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CHECK OUT WHAT CLIENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT HOLISTIC BELLY
Anitha & Aanya
"Birth is one of the most wonderful experiences in life, and being my first it was a blend of excitement and anxiety. We were introduced to Lenore just a week before the birth of our baby. In a short span of time, she got on top of our specific needs and we connected instantly. Lenore is well informed, has a calming persona and connected with me just as a sister.
She guided me emotionally and soothed through the physical strain at every step. My husband is also thankful for her presence as it helped him through those tiring, sleepless nights.
Her support was irreplaceable throughout the laboring phase. I recommend Lenore without any reservations, and thank her for making our most special and challenging time a less daunting one. Luck and love always!"
Amanda & Zoe
"I met Lenore through another doula. She was my back up doula. Despite having met her for the first time when my labor started, we liked her immediately. She was so warm and friendly. Lenore has a way about her that's disarming, tender, kind-hearted and instantly likable.
Lenore came to my place when contractions began and helped me through them in the comfort of my bedroom. She massaged my back for hours and did wonders for my back labor. Having her with us helped us go into the rest of the labor as prepared as we could be. I was so happy to have her there. I couldn't imagine going through what I went through without her or my other doula.
With this being our first baby, we had no idea what to expect. Having someone like Lenore on your side, knowing what to do and being your advocate can only improve your experience. We are so happy to have met her and would recommend her to anyone, first baby or 10th!"
Mark & Caelan
"Lenore was a blessing. this was our third pregnancy and honestly i was pretty confident in my supporting help skills. Lenore made the event magical. she new every reaction to my wifes actions. at even the slightest sign of discomfort Lenore would just into action to sooth and support my wife. we decided on the doula only days before the birth as a back up but again i felt i had it. Once speaking with Lenore it felt only right to have her involved in the birth. she fit right into the family and there wass zero awkward moments. couldn't recommend her enough for anyone looking to give birth natural. coming from a stubborn man, trust me you can't go wrong!!!!"
Leah & Thomas
"My husband and I decided to contract a doula for the birth of our first child, partly to make sure that we had at least one familiar face during birth, since Kaiser Oakland births are a bit of a revolving door of nurses, midwives, and practitioners. I went into labor 3.5 weeks early and my original doula was not available, and Lenore came to us as the back-up. Since we had only met with our original doula once, we hadn't yet had the opportunity to meet or even become familiarized with the backups our doula works with. Essentially Lenore came to us as a "blind date" doula!
Lenore arrived during a stressful part of labor and I was immediately relieved, as she has a very calm and confident presence. She quickly got up-to-speed with our birth preferences, and listened to my requests for comfort, and encouraged me to advocate for myself with the hospital staff. She was a huge support for my husband as well, taking care of our needs so that my husband could just hold my hand and be there for me (which is what helped me the most during labor). She kept my husband and I hydrated, fed and overall very nourished throughout labor and delivery.
Her words of encouragement were very reassuring as labor progressed and intensified. She had the vibe that you would get from a trusted older sister, which I found to be so comforting.
Despite the frantic circumstances under which we met, I feel very fortunate to have had Lenore by my side for the birth of my son. I would highly recommend Lenore to anyone looking for a doula."
Yuka & Maya
"We planned a homebirth for my second child, but it was my husband's first. We wanted the extra support a doula provides for the labor process. Lenore met all of our expectations. We created a birth plan highlighting what we envisioned for the birth of our daughter during our prenatal visit. She provided a checklist that gave us the opportunity to think things through and decide how we wanted the birth to be. We also went over the concerns we had and Lenore was a great coach throughout the entire process. From the beginning, Lenore helped us to understand what her role was and wasn't and communicated clearly.
During labor, she was very focused and exhibited a confidence in her skills as she massaged me and coached me through contractions. She gave me positive assurance that I was doing well throughout the birthing process. She reminded me to stay hydrated and gave me water to drink and held space to allow me to rest during my contractions.
Lenore not only supported me, but supported our whole family. She coached my husband how to help and be present and helped our daughter feel included in the birth experience. She was just wonderful in our homebirth and we walked away from our experience feeling like she was part of our family."
Darina & Francesca
"It's hard to put into words what Lenore did for me before, during, and after the birth of our first baby, and it certainly deserves more than the 5 available stars. I knew from the minute I met her that she was the one I wanted along with my husband in the delivery room. She's warm yet direct, which is exactly what I wanted.
While the prenatal discussions were definitely helpful and Lenore was always extremely responsive, sending us info that would help us write our birth plan, we still had no idea (first time parents!) what we were about to go through, and during my long and difficult induced labor is where Lenore really came through. She was both physically and emotionally 100% engaged during some of my roughest contractions, and when difficult decisions, one after the next, had to be made, she was completely there for me and my husband, talking us through the different options. And she didn't stop there. A few days after my daughter's birth, I was trying to cope with what ended up being a traumatic birth experience for me, Lenore came to our home for our postnatal visit, but it was so much more than that. She came as a friend, a voice of reason, a ray of light during some dark-ish days. We talked through the birth, as she helped fill any gaps and help me make sense of what we had been through. And then we just chatted, like friends do. And she snuggled my baby girl with so much genuine love. And after she left I felt stronger and oh so grateful for her.
We now consider Lenore not just our doula, not just a friend, but part of our family. Highly highly recommend her for your birth experience!"
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