“First and foremost I have to say that Sarah’s primary great skill as a Doula was that she truly knew how to give appropriate space to both of us. Kimi 5 As the birth partner, what I needed most from Sarah is exactly what I got: comfort, re-assurance, strength, humour and an overall feeling of being supported and nurtured. She gave me all the right cues as to how she thought I could support my partner in labour. And she did this at exactly the times where she read that I may have been feeling a little lacking in focus or direction (or just sheer exhaustion) – in terms of my role as birth partner. Most of all, Sarah’s energy was calming and empowering all at once.”
– Richard Raber, 2012
“I approached this second birth with some amount of fear and a determination to create a positive experience, unlike the birth experience of my first child. At all times I felt Sarah was standing next to me and empowering me with her gentle but focussed way. Once she helped me let go of certain expectations, I was able to truly have an empowered birth. I can’t thank her enough for that.”
– Nemi Bishops, 2012
“If it wasn’t for Sarah I would not have been able to keep going. This was my second baby and I was scared about how it would all go as my first labour was a long and difficult one. But Sarah gave me such positive, calming affirmations that guided me so smoothly into labour and when it really got tough Sarah, along with my husband and sister were literally the arms I leaned on for support. She held me for hours walking through each contraction and did not stop believing in me. Her visualizations, strength, confidence, and her deep understanding of me as a person gave me the most precious gift, my beautiful little girl Milla. Sarah, what a truly magical journey. Thank you.”
– Simone, 2013
“After suffering tiredness & migraines for weeks during my first pregnancy, Sarah was recommended to me by my midwife; Jenny Teskey. I’d never have thought pregnancy massage could help in so many ways and cannot put in words just how grateful I am to have met Sarah. She is a professional above all but also become a friend who provided me with some much needed support & guidance whilst also helping my mind & body relax during her massage therapy.”
– Hanna, 2013
“There is no way I would have had the birth I wanted had it not been for having Sarah as my doula. When the going got tough she was a calm and strong presence for both myself and my husband and kept us both incredibly calm and relaxed up until the very end. She gave me strong visualisations that definitely gave me strength during every single contraction. I felt so supported and nurtured the entire way that I never once doubted myself and my ability to birth naturally, It was such an empowering feeling.”
– Lana, 2013
“Words cannot express the gratitude I feel towards you for all you have done for my wife and myself over the past couple of days. Our experience felt surreal, however you gave us confidence and guidance during some pretty trying times which was invaluable. You made us feel safe right through out. Thankyou to your family for sharing their time with us so my family could be delivered to my arms safely. Your friendship, warmth and loved expressed towards my partner and myself will long be remembered and we will be forever grateful. I hope your now well rested and ready for the next couple, I would love to tell them what great hands they are in. So a heart felt and teary Thank you. All our love. ”
– Stephen, 2014
“My doula Sarah from Nurtured Birth was present to my life changing moment. The birth of my daughter was a big deal to my husband and I. Sarah has a special touch using her pre natal massage and she empowered me as a women and mother. She understood my needs and was such a great support. Sarah believed in my strength and innate capacity to birth naturally. I had the best birth possible on the day which created a positive birth memory and deep feeling of profound satisfaction. It is a perfect start to a lifetime of love and adventure with my child.”
– Nora, 2014
“I am truly grateful for the love, energy and honesty which Sarah surrounded me with during my pregnancy. Her support and gentle approach fostered my strong belief and determination in my womanhood and ability to strive for empowerment. I recognised the importance of being surrounded by the right support team during the birth process and Sarah helped me to achieve this in a very short space of time. Sarah also kindly offered me access to a number of different resources during this process which helped me to feel supported and loved. My husband and I are truly amazed by the unforgettable experience which we shared as our little girl arrived gently and peacefully into the world. I don’t think we would have had this opportunity present itself if we didn’t have the benefit of Sarah’s strength and positivity”
– Linda and Russ, 2014
“Without having Sarah’s support, guidance and vast pool of knowledge to tap into, I never would have had the birth experience I had hoped for. In fact, it turned out far better than I ever expected. I was booked in for an induction in the morning and instead ended up with a natural labour and water birth 8 hours later! After having my waters broken, Sarah kept me on my feet. With her prompting, my husband and I kept walking, even out of the hospital and at times up and down the hospital’s stairwell to ensure my labour would establish without additional interventions. Once labour was established, Sarah gave me and my husband the space we needed to focus on our journey, with occasional gentle prompting to keep active to ensure that everything progressed as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Before, during and after the birth, Sarah always provided the most reassuring advice and kept empowering me and my husband to make the make the right decisions for us and our new daughter. Not only was our daughter born, but we felt like we were ‘re-born’ as parents, ready to enter into this new phase of our lives.”
– Anna and Noam, 2014
“Sarah Goldberg of Nurtured Birth is a passionate believer in the possibility of empowering birth experiences. She is drawn by the age-old hearts calling to support pregnant and birthing women, their babies and families. She has a wide experience of birth, both in different cultures and now in Melbourne’s hospitals as well as home settings. She has an understanding of birth and the present birth culture; a capacity to gently guide women into their power; a warm, generous and nurturing presence and strong, sure, skilled hands to soothe and nurture through pregnancy and during birth. Women and their families will delight in their experience with her.”
-Rhea Dempsey
