• Welcome to the world to our beautiful little girl, Gia Harvey! Born on Saturday 31 July at 2.29pm after 34 hours of labour and weighing a whopping 4.26kg, I am not sure how I managed a natural, med-free birth except to say I could have never done it without the immense support of Dave and our fabulous doula Gayle Friedman from Sunshine Health. Wow, what a crazy rollercoaster labour is! It was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done and had I not trained with Hypnobirthing and had a doula, I don’t think I would have managed. But it’s yielded the best thing I’ve ever done too! I am so proud and so in love with my family and I have nothing but gratitude for all the love and support I’ve received from so many along the way. To my wonderful family, friends, hospital staff at CT Medi Clinic, Dave and Gayle… THANK YOU! Gia is one perfect little baby and I simply cannot describe the love that I’m filled with right now. - Huenu Solsona and David Harvey
   

• “Gayle was an amazing support throughout my entire pregnancy – emotionally and physically (she is an incredible reflexologist and yoga instructor). I ended up having an emergency C-Section and Gayle’s presence, both before and after, made what could have been a very traumatic experience extremely special. Today we are very lucky to have a smiley,happy little girl and would recommend the use of a doula (no matter what type of birth) to all moms but especially for first time moms. It made all the difference.” – Ashleigh Dubbelman

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• “Our birth wish was to have a natural birth our Doula Gayle Friedman, but things do not always go according to plan. At 31 weeks, we had to have an emergency C-Section as I was in pre-term labour and with regular contractions every few minutes. Even after the morphine, the contractions could not be stopped. Turns out I had an infection and my body was trying to rid itself of my baby. Gayle was very supportive, even though our wish was to go natural, we had to undergo a c-section, as our baby’s skull was too fragile to go through the birth canal. We also did not want to add any unnecessary distress to the baby. Within half an hour of contacting Gayle, she arrived at the hospital. She helped calm both me and my husband, it was all so overwhelming. She accompanied us to the operating room and helped keep us sane as we underwent the c-section. She also managed to take some pictures of us after baby Alexander was born. He was born 10 March 2017 at 2,055kg at 31 weeks old. Gayle is such an amazing person, she really helped put me in a state of mind that quickly assisted in speeding my milk production and the fact that I was now a moth. My milk production started on the 3rd day after Alexander’s birth and luckily I am still producing enough milk for him. I know not many women are fortunate to produce milk when they have prem babies. Gayle still messages us every few days to check on us. I strongly believe that she has helped me get through the stress of having to speed up being a parent 2 months before our expected date and make the most of the new situation. We are so caught up in life and how fast paced things are, that we lose focus of our body and mental focus. But when I first started preggy yoga with her, she helped me realign my focus. I am eternally grateful for all the support Gayle has shown and provided to me, Kurt and baby Alexander.” – Kristine Kruger

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• “Becoming a Mum didn’t come as naturally as I had imagined. I was extremely overwhelmed in the first month or two after my first son was born. I felt incredibly de-skilled and the smallest things confused me. It was difficult to manage leaving home with a newborn, and yet I really needed the support of others. Gayle’s mum and baby yoga classes were a natural progression from the pregnancy yoga I had done with her, and provided a critical space for me to come just as I was in those early days- exhausted, confused, emotional. The space she held for all of us -mamas in the same boat- was beautiful, affording the much needed time to remember our own bodies, have precious SUPPORTED time with our babas and connect with one another, share stories and ideas … strengthening on all levels. A HIGHLY recommended space during pregnancy and after birth ” – Lesley Tomas Samuel

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• “Gayle, your space is like my fave restaurant experience: a teeny tucked away spot completely run by the owner. No frills – just heart, soul & the real good stuff. Thank you for your magic ” – Andrea 

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• “Dear Gayle, I’ve been meaning to come to one of your classes and say thank you in person but life has been too hectic lately. Your classes were such a positive part of my journey into early motherhood. They reminded me to take care of myself and that made me a much better mother to Ada. I hope this helps you remember to take care of yourself. With love, Anna” – Anna
   

• "Hi Gayle, No words will ever come close to conveying the immeasurable support you offered both Gordon and I. Here is a little about my experience having you as our Doula. Having Gayle as our doula was one of the most grounding parts of my birth experience. From the very beginning, she took the time to get to know me, understand my support system, and involve my husband every step of the way. She checked in often, visited us at home, and created a sense of calm and confidence that carried through pregnancy, birth, and beyond.A few weeks before birth, I ended up in the hospital with food poisoning — and it was Gayle we called. She calmly told us what to do, informed the labour ward ahead of time, and made sure they understood why we were coming in.When labour began at 41 weeks, she was there — steady, experienced, and completely present. I laboured to full dilation, but things took a turn and I needed an emergency C-section. Though surgery was never part of my plan, I truly can’t imagine going through it — even if it had been planned — without Gayle by my side. Having someone in the room who knew the ropes, understood the system, and ensured my voice was heard made all the difference.Gayle helped me feel safe, respected my choices, and created a space that felt calm and protected. She supported my husband as much as she supported me, showing him how to be present and involved. After our baby was born, she stayed connected — checking in with messages, visiting us at home again, and continuing to offer gentle support through those overwhelming early weeks.No one can fully prepare you for birth (not matter which kind you choose) or becoming a parent, but Gayle was an essential part of the village we didn’t even know we’d need." - Tiffany Gordon Marley
   

• "Dear new family-to-be, It's an honor to share my experience with Gayle as our doula for my scheduled C-section on 20th November 2024. We met with Gayle when I was in my second trimester as I felt like I needed more support, which was sort of lacking from the gynae and other Healthcare professionals.We had originally set up a meeting with Gayle and another doula, but found Gayle to be the best fit for us. From the first meeting conversation flowed so easily and we felt really comfortable with her - important considerations when seeking a Doula - it must feel like a right fit. I was open to a natural birth but knew a c-section would be a possibility (we scheduled a c-sec 5 days before for a few reasons) so I also initially questioned the role of a Doula within this. Being on the other side now the value is clear - the birth is the event but motherhood itself is a journey. Having the emotional support leading up to and after birth is so important. On the actual day of my c-sec, Gayle was there to literally hold our nervous hands, her calming rituals really helped both my husband and I. She guided my husband when he first held our baby in the operating room and helped me latch our baby in recovery. It's like having a private nurse and mother rolled into one. The care and support post-birth from an experienced professional is critical - Gayle gave us advice as we needed it (it's really hard to remember everything from antenatal classes!). If she hadn't told us to wake our baby if he hadn't woken for a feed 3hrs post-birth, nobody was going to, and that is just one example.Another stand-out for me was the follow-up visit when we were home - I still think about that reflexology foot massage that left me in a restorative rest.When looking for a Doula, my advice would be: 1. Make sure they're a good fit for you and your partner, listen to you gut, 2. look at what their package of services offers - you want someone who will be present for you before and after the birth, build that support network ahead of time, and 3. To follow on from #2, the doula should be able to provide you with recommendations for other providers as you need them (chiro, physio, home-care etc.) - having access to that network in a way that's not overwhelming (like the mom groups) is really helpful in those early days. If you have any other questions I'm happy to help!" - Jess Chad Arthur
   

• "​Gayle was an essential and powerful part of my birth journey. She held space and brought together the anxiety of my parents, the endless medical advice and my partners role. There is so much that happens in the hospital space, knowing she was there was extremely comforting to me during the surgery and at those tender moments afterwards as we were first learning to feed. There is so much going on at the time, everyone can be overwhelmed, the doctors are focused on the medical side. This may be your partner's first experience. Gayle has seen it all and knows how to hold the space for what an incredible moment in time this is. I remember being very worried and everyone rushing off to the baby straight after surgery and Gayle running back to me to hold my hand as we transitioned to the next stage of healing. I asked her specifically to help update and comfort my parents as I knew we didn't have many relatives around and despite my partner's initial resistance to any intervention her was also extremely grateful to her guidance and wisdom and support in a moment he also needed strength. Basically, things can get quite clinical within those moments while you are still in a deeply emotional space and it is essential to have someone with deep knowledge of procedure and who knows you so well to contain, ease and celebrate this moment." - Leila Calvin Aurèlia

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