Woven Birth Services provides honest, nurturing support to women and their families in the greater Okanagan area. It is our mission to offer evidence based information to help our clients make informed choices prenatally, during pregnancy labor & delivery and throughout the postpartum period. We believe that pregnancy and birth is best represented as a tightly woven knot- involving family, friends, care providers and community. We strive to strengthen our birth community through relationship building, professional development and information sharing.
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Steph Bellows, CD(DONA)
Certified HypnoBirthing® Childbirth Educator
Certified HypnoBirthing® Childbirth Educator
Client Reflections
- Stephanie was an invaluable part of my birthing team. She answered my questions via text message during my pregnancy, she met us at the hospital at midnight when my water broke 3 and a half weeks early, she came back the next morning when we arrived to be induced, she supported me and reminded me to breath to my baby. She was also an amazing support for my husband, in supporting me! She suggested things for him to do or say and thus he felt empowered in comforting me. Doulas are incredible and I thank my drug-free labour to Stephanie. She is tireless, comfortable, assertive, and works very well with the hospital staff. I felt strong and capable with her as part of my team, and when I felt scared she validated that feeling and reminded me that I was safe, doing well, and that my baby was on the way. Much love for THIS Doula!
- I took a prenatal class expecting to learn the basics of giving birth and infant care, not at all expecting to fall in love with the doula who taught the class! After the first night of the class, I knew I had to have Steph with me during my delivery. She exuded the kind of warmth and compassion balanced with science-based information that I simply wasn't receiving from my doctor.
I was hoping to have a birth free from pain medication and medical intervention. All my friends and family told me "don't be a hero" and to "take the epidural" but I wanted to experience this wild ride to the fullest, as long as it was safe for the baby and me. Steph gave me the courage and the calmness to reach my birth goal. She was with me while I laboured at home and kept my husband and I calm. At the hospital, she helped give me the courage and knowledge to politely decline unnecessary medical intervention (specifically continuous fetal monitoring, IV, and the use of forceps). While I was pushing, Steph keep me centered and focused on allowing my body to move and change as it needed."
There is no way I would have had the courage and patience to go through an unmedicated labour and delivery without Steph. The care she provides prior to, during, and after delivery are absolutely the best. She clearly cares about her work with all her heart. I absolutely recommend Steph as a doula to ensure you get to experience the kind of birth you want!
- "Stephanie was our Doula for the homebirth of our baby girl. I had a great birth experience and I owe a large part of that to my amazing team which Stephanie was a part of. Her relaxed approach was exactly what I needed, she was right next to me the whole time and responded quickly to all my demands! Her words of encouragement were also exactly what I needed. Stephanie was also very helpful before our birth as well as after as she is very knowledgeable. Thanks Stephanie!"
- "There is no substitute for the love and support Stephanie gave us during the birth journey of our first child. She was there with us completely; from teaching us methods of coping naturally with labour months in advance, to welcoming our little guy earthside and helping us postpartum. Having her by our side during labour helped me to stay focused and feel confident advocating for Mom when it mattered most. She anticipated when I needed support - yes the birth partner needs support too - and was able to help me be at my best. Her compassionate heart is boundless, her knowledge of labour is vast, I feel very lucky to have had her with us on our birth journey. "
- "Stephanie was the perfect fit for us. Leading up to the birth she was a wealth of knowledge and great listener and really made me feel at ease. Once I started early labour she was so reassuring and always there for me. And then once it was "time" she was so attentive. My birth experience was great, I felt empowered and supported and I truly believe Stephanie played a BIG part in this. Her and my husband were a great team too, and he was really happy to have her there. Thanks Stephanie!"
- "After completing Stephanie's Hypnobirthing class, I feel so empowered and excited about my upcoming birth. Compared to the anxiety and doubt I was feeling anytime I thought about labor and birth when I first became pregnant, I can't believe how much Stephanie has helped me become confident and positive about what my body is preparing to do. Hypnobirthing has also helped my husband become so much more involved in my pregnancy and the birth plan; he also feels empowered and confident in his role as birth companion thanks to the Hypnobirthing method we learned with Stephanie. Stephanie is a fantastic instructor, an amazing listener, and relaxed and easy going. She has been incredibly accommodating of our busy schedule, which we really appreciate. We had such a positive experience with Stephanie in her Hypnobirthing class that we have hired her as our doula as well. So we will be able to provide another review in a few months for her doula services which I'm sure will be stellar :) Thank you Stephanie!"
- “I'm a first time mom so I was new to the whole pregnancy and birthing experience. Stephanie was kind, knowledgeable and helpful from start to finish. I was able to call or text her with questions or concerns I had during pregnancy and after birth at any time. I would highly recommend Stephanie to anyone considering a doula, she’s amazing”
- "I had a postpartum planning session with Stephanie. It was absolutely wonderful to make a plan of supports for after baby was born BEFORE baby was actually here. I felt that postpartum care was needed as this was my second child and my first I felt completely alone and had PPD. I wanted to be more prepared and better equipped with people in my support system. My support people now know there is a booklet that has some helpful tips if they notice something is off from me or what they can suggest to help me cope (yeah bubble baths). Having the plan allows all of us to know what we can all do, without me wanting people to "read my mind on what I want". I feel very confidant that my PPD will be lessened this time or even not have it, as the plan, as simple and easy as it was to do, is set out. Stephanie was very understanding and nurturing in me being open about my PPD and I never felt judged for my decisions I made as a parent. She asked my questions and I answered and she made the plan so easy to do. I highly recommend other women to make a postpartum plan with Stephanie, it only takes an hour or so of your time and you get the support of an amazing woman"
- "I’m finding this review hard to write because it feels like such a big thing… Stephanie was such a strong and important part of my entire prenatal, postnatal and birthing experience that it is hard to put into words. I cannot sing her praises enough; she gave me confidence in the months leading up to birth by helping to ease my fears, giving me words of wisdom, listening to my concerns… She is at once calm, cool and collected but also so approachable and friendly that I felt comfortable with her within minutes of our first meeting. She has been an amazing resource in my postpartum period, and I’m so grateful for her continued support. Stephanie has the personality, knowledge and willingness to devote herself to her clients that allow her to be an amazing birth doula. I am so incredibly thankful she was at my birth. She helped keep things light and progressing in early labour (with her awesome doula techniques and knowledge, I felt like it was helping me progress) and then being such a rock for myself and husband when things started to get intense. She is respectful, honest and strong, and she was willing to advocate with kindness and tact for me and my birth preferences, as well as for my husband and his role as my birth partner. I truly believe I would not have been able to get through my birth with as much grace as I did without Stephanie there to hold my hand, squeeze my hips, tell me I was strong and safe, reassure my husband that we could get through this… Amazing. Thank you so much Stephanie."
- "Stephanie is so caring and knowledgeable. After discovering my baby was breach and I was feeling out of control of my birth plan, she's provided me with some great tools to not only feel more empowered over my upcoming birthing but tools and tips too to hopefully help baby find her position. Thank you Stephanie!"
