Doula Testimonials
Eleanora helped us looking after our baby boy from birth until 3 months. I really don’t know how we would have done without her! She was a godsent. She basically thought me how to be a mum and did so in the most unintrusive, sweet and non jugmental way. She was a positive, warm and loving presence in what can be a challenging time both prhysically and psycologically. She was always so sweet and caring towards me and the baby, and extremelly willing and helpful around the house. All whilist beign incerdibily professional and knowlegable. Her support was especially importnat with breastfeeding which was very hard for me for the first two months. I definitely would have given up if it hadn’t been for her, while I still breastfeed happily now my baby is 7 months. We couldn’t reccoment her enough!
– Barbara RaffaEleanora was amazingly supportive throughout my postnatal recovery from a difficult birth. I don’t know what I’d have done without her. She helped me take the first steps as a new mother, from giving me the confidence to get the buggy down the stairs to breastfeeding in public. The baby massage she taught me is something we still enjoy every single day, and all the exercises for newborn development have resulted in a very strong and coordinated little girl! Most importantly, she gave me the time to relax and sleep in those early weeks when I needed it most. She is warm and kind and I could not recommend her more highly.
– Aimee.D - Mile EndWe were so pleased to have found Eleonora as a post natal doula after the birth of our second child. All the family loved having her in the home. Her advice, warmth, help and excellent cooking enabled us to enjoy the precious early days. Ellie is incredibly professional and yet so personal, I really enjoyed this approach. Would highly recommend.
– Carole Spink - Muswell Hill N10I was Eleonora’s client during my pregnancy and really enjoyed her pregnancy massage. It helped me to relax and stay fit. Even on my due date I was out and about walking long distances and feeling very comfortable in my body. Eleonora was also my doula during birth and she was excellent! I believe my extremly positive birth experience would not have been possible in the way it happened without Eleonora. She was with us for long 24 hours of my labour, took away fears and pressure from both myself and my partner, created a nice environment for me so I could concentrate on my labour. I managed to have a good natural birth without any medical intervention or medication and spent the majority of my time in water surrounded only by lovely Eleonora and my partner. For us it is very clear that we would try to get Eleonora as a doula for our second child as well.
– Julia Weber - ArchwayWe hired Eleonora as our post natal doula and it truly was the best decision we made. We don’t have family in London and having our first baby was exciting as well as daunting. Eleonora was there for us from the moment we came home with our son and provided invaluable support, love, care and understanding. She was such a reassuring person to have around with so much helpful advice to offer and simple being there to listen to me. She was never intrusive with her advice and offered this when asked for it. Eleonora provided practical support that gave us the confidence and self belief we needed as first time parents.
On top of this, Eleonora also helped us with household chores while I got some rest with my baby, she cooked and cleaned and made sure I was eating all the right foods to keep me fit and healthy post labour. Even now, I still turn to Eleonora for advice and she has been so helpful, always giving me such a wealth of information and help. She was not only our doula but has also become a dear and valuable friend to us and our son. We would recommend Eleonora to everyone. Thank you so much.
– Pardeep Farrelly - ArchwayI was overwhelmed with all the conflicting advice from midwives, health visitors, books and friends and was confused as to how best I should look after my new baby. Eleonora helped me develop the confidence to rely on my own instincts, and I genuinely feel that I am a better mum because I am less anxious now and much more able to enjoy my daughter.
– Emma Shulman - BorehamwoodEleonora acted as our doula during the birth of our daughter. She provided us with invaluable support antenatally, on the day our daughter was born, and postnatally. She was calm, nurturing, reassuring, helpful, and professional during every moment she spent with us. My husband and I felt incredibly well supported emotionally and practically. She did everything from whispering “well done” while rubbing my back as I worked through a difficult contraction to assisting with my luggage as we travelled to hospital. This allowed me to focus completely on delivering our baby and my dream scenario of a water birth (Whittington birth center) came true. If I had experienced any complications, I am confident Eleonora’s soothing and encouraging nature would have made a trying situation much more manageable. The birth of our daughter was a very positive and empowering experience for our family and we can’t thank Eleonora enough for the role she played during this very special time in our lives.
– Lisa W. and Dave A. – Finchley N3Hiring Eleonora as our postnatal doula was one of the best decisions we have ever made! We don’t have family in London and when I ended up having a c-section we immediately called Eleonora to come and help us. She was such a wonderful presence; not intrusive and just incredibly supportive. She helped us with household tasks, laundry, cooked us really delicious meals but most importantly she provided us with great emotional support in the early weeks. I had a lot of problems establishing breastfeeding and was very emotional following a difficult period in hospital; Eleonora helped me work through these issues and gave me practical advice to help with feeding (I have now been exclusively breastfeeding for over four months). She also has lots of tips and suggestions for local groups, baby equipment, etc. We couldn’t recommend Eleonora enough.
– Louise, Paul and baby George – Crouch End N8We hired Eleonora as a birth doula for the arrival of our second daughter Frieda in May 2014 and also for post-natal support. We really couldn’t be happier and she has been invaluable in helping us have the birth we wanted and for me to have an enjoyable, relaxed first few weeks at home with the newborn. What I think is most remarkable about Eleonora is her unique combination of empathy and discretion whilst also being extremely knowledgeable, practical and assertive if needed. We felt very comfortable with her from the first meeting and worked through preparing for a potentially tricky labour – a VBAC in hospital (UCLH). With excellent support from my partner and Eleonora, I delivered a healthy baby girl with only gas & air and minor tearing. There were multiple suggestions for medical interventions but my birth partners helped me stay strong, confident and ‘in the zone’ throughout labour. As a post natal doula Eleonora’s help with cooking beautiful healthy food (and yes, the occasional cake!) and giving gentle restorative massages has been superb, and the whole family appreciates the food and chilled out mummy. So, I may just have to keep having babies to have Eleonora around!
– Brita Hion – Crouch End N8Eleonora has supported us as a post-natal Doula in North London. We feel extremely fortunate to have found someone so well suited to this role. We didn’t really know quite what to expect from a PN Doula, but she exceeded any expectations we might have had from the first day welcoming us home from hospital. She has offered great advice (always given with great care and thought), practical support and has given us the amazing gift of confidence and self belief as first-time parents – truly priceless! She is a great cook, happy to turn her hand to any household tasks cheerfully (and unasked!), is full of good tips from where to get a good baby sling, to more complex help on breastfeeding or addressing the inevitable concerns of looking after your first newborn. But it has been the natural and unfussy way she has helped guide us into our establishing our own patterns as a family together that has been so brilliant, helping us build a firm foundation in these early (and often a bit overwhelming!) days. The best investment we made for our first couple of months.
– Candida and Gordon – Angel EC1Eleonora came highly recommended by my midwives so I called her a few days after my baby Emma was born and haven’t looked back since. Being a new Mum can be a real struggle but on the days that Eleonora is here, having her around just takes away the pressure.
No one day has been the same since Emma was born and Eleonora has helped us every step of the way from the very beginning. To name just a few things: breastfeeding, development exercises with Emma, sorting out the baby clothes, cooking and baking for us (her food is delicious), helping to hold Emma when I’m just too tired to do so and most importantly being the first person I trusted to look after Emma while I went out for half an hour to regain my sanity.
The amazing thing about Eleonora is you never have to ask her to do things, it’s almost like she reads your mind – often I will be breastfeeding and in a zone of my own and once I am done will discover that she has folded the washing and started preparing lunch without me even asking. She is knowledgeable about all the various development stages of children which is a huge help because I haven’t been able to focus on reading anything since giving birth.
As well as being my post natal doula, Eleonora ran a 5 week baby massage course for our NCT group of friends and we loved every minute and our babies did too!
Eleonora is amazingly calming and kind and my daughter looks at her with trust in her eyes while she rocks her to sleep and for me, that means everything.
I cannot recommend her enough and please do get in touch should you require a verbal recommendation.
– Jessica and baby Emma - Belsize ParkAs a post-natal doula, Eleonora was very helpful in the transition home from hospital. She was calm and thoughtful in the settling in process e.g. Changing the bedsheets, setting up the changing table, vacuuming, checking breastfeeding posture, and even ensuring I had a drink with me when feeding! She was observant and respectful of our rhythm as a family, and quietly tried to fit in the various tasks around us. Eleonora was very knowledgeable about nutrition and health. I had a complicated recovery and she was always interested in hearing the details after my hospital visits as well as giving her opinion about what foods, massage etc. that could be helpful. She cooked healthy and tasty meals, tailored to what I most needed for my recovery. Her little shoulder rubs were always fabulous and put me to sleep every time! I would not hesitate to recommend Eleonora as a post-natal doula.
– Evans Family – Angel EC1Eleonora has been helping us as a postnatal doula since my second child was a few months old. Her help has been invaluable – from getting stuck in with the bedtime routine to helping out at dinnertime and with the chores, I’ve really appreciated an extra pair of hands at an otherwise tricky time of the day. She has a very calm, warm manner and puts everybody at ease – my baby daughter and three-year-old son always like having her around. It’s also a real relief to know that, at least on the days she comes, the dishes will get done and we will eat a proper homecooked meal!
– Julie Blake – E17