Testimonials
What Are People Saying About Beth Murch?
"Beth was absolutely fabulous. Since it was a fast labour and delivery, Beth helped my husband and I verbally with great words of encouragement. Her after-visit care was greatly appreciated! I would highly recommend Beth to other friends and will contact Beth when we are expecting our next baby (in a few years)."
- Lori, Shawn and Hannah (July 16, 2007)
"Hi Beth...
Thank you so much for coming to our birth, you- Michelle, Kurt and Athena (November 14, 2007)
were such a great help. I really appreciated all
that counter - pressure on my back! It was
wonderful. We're all doing well, just resting
and trying to get to know our new baby."
"It was important to me that Hans could stay at my side and that (Beth) was able to do "errands" and stuff so that he could stay there. I also thought Beth's voice was calming and encouraging...I needed the reminder for breathing slow and deep to help manage each contraction."- Carolyn, Hans and Sophia Grace (March 12, 2008)
"Beth is great support. She filled the role of a support person for me. I am a single mom and to have that was absolutely essential in every way. When I first met Beth, I was 19 and was scared and felt overwhelmed. I was dealing with the fact that I was pregnant. I was able to make my choice, which was parenting. Beth watched over my pregnancy and saw me mature into a young adult. Her knowledge and support were helpful. She was there when I needed her, even if it was just a question. She didn't even care about the 3AM phone calls when I was concerned. She came when I was in active labour and helped me through my contractions. She was great labour support. She was there when the midwife and obstetrician weren't. She helped me plan the birth. I would recommend Beth as a doula."
- Michelle and Skylar W. (April 30, 2008)
"Beth was a great support for me and my family. Since it was my first baby and I had a very long labour (22 hrs), I did not know what to expect - but Beth was there with me the whole time. She was very encouraging in every aspect. Her soothing words and breathing techniques were a great help when I was having contractions. I cannot say that I couldn't have done without her, but if she wasn't there by my side, my labour would have been very tough. I would recommend a doula, especially Beth, to everyone. Beth...you are an awesome person and doula! Keep up the good work. Again thanks for everything!!!
- Marukh and Ali Abbas Haider, September 28, 2008
"Having Beth as a doula was very helpful. It was great having an extra pair of hands during labour and after the birth. We found it very reassuring to have someone present who understood the labour process and who could support us through it. Beth reminded Theresa to breathe deeply through her contractions and to vocalize effectively. She provided counter-pressure against back pain. Beth also provided hot packs that were essential for comfort during contractions! After the birth, Beth made a light meal and helped to clean up. We were really glad to have her at our baby's birth."
- Theresa, Mike and Celeste Jora, October 8, 2008
"When I was pregnant with my first child I lived in the city of
Toronto. I had a midwife and planned to have a natural birth at home.
Although the home birth was not a possibility, I had a birth plan and
had wonderful prenatal care. When I unexpectedly became pregnant with
my second child, I envisioned the same process that would include the
most natural birth plan. However, little did I know what life had
planned for me. I first heard of Beth from a coworker. The coworker
suggested that I look into having a doula to assist in the birth of my
second child. I had already connected and obtained a midwife. However,
the unforeseen happened and one of my prenatal tests came back with
several areas of concern. After several prenatal tests and some genetic
counselling, our son was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and a heart defect.
Many of my coworkers knew my situation and my struggle with the
pregnancy. As a gift, they purchased "Beth's Services" for me, as I
could no longer give birth with the assistance of my midwife as I would
now have to have my son at McMaster University Hospital. Since my midwife was located in
Kitchener, she was unable to come with me. Having Beth involved was an
amazing experience. I was under lots of stress while I was pregnant,
knowing that the child I was carrying had many health concerns. Beth
was able to meet with me and let me talk about my anxiety, my birth
plan and she even read some of the books that I was reading on Down Syndrome. Wow, to think that my doula would go so far as to read about
the chromosomal condition of my child just so she could connect more
with me...! It was amazing and very comforting.
My induction was planned at McMaster and even though my pregnancy
was filled with risks and health concerns, I expected a regular delivery
and so did my doctor. However, Beth and myself were in for a bit of an
adventure. I say "Beth and I" because during the delivery my husband got
food poisoning and he had to be absent for most of the delivery. The
birth that I had anticipated had turned into a crazy ordeal of "let's
try this procedure" and "we have never seen this happen before". After
endless procedures that included many painful and bizarre things, my son
Wysdom was born via emergency c-section. Beth was able to comfort me,
distract me and be there with me during the labor which was very long.
This was a great asset because throughout the labor, my son's heart
rate kept falling and it became the reason that I could not deliver
naturally. Afterwards, I had asked Beth if she had know about all the
crazy things that they had done...because, frankly, I had never heard of
half of them before.
Beth has continued to be a gift to me. She still supports me now
on my journey. Wysdom has had lots of health issues and Beth has been there
sending me positive messages and support. I think that any woman would
be lucky to have her be part of her delivery or home support."
- Sasha, Julian, Blyss and Wysdom Elijah (November 28, 2008)
"My daughter was 9lbs 7 oz and many people have gasped at her size. Truly the labor and delivery was the easiest part of my pregnancy and having Beth as a part of it, I believe helped a lot. I would recommend Beth's services because being relaxed during delivery is so important as it not only helps during the magical event but aids in a speedy recovery."
- Charlotte, Randy and Roselyn Clare (March 18, 2009)
" When we first found out that we were having our first baby, my
husband and I knew we were in it alone. Neither of us had family that
was able to help in any way and most of them were so far away that all
we were likely to receive as support was an email or the occasional
phone call. As I began looking into our options for prenatal care, I
noticed the term "doula" came up quite a bit from many sources. What
was this mysterious "doula"? Around that same time I had read a book by
Ina May Gaskin and I had known upon finishing it that I needed support.
I needed a neutral party, a helping hand, a kind voice, a reassuring
touch. That's just what I found. I honestly don't know what initially
pulled me towards having a doula, but once I began surfing the internet
and understanding that a doula was just what we needed I was hooked.
Beth's website was the first to come up and I immediately saw that she was just what I, we, needed.
I
had to convince my husband of this however. He was certain that such
things weren't a necessity, and I don't blame him. We were tight on
money and still had a baby arsenal to purchase. Neither of us had any
idea what we got into, but hiring Beth would soon prove to be the best
money we could have spent! After meeting with Beth - and seeing how she
made me smile, laugh, giggle and feel at ease - my husband was assured.
After all, even if for nothing else a little laughter can get a woman
through!
The weeks passed and as my belly grew
so did our relationship with Beth. Our needs from her were fairly
unique as I just needed someone to talk to, someone who would read my
long winded emails or chat with me about anything and tell me I'm not
crazy for peeing my pants or wanting to kill my husband because he wore
the cologne...that I bought him. Beth made me feel a sense of security,
safety and comfort. In turn, my husband relaxed about many things and
whenever I was anxious or unsure I fired off an email to Beth and we
went to bed knowing that something was going to be done about it.
When
I went into labour we called Beth almost immediately. It was 3 am and
we were clueless, everything the prenatal class had taught us went out
the window and we just sat there anticipating Beth's arrival at our
house so that we could figure out what to do. When she came I heard
an audible sigh of relief from my husband and from within myself too.
From the moment that she got there her voice was a beacon of pleasure,
a true sign that everything was going to be okay. We could do it! The
hours passed during my long labour and Beth coached me through with
ease. Her ability to suggest solutions, ideas and keep Ryan informed
was fantastic. I was relaxed, happy and even laughing occasionally.
When I discovered the pleasures of sitting in the shower, Beth hopped
right in and massaged me, coached me through and coaxed the tension out
of my body with her reassurance.
We ended up
driving to the hospital shortly after - a trip we'd make twice due to
an inattentive midwife changing her mind - all the while Beth kept
holding my hand, talking to me and keeping me sane. Bump after terrible
bump. As my labour progressed it was clear that my birth plan was out
the window. My long labour wasn't progressing and my attending midwife
was clearly making a series of bad judgment calls. During such a
difficult time, Beth kept strong and translated the influx of
information we were receiving. Even in the sleepiness of a long day
gone by her words wrapped around me like a warm hug. I knew I was okay.
I'm convinced entirely that without her support my husband would have
gone mad, and I would have ended up with a c-section. We welcomed our
beautiful baby girl into the world that day with her by our side, I'm
proud to say it.
I'll never be able to judge
the value of Beth beyond what I can comprehend, but I now consider her
a lovely friend and great woman. I can only hope that other mothers and
babies are blessed to have her in their life too.
Thank you Beth. We love you. "
- Memie, Ryan and Annabelle Jean (May 31, 2009)
- Memie, Ryan and Annabelle Jean (May 31, 2009)
"Beth Murch is the calm during the storm. She has been there for every moment throughout my pregnancy when I needed someone and was the best support I could have hoped for during labour and delivery. When I had a minor scare during pregnancy and had to go to the hospital (the day after we met), she was there. She has been there for all of the ups and downs and listened to my whining when the pregnancy was not ending with a constant open ear. During labour, she helped me find the groove and got me to the point where I could focus and forget the moment... and before she got me there she had lime*. When it was almost over and very intense, Beth helped me to best my fear and everything progressed and finished so quickly. I am so far beyond grateful for all of her help. I had the birth I wanted and that was best for my child because Beth was there. Thank you Beth for doing what you do!!!!"
- Paula, Ian, Ayden and Arielle (August 22, 2009)
*Note from Beth: Lemons and limes are great things for your doula to have on hand during your labour because smelling their crisp, clean scent helps to battle the nausea that many mamas experience as they birth their babies.
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