I was referred to me-a-mama antenatal classes by my gynae,Kate Richardson, when I was 30 weeks pregnant. Being so late into my pregnancy I was very concerned I would not get a place. After speaking to Emma on the phone she assured me that she would make a spot for me for which I was extremely relieved and thankful. My husband was away for the the last part of my pregnancy so I attended alone. On arrival Emma always greeted us, personally coming out and addressing us by name with a comforting and welcoming hug. I immediately felt at home in Emma’s home. She has the most sincere and gentle demeanor that it was impossible to feel anything but. Emma had a wonderful, informative and thorough programme which we followed over the duration of 4 sessions. I had no idea what we might cover and each week I left with a wealth of knowledge and lots to think about, as my plans and wishes for the birth of my precious boy started to become clear as she exposed us to her wealth of knowledge.
During the sessions I too had the great pleasure of being introduced through Emma to Sarah Meder, a doula, who I ended up using for my birth.
The course thoroughly equipped me for things I didn’t even think I would need to know, being a first time mom. But above all I felt I could trust Emma with important questions and feelings which she always handled discretely and sensitively with love and understanding.
Emma is a huge advocate for breastfeeding, being a lactation consultant, which I was feeling excited for. Breastfeeding was one thing I felt I would be able to do well as a mommy, having a supportive husband and being committed to it. Unfortunately after my son was born things did not go according to plan in the way of successful feeding. After dealing for 4 weeks with what I thought was the regular pain associated with the beginning of breastfeeding I called on Emma for some help with the problems I was experiencing. Emma immediately made time to consult with me the same day. Through lots of tears and frustration Emma diagnosed me with a thrush infection in my milk ducts which I was prescribed medication for. The problem was rectified within a week and the pain almost gone. For sure I thought the feeding journey could now successfully begin. Unfortunately things didn’t work out in such a way as my baby then started having trouble feeding and weight gain was slow. Again Emma was called on to help which she did. Never once did Emma make me feel like a failure and was ever encouraging and supportive through all my struggles. I am now exclusively expressing milk for my 11week old and bottle feeding him. Emma was kind enough to find an effective breast pump for me on top of everything. He is now a happy little boy, growing perfectly and we are finding our feet in the line of establishing some sort of routine in our lives. I would like to try and get my baby back onto the breast eventually and Emma has said she has a million little tricks up her sleeve to help me in my ever seeking journey to successfully breastfeed my child.
I cannot recommend Emma highly enough, not only as a professional but as a person. A kind hearted, loving and supportive person who clearly loves her work and every single person who comes into contact with her is made to feel supported and understood. Emma keeps in regular contact to find out how we are doing and is genuinely interested in hearing how things are going with my little bundle of joy. We attend Emma’s new moms and babies group fortnightly at her house where she weighs the babies and provides a platform for the new moms to talk and share and support one another. She makes herself available to answer questions and to let us know that whatever we are going through is normal. We look forward to these meetings so much and I have met some wonderful people whom I am in regular contact with too.
Emma, words cannot explain how much of a role you have played in my life during this experience. The support you have given me has made the journey all that much more doable and the encouragement you have given means so much to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.