share personal details, hopes, fears, and even make friends. All of this is exceptional in itself, and it would have exceeded our expectations, but what happened next was truly life-saving. I ended up having a placental abruption at 35 weeks and had to have an emergency C-section in a hospital I had never been to and in the lockdown because of the pandemic. We had not prepared our home for the baby yet, and we did not have anything with us when we rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night. Brooke not only provided constant emotional support and invaluable information about how to communicate with the doctors and other providers in this unexpected situation, but she also used the postpartum time we booked to completely organize our nursery and prepare the home for our return after two weeks in the NICU. She also put together hospital bags for my husband and me as we could not leave the hospital because of the lockdown. She came to the hospital multiple times, brought nourishing food, and it was the highlight of my whole day when I could glimpse Brooke over her face mask at the far end of the hospital reception. All of this while taking care of other clients and her family as well, who were all home because of the virus as well. The best way to describe what Brooke meant to us is that she was someone we could trust and lean on in the most difficult of times and know that she would be there and help in ways we could not even think to ask.
My husband and I decided we wanted a bigger family, a sibling for our son. We were overjoyed when the pregnancy happened. Then, we realized that another baby could mean another c-section. I couldn’t comprehend the idea of a surgical recovery while taking care of a toddler, so I opted for a VBAC. A friend suggested hiring a doula. Initially, I was skeptical at having a stranger on at one of the most intimate moments of my life. My husband thought the extra support would be great. After our first conversation with Brooke, I knew this was exactly what I needed to support my through my VBAC goals. From the beginning, Brooke offered suggestions along with plenty of evidence and rationale to support her ideas. She allowed me the space to make my own informed decision and respected my choices. We met with her twice for prenatal visits. She reviewed techniques we could use to help me labor at home. Brooke was always just a phone call or text away when I had questions during the pregnancy. On my actual day of delivery, Brooke was a guardian angel for my husband and me. There were several times that I was scared by each curveball and change of labor. But, Brooke’s reassurance, guidance, and support helped us to continue to navigate towards the goal of a vaginal birth. She has such a calm and gentle way of guiding you exactly where you need to be in the moment. I can’t imagine what this whole experience would have been like without her, I truly would have been lost. My husband and I believe that choosing to work with Brooke is one of the best choices we have ever made. There are not enough kind words to express my gratitude for Brooke’s support while giving birth.
After hiring her, we took her childbirth classes to prepare for the birth of our first baby. Not only did we learn a TON, but it was also a great way to get to know her outside of our prenatal appointments.
After all of our preparation, my daughter ended up coming unexpectedly at 35 weeks via emergency c-section. Brooke and I had been texting that morning about some concerns I had, but it happened so quickly that we barely had a chance to call her before I was whisked back for surgery. Much of that day is a blur to me, but what I do remember is that Brooke was waiting when I got back to my recovery room. It was not what we planned or how we imagined our partnership would go, but let me tell you I was so thankful to have her by my side while my baby was transferred to another hospital. She stayed with my mom and me all day and was a great source of support and comfort, especially since my husband had gone to be with our baby.
I really can’t say enough good about our experience and I will definitely hire her again for any future births. No matter how you choose (or don’t choose in my case) to deliver your baby, Brooke will be a rock for you. Highly recommend!
