Acumamas

“ The birth of our son Max was the most special moment in our life, and Stefi’s compassionate, warm, and professional support throughout the entire time was invaluable! Stefi’s care was essential to our great and blissful experience in pregnancy, labour, and during the first days of parenthood. During challenging moments, we do not know what we would have done without her supportive and calm presence on our sides, and sharing the joy, excitement, and wonders of birthing with her was just as special for us. Stefi, your way of encouraging me throughout birthing, guiding me through each contraction, helping me to stay focused, and offering me different coping techniques at all times so that I could find what works best for me were incredibly precious! You played a central role in the birth of our son, and I believe your support was key for having a natural birth. Thank you! ”— Eva, Ara & Max

“ Renee came to our house to do some acupuncture for me. I’d been in hard
labour for about 2 1/2 days with no dilation. Despite still having significant contractions, I actually fell asleep during the treatment! Within a matter of hours of her visit, I was 5 cm dilated!

Even more important than the progress that was made with my labour, your visit made a world of difference for my husband, Jeff. He’d been by my side helping me through every moment of my labour and was exhausted and worried. Your calm and confident presence comforted him immensely. He’s told everyone we know how much help it was to him and is committed to having a Doula like yourself at our next birth.

It was the most difficult thing either of us have ever been through, but
your help gave us some extra strength to make it through that last
grueling day. ”— Stacey Langford

“ My partner and I feel tremendously grateful that we had the good fortune of having Dr. Shannon Larson as my doula when I gave birth to our son. I met with Shannon early in my pregnancy, I was struck by her generous wisdom and her ease. My partner is a medical doctor and was unsure of my desires to have a midwife and a doula attending the hospital birth. Shannon explained the potential benefit of acupuncture in the weeks leading up to my due date, and also offered some insight into what feelings I might start experiencing in the days and hours before the birth. In the weeks before our son was born I appreciated my weekly visits with Shannon. Not only did she offer me relief from some pre-birth symptoms (aches and pains) through acupuncture, she also asked gentle questions that enabled me to reflect on my experience and to prepare my mind and heart for what was to come.

My partner and I had intended that I labour at home and arrive at the hospital at the last possible moment (which is indeed what happened, as I had a 5 hour labour (!) and gave birth about 40 minutes after arriving at the hospital). We called Shannon when I thought I was going into labour and she offered guidance about what signs my partner and I should look for to know for sure I was in labour. We called her again when the intensity of the contractions became overwhelming. She arrived within 20 minutes.

People say that labouring women somehow forget what is happening to them. That was my experience. Shannon kept reminding me that the intensity of the sensations was my baby’s head pressing down. ‘Make the passage easy for your baby’, she reminded me. ‘Wonderful’, she would say after an intense contraction. I felt her constant presence beside me. She gave confidence to both my partner and me; My partner was able to be present and relaxed. The midwife and Shannon accompanied us to the hospital, and Shannon’s voice, again, guided me to relax my body yet use my strength to enable our baby to be born. She brought a calm confidence to the birth and a depth of knowledge and also an openness to whatever experience we would have.

Shannon visited us postpartum and used acupuncture to relieve my mastitis when the milk came in.

My partner, who had started with reservations, now recommends midwifery and doula care to other women with uncomplicated pregnancies. We feel that Shannon set the stage for a calmness that we were able to continue in our home. She helped us birth both our baby and our family. ”— Esther