mother/me - Charlestown, New South Wales

Holly N.

Carmen is down to earth, safe and warm.
We connected really quickly and she changed the course of my whole experience (moving from a hospital care model I wasn’t enjoying to private midwifery home birth). Carmen put my needs above her own throughout our journey together.
She also has magic hands!! She knew exactly where to apply pressure during my labour, simple but so effective for pain relief. Carmen really held space for me when Birth didn’t quite go to “plan”, she comforted me, and validated my feelings. She helped me feel proud of what I had accomplished.

Alysha R.

I birthed my 5.1kg baby at home at 43 weeks and I could never have done this without Carmen.

I'd heard a bit about Doulas but wasn't sure what to expect. I immediately felt at home with Carmen. She listened to my frustrations about birthing in the system and supported my decision to change my care provider later in my pregnancy. Having Carmen on my team helped me to feel calm, confident and ready for birth. She is also the most incredible postpartum doula! I looked forward to her visits so much and still miss them.

If you are wanting a positive birth experience where you feel prepared, empowered and held, you absolutely want Carmen on your team. Thank you so very much Carmen for sharing your gifts with me and my baby❤️

Merran H.

Carmen is amazing! I wanted my second birth to be different to my first and I'm so glad I choose Carmen to enable this. I really enjoyed our antenatal chats and felt empowered and well supported to have the birth I wanted. She is kind and gentle but also a fiercely strong advocate for you. Highly recommend Carmen!! Thank you for an amazing pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience!

Emma A.

Carmen was such an essential part of my birth and the lead up and I cannot recommend her highly enough. She provided great education to my husband and I throughout my pregnancy and has such great resources to share, plus a tens machine.
Carmen really listened to what was important to me for my labour and birth experience (labouring at home for as long as possible was really important to me which Carmen was so successful in keeping this request that I got to the hospital ready to push, my whole labour experience was done so in my comfortable surroundings at home).
She provided me with continuity of care throughout my pregnancy/birth as I had none through the hospital system. She worked really well with the hospital staff and was such a lovely familiar face to have in that setting.
Not only was Carmen an important factor for my positive birth experience but also my husbands. It allowed him to be present with myself during labour knowing that Carmen was there for support, guidance and a break from time to time 😂
Carmens follow up care for reflection of our birth experience was amazing. We were able to discuss the joyous moments and discuss the unfolding of the day. Plus she is an amazing cook and bakes some pretty delicious sour dough bread!
I could go on and on about how amazing Carmen is but words cannot describe how important she was to mine and my husbands experience. You will not regret getting in touch with Carmen.
We will forever be grateful.
Xx

Mary M.

Carmen was amazing from the very first encounter to our post birth visit. She kept me and my husband well informed of our choices and the different paths that birth can take making me feel confident with labour. For someone who has always been completely terrified of labour, Carmen's calming energy and support helped me feel excited and empowered for the birth of my baby boy. Thank you Carmen ❤️

alicia O.

We have just birthed with Carmen for the second time. It was so special to have her at both our births. I’m so glad I hired Carmen the second time. The meetings and phone calls during pregnancy were so helpful. She really helped me navigate starting a family with two children and the intensity of late pregnancy. Carmen was amazing again during the birth. Being the second time, she was able to support me even better, supporting me with minimal words spoken (positions, mats, pillows, fans, drinks, reminding me of my choices at the hospital). Postpartum, the food she brought was delicious and the birth debrief was so important for my partner and I. I could not be more grateful for Carmen on our pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey. Couldn’t recommend her enough for all your births, whether it’s your first or fourth time!

Vivien E.

We are so grateful for Carmen and all the support she has offered to us during pregnancy, labour and postpartum. As soon as we met Carmen she made us feel comfortable and safe. We completed birth education with her and her unwavering confidence in my ability to birth was amazing and made me feel just as confident. During labour Carmen had the cold washers, ice chips and other supports ready before I even knew I wanted them. The tens machine we loaned from her was also so valuable during our labour. The check ins and delicious food after birth have been so appreciated. I know a big part of our positive birth experience and transition to parenthood has been due to having a doula and finding Carmen. Can’t wait to have your support for our next babe in the future.

Heidi C.

Having Carmen as our doula was like having a warm hug every step of the way. Carmen’s experience and knowledge on all things birth was a source of comfort for us during pregnancy. Carmen informed us of our options every step of the way, encouraging us to take the reins on our birthing experience. My birth was nothing like I expected, from the moment my waters broke it would be 32hours before we met our son. I had many moments of doubt and early nerves had me wanting to go to hospital. Carmen reminded me of my values and encouraged me to stay at home in early labour to avoid unnecessary intervention. Looking back, this was one of my favourite parts of labour. In hospital, Carmen supported me with movement when we realised our son was posterior. Carmen also picked-up that I wasn’t getting the urge to “push” when my midwife started guided pushing. Carmen was in tune to my needs as a birthing woman, moving between actively supporting me and being a quieter bystander to the natural unfoldings. My birth was longer and stronger than I ever imagined. I had hoped for a physiological birth and thought a doula would support me in achieving this outcome. In reflection, Carmen’s presence wasn’t about achieving a particular ‘birth,’ It was about having the support to weather labour in all its changing intensity and come out feeling empowered. I can not recommend Carmen enough, thankyou for the encouragement and reassurance that indeed I am “already doing it,” you are brilliant x