Journey to Birth

My husband and I decided that we wanted to have a natural, home birth here in Orange County, so we signed up for Bradley classes with Carlin. As first time parents, I’m sure we had a lot of what may have seemed like silly questions to a mom with three kids, but Carlin was always supportive, encouraging, and made us feel comfortable. Our birth plan was coming together, and we knew that we wanted a small, intimate setting for the labor-​just our midwife and a doula. We were thrilled that Carlin was available to be our doula and attend our birth! When our Bradley classes ended, Carlin kept in touch, continued to check in on us and answer our questions for the remainder of my pregnancy. On my daughter’s birth day, my husband and I labored for as long as we could together, but Carlin came as soon as things started getting serious and my contractions were closer together. My poor husband was so relieved to have her there to help, as our birth tub needed to start being filled and he couldn’t stay by my side. I immediately felt a calm, supportive presence when Carlin arrived. She rubbed my back, made sure I was drinking enough water, helped me breathe calmly through my contractions, and helped with labor positions. Carlin also took photos while I labored, and captured the moment I met my baby for the first time, which brings tears to my eyes every time I see it! My husband and I have told our birth story a hundred times, and the one thing that we always talk about is how amazing our doula was! We truly couldn’t have done it without Carlin! She is everything that I wanted in a doula and more! I felt prepared, confident, safe, and supportive with Carlin by my side!
«Birth is powerful, women’s bodies are powerful, and having the support to be powerful in birth process is a gift»

My husband and I attended Carlin’s Bradley class for the birth of our first child. We really wanted to have a natural birth, learn what to expect during labor as first time parents, and most importantly how we could manage the pain together. Carlin is a wonderful instructor, she is very knowledgeable and she was able to answer many of our questions, and guide us in the right direction while creating our birth plan. Carlin was so welcoming and we really felt comfortable in her home over the duration of the course. If you are interested in having a natural child birth my husband and I highly recommend taking the Bradley Class with Carlin. I can credit the wonderful, natural child birth we had to the guidance and support we received from Carlin.

Carlin has the ability to make you feel listened to and your fears heard, she knows how to listen with a compassionate ear but also there’s this calm confidence to her where you are left feeling she’s got you taken care of and everything will be ok. I am grateful to have her as a resource even now with my little ones. I wouldn’t consider embarking on another pregnancy without this women at my side.

Carlin helped me birth my daughter. I felt so fortunate to have her there as it turned out to be far more difficult than birthing my son! She acted as a liaison with hospital staff and guided me in my decision making with them when I felt a little too stunned to keep up with all that was going on (while, of course, allowing me to make my own decisions!). She intuitively read the situation well, and so knew when to step back, too. Her tone of voice and touch were always calm and reassuring. She was an advocate, cheerleader, and coach. Anybody would be lucky to have her help and guidance when bringing their baby into the world!

Carlin was the perfect fit for our family! There are so many teachers in the Orange County area and we are so happy to have found her. We also hired Carlin as our birth doula to aid us in our goal of a natural birth. She was the extra support (physically & emotionally) we needed during our labor and birth. We are so blessed and grateful to have met her and couldn’t be happier that she was apart of our birth journey.