REVIEWS
WHAT MY CLIENTS SAY

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Martha has been a huge help to me and I owe much of my recent - positive - birth experience to her! In 2018 I had a very traumatic EMCS with my son and, when I found out I was expecting again in 2021 I immediately began to focus on birth again and the decisions I had to make. I reached out to Martha unsure of exactly what I was looking to get out of our relationship but she guided me with her expert knowledge and created a space I finally felt comfortable in to discuss my anxieties around birth. I have always felt unreasonable to speak negatively about my first birth, as if there is feeling that one should be grateful simply because everyone was OK in the end. Martha made me understand that my trauma was real and that I could speak about it as much or as little as I wanted with her. 

When it came to preparing me for my second birth Martha was invaluable to me. She listened to me and challenged preconceptions I had around birth options and genuinely helped me to realise that any choice I made was valid, and that any birth experience was as legitimate as any other. When I decided to opt for a planned c-section, Martha prepared me for the day and explained the variety of choices and options I still had. Many of which I had been unaware of.

My daughter’s birth was a calm, positive and beautiful experience. I felt totally in control and the day was magical! A wildly different experience from my first birth and the experience has enabled me to feel so much better about the first time, too. I no longer have a knotted feeling when I think about it. 

Overall I can’t thank Martha enough for her help and guidance and I would recommend working with her to anyone who has experienced birth trauma. 

Thank you Martha!

-Bridie, March 2022

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I can thoroughly recommend the Community Birth Club. Martha provided invaluable support in the lead up to my child's birth and in the postnatal period when I was trying to resolve a tongue tie issue. Martha is personable, knowledgeable and responsive. Martha has a calm and gentle style which is reassuring and is able to provide lots of tips in terms of the baby and navigating the health care system. I'm very glad I was able to access Martha's services.

-Karen H.

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Martha has been the best decision I have taken for my postpartum journey. She supported us and took care of us. She cooked, helped with the little one and with house chores. There was no judgment which built my confidence. I cannot recommend her enough and feel really grateful for having her!

-Simona M.

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We feel really lucky to have found Martha to be our birth doula. I started looking for a doula as I was keen to have continuity of care to help build a positive birth experience. I had found it stressful seeing different midwives at each appointment and we had a lot going on in our lives at the time which added to this. 

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I spoke to several different doulas who had been recommended to me and immediately clicked with Martha. She is informed on all aspects of birth, both physical and emotional, and has such a warm and nurturing personality I felt confident she would be able to provide the best support.

The sessions we had before the birth were really helpful for us to get to know each other and work on the birth plan together. I felt able to fully open up with Martha and we covered all my concerns. We also put good back up plans in place so that if things didn’t progress as planned with the birth, I could be confident that I knew the next possible steps. I was feeling anxious before, but working with Martha was so reassuring and I felt positive in the lead up to the birth. Martha provided lots of resources for us to read on the issues we were encountering so we were fully informed. Martha also organised a great pregnancy massage session with Jacek Kazberuk which relieved a lot of the tension, aches and pains I had in the last few weeks of pregnancy.

When I thought I might be going in to labour, Martha was brilliant offering advice and support. She came over to our house and supported me at home with aromatherapy, massage and rebozo until the time was right for us to go in to hospital. I had been really worried about the moment of transferring from home to hospital, but Martha ensured that a calm and positive environment remained throughout so I remained in the zone. 

There were some complications which meant that the labour didn't progress smoothly, but Martha was with us for over 30 hours of active labour in hospital. Martha was a brilliant advocate for my wishes and asked the right questions at each juncture to ensure we had all the options for what to try next. She remained positive and reassuring throughout and ensured I felt empowered, listened to, supported and respected.

When we knew I would be having a cesarean section, Martha went over our plans with the team and asked them if we could incorporate as much as possible so it didn't feel like an unplanned operation. It could have been a stressful experience, but Martha's care and attention helped to make it a really positive birth. 

The post natal sessions with Martha were brilliant too and got motherhood off to a great start. It was great to be able to discuss our memories of the birth together, as well as how my partner and I could help aid my recovery. Martha provided lots of advice and help with our baby in those early days, such as helping with breastfeeding and dealing with nappy rash.

I wholeheartedly recommend working with Martha, the experience was so positive and ensured we feel happy and strong going into parenthood

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Martha was great helping us to find the best options and to take the correct decisions, especially when we were very tired during labour. She is friendly and has loads of experience, which means she had an answer for every question we asked. She respected all our ideas and was key to making our experience unforgettable.

-Cecilia & Carlos, June 2022