Client Praise

Blossom and Birth offers a range of support, including birth and postpartum doula services in the Halifax, Bedford, Dartmouth and Surrounding areas - Nova Scotia

They say serendipity is finding something better than what you were looking for or something you weren't expecting at all. When we met for the first time I had a list of goals, including breastfeeding, and I needed an extra pair of hands to try and get through the week after my husband went back to work. Shandelle was quick to figure out what we needed to bring our stressful and chaotic house back into a home and soon became a favorite part of my week. When I felt overwhelmed and lost as a first time mother, she listened to my fears and brought me the right information to help me make decisions that were right for me and my family.  From 6 weeks to 5 months I became a more confident mother, was breastfeeding my baby, and able to not just get through the day but enjoy it too. No one prepared me for how difficult the postpartum period can be and Shandelle is a shining light. She is incredibly patient, passionate about caring for families and goes above and beyond. 

I never expected to find someone we would come to rely on as much as we did and never expected our family to grow by more than one when our baby came along. Finding Shandelle was definitely serendipity and we are so lucky to have found her.  

          -Kathryn

My first child birth couldn't have been a more positive experience thans to Laura.  She was the warm, calm, guiding voice that helped ease the stress of our uncharted territory as new parents. We felt supported every step of the way and are grateful for Laura's experience and expertise. 

          -Patricia

Shandelle assisted me in my 3rd delivery. My 1st labor was 26 hours, my 2nd was a c section but thank God for Shandelle for baby #3!! What a difference having an experienced doula made. I went to the hospital with contractions but they sent me home. As soon as I took my shoes off I started screaming with pain...so I contacted Shandelle and she sent me right back to the IWK. THANK YOU for that. I was progressing so quickly that I delivered within 2 hours. Also, I am terrified of needles and the nurse kept having to reinsert my IV and had NO idea why. THANK YOU AGAIN. Shandelle told her it was because she still had a strap around my forearm...the same nurse then dropped the IV bag on me and it broke and spilled all over. I was already in excruciating pain and now soaking wet and FREEZING. Shandelle stepped right in to dry and comfort me. I guess my point is, yes, she DEFINITELY helped me cope with my contractions (applying counter pressure and helped me focus on my breathing) but honestly...she did a LOT more than that. I went in feeling I absolutely NEEDED an epidural and when the Dr told me there was no time for one I broke down crying. Shandelle kept her cool and got me to refocus all that fear into one breath and one push at a time. If you are considering hiring Shandelle, just do it. The birth of your child doesn't have to be terrible. I can't believe that my one drug free delivery was my best experience. Thank you again for everything you did for me. 

          -Lana

Amazing!!
Shandelle gave me so much confidence in my pregnancy and through my birthing experience. She not only has a wealth of knowledge and is an amazing resource, but she also has a personality that instantly puts you at ease. You just know you’re in good hands. Unfortunately just before I gave birth the pandemic kicked off, and although Shandelle was unable to come to my birth in person, she was there in every other sense by text and by phone helping to get me through. I can’t recommend her enough! 

          -Charlotte

I was pregnant with my first child and was recommended by my family doctor to work with a doula, as those who do tend to use less pain medication and have more positive birth experiences. I was very scared of labour and delivery! My partner had reservations, as he felt working with a doula meant he “wasn’t enough”. However, after our first meeting with Shandelle, his mind was changed; he was able to see the benefits of having an extra and experienced person in the delivery room, devoted solely to assisting both myself and him.

I was able to bounce questions and thoughts off Shandelle throughout my pregnancy - she was always available for a talk/text. And from the time I requested her presence once labour started, she was there and didn’t leave until after my daughter had been born and began her first breastfeeding.

Shandelle is both knowledgeable and compassionate. She is easy to get along with (possibly the Newfie in her??), and both my partner and I were happy that we had chosen to work with her. I would recommend Shandelle to anyone who is thinking of having a doula present throughout their pregnancy and delivery. Thank you Shandelle! 

          -Kate

I can’t say enough good things about Shandelle. This was my first pregnancy & she was there for me every step of the way. My water broke at 32 weeks so I didn’t have time to make it to a prenatal class with her so she visited me in hospital and was my main support every day I had questions until delivery. She is very quick to reply which put my mind at ease and she knows her stuff!! It was like having a good friend with me during the entire process. I highly recommend and would hire her again in a second. 

          -Melinda

We hired Shandelle late in the game - at about 36 weeks. My husband travels a lot and had some trips up to about 38 weeks and then again at what would have ben 41 weeks. I started worrying about how I would handle things if he was not in town when I went into labour. 

My first meeting with Shandelle was great, she put me at ease, and even though I hadn't raised it in our initial emails, she brought literature with her to show ways in which a doula can be beneficial even if the partner is present. I was worried that having a doula would some how take away from my husband's role but that was not the case at all. My husband really liked Shandelle and felt comfortable with her because she provided examples and evidence supporting different decisions we might want or have to take. I had done some reading but he had not, and so having her explain things was really helpful to get him and I on the same page. As soon as I hired her I felt like I'd be fine if my husband was not around and the panic and fear I was harbouring went away.

Before the birth, Shandelle showed my husband techniques he could try, and during labour, did some extra duties to allow my husband to stay with me - like getting water/ice/popsicles etc. I ended up with a long labour that didn't progress and a c-section was required. Shandelle, the nurse and the midwife all worked together to reinforce the messages I was hearing, explain things when I didn't understand, talk to me about options as we went, and provide different forms and levels of support throughout. 

I really appreciated Shandelle's compassion and encouragement, her knowledge, and her presence during my labour and delivery. I would highly recommend her for anyone looking for some extra support during their journey. 

          -Megan

We found Shandelle through the Nova Scotia Doula Association. On first meeting with her in our home we found Shandelle to be friendly, knowledgeable and professional. She took the time to answer all of our questions- going into detail about what we could expect throughout the rest of the pregnancy, and on the day of our daughters birth. Her patience, demeanor, and reassurance made her the perfect match for our family. 

During the birth Shandelle was a calm presence, at my side constantly with reassuring words, a sip of water or a hand to squeeze. My daughter had difficulty breathing on her own and was taken to the NICU directly after the birth. My partner and family left the room to go with her- Shandelle stayed with me. Reflecting on this after, I was so grateful to have her there to talk to about what was happening, and what to expect next. 

Postpartum, Shandelle stayed in contact- checking in on us regularly. In the future if we expand our family we would love to have her back again. I highly recommend her to everyone looking for a dedicated and caring doula. 

          -Chelsey

After our initial meeting with Shandelle, my husband and I knew we wanted to have her involved with our first pregnancy. Her fact-based approach and calm presence was exactly what we were looking for as nervous first time parents.

In the early months, Shandelle always followed up after appointments and was just a text away if I had a question or concern. She was really on the ball!

When my water broke at 5:30am, Shandelle was there to tell us what to expect for the next few hours. When my contractions slowed down, Shandelle forwarded us exercises to do to get us back on track (which worked!). And once we were admitted into the hospital, Shandelle was there for over 12 hours keeping us focused as we welcomed our boy into the world. 

Shandelle was our expert personal coach during our pregnancy journey, and we can’t thank her enough for her guidance and enthusiasm as became a perfect family of three! 

          -Christene H.

Shandelle was an unbelievable support throughout my pregnancy and delivery. She offered lots of unbiased information to ensure my husband and I were well informed and prepared. She supported all of our decisions. Shandelle taught us lots of comfort measures and positions and helped us with them throughout labour. I laboured at home and she was so incredible. She definitely helped keep me in the right headspace when things got tough. The care she provided immediately following the birth of our baby girl was also above and beyond. I can’t recommend Shandelle enough. 

          -Erin G.

Shandelle could not have been a more caring, attentive and knowledgeable doula. From the moment we met her, we knew she would be a great addition to our pregnancy and labour journey - coming prepared with statistics, qualifications and answers to our many, many questions. Having a doula can ease so many concerns that arise during pregnancy and labour, where instead of resorting to the internet for answers you have a birth-coach who knows you, your birth preferences and has your best interest at heart. Shandelle constantly checked in with us during pregnancy and always knew when our appointments were, asking for updates and progress. She was quick to respond to our inquiries and was there every step of the way during our labour! If you are having a baby, especially for the first time, a doula is one of the best decisions you can make and Shandelle (from my perspective) is one of the best!

          -Katie C.

I was on the fence about hiring a doula for my second pregnancy until I met Shandelle. Her positive energy, and her enthusiasm and love for all things related to labour and birth were immediately apparent and contagious. Shandelle loves what she does, and it shows. 

When I first hired Shandelle, I was looking for a doula to help me achieve an unmedicated birth.  However, she provided so much more than that - Shandelle became one of my primary sources of strength and support toward the end of my pregnancy, available at all hours to tirelessly answer my questions, provide information, calm my fears, and listen to my frustrations. She was a constant source of support during my labour and birth, which went almost exactly as we had hoped and planned. (It’s no coincidence that at the most painful and difficult time in my labour I called out to Shandelle for help, rather than to the medical staff or my own partner!) Postpartum, she was like a ray of sunshine on some of my darker (and more sleep deprived) days. I cannot thank Shandelle enough - she was a positive and supportive force in my life at such a beautiful, challenging, amazing and vulnerable time. I feel forever bonded to her by the birth of my daughter.  I would never consider going through another pregnancy and birth without Shandelle by my side!

         -Laura Slaney

As a first-time mom I knew I was going to need support. I wanted to go as natural as possible so I was going to need someone who had the experience to coach me through that. My husband and I knew from our first meeting with Shandelle that she would be the perfect fit. Having someone by my side throughout my labour and delivery that advocated for me and knew just how to support me at every step was such a blessing. I was able to have an unmedicated natural birth, just like I wanted, but I know I would have given up somewhere along the way without Shandelle there to encourage and guide me. Shandelle was a great support and source of information throughout my pregnancy and postpartum as well. With Shandelle you don't just get the services of a doula, you gain a friend. 

       -Melanie K 

I cannot say enough good things about my experience with Shandelle as my Doula. From our first meeting I knew she would be the best person to support my birth. Shandelle explained her role and made me feel at ease asking her any questions right away. From then on we exchanged emails regularly and she guided me through any random pregnant question I had ! When it was “ go “ time Shandelle immediately came to my home. She supported both my husband and I through our journey. My birth plan did not go as planned and Shandelle’s reassurance during times of anxiety / stress / uncertainty / fear kept us going . Shandelle never left my side ( 30 + hours ) and when my husband was with our newborn she stayed with me. I am so happy we chose to have a Doula and so lucky to have found Shandelle. We still text now and keep in contact with questions , baby pictures and updates ! We will forever be bonded ! 

        -Jill Crowe

My Husband and I are so happy we hired Shandelle as our Doula. As first time parents, we wanted support to help navigate labour and delivery from someone who was educated on how everything worked. We got that and more! If we had experienced our daughter’s birth alone we would have been just okay, but having Shandelle as a support through everything made everything so much better! Saying only thank you would not even scratch the surface of how we feel about all of the support Shandelle provided!!

          -Robyn Moffatt

Shandelle was absolutely incredible. I can not recommend her enough. She is both professional and personal in a way that makes you comfortable and confident in her presence. This was my third birth and the most amazing experience by far. I would go as far as to say it was life changing for someone like myself who has trouble trusting my own instincts. She believed in me in a way that I was not even sure I believed in myself. I had the exact birth I wanted and it was because of her dedicated approach to me as her client. From the beginning she was all about me having the birth I wanted; no matter what type of birth that was. She was great at instinctually knowing what you needed; when she needed to be a calm presence and when she needed to be really hands on. Shandelle was splashed by my waters, hit with some vomit, all without a complaint. I felt so safe with her. Having her there with my husband and I through the birth of our son was the best step I took towards having the birth I wanted and the outcome could not have been better. The experience has changed me as a whole and I truly have gained confidence in myself because of how she took care of me in such a beautiful, vulnerable, miracle moment in my life.  

          -Amy Crosby    

Shandelle is AMAZING! We are so happy with our decision to hire a doula and in particular, to hire her as our doula. She is so knowledgeable, smart, compassionate and nonjudgemental. She is a wealth of knowledge and shares that knowledge in such a way that allows you to make decisions that feel right and good for you, and she supports that for you. She is readily available to answer any questions you have, offer tips and suggestions and just check in throughout your pregnancy. My labour went incredibly well and I think Shandelle is owed a great amount of credit for keeping things progressing by suggesting new positions and helping me breath into the contractions and the pushing. One of the best investments that we made by far! 

              - Joelle Badman   

I could not have been able to go through my labour and delivery without Shandelle. She was extremely knowledgeable about the entire process and provided me with information and resources pre-delivery to be able to make my own decisions. She was un-biased, sensitive, understanding and trustworthy. I felt empowered going into the experience with my birth wishes in hand, and I felt confident that she would be there to answer questions or provide any guidance if I needed it. She was an amazing birth coach! She was with me throughout the night while I was in labour, helping me with comfort techniques in the tub for hours, and stayed until my son was born. She helped with latching during skin-to-skin time while my husband took a break. She has such a calming demeanor and made my husband and mother feel very comfortable. I can’t say enough great things about her!          

          -Tessa Roselli

After having recently moved from Ontario to Nova Scotia away from our support network, we were eager to find a doula to help us bring baby #2 into the world. We reached out to Shandelle and set up an appointment, and knew it was a good match right from the get-go. Shandelle is kind, suppremely attentive, and exceptionally well-organized. She knew the right kinds of questions to ask to set us up for later success. When labour was looming Shandelle was always there checking in on me and lending a supportive ear. My labour and delivery experience sure wasn't easy, on me or Shandelle, who worked tirelessly through a couple of nights by our side. She provided me with options, but also understood that I was exhausted and had a hard time making any sort of decision, and was guided by our earlier conversations. Shandelle is a fantastic doula, and a wonderful ambassador for the profession. 

          -Chrissy Lackner

I’m going to preface this endorsement by saying that my husband and I are both planners and we did spend some time on the fence when it came to hiring a doula to follow us through pregnancy and labour. We had very few birth preferences and were perfectly happy to just let things unfold. After our experience with Shandelle, I’m not sure why anyone would choose to go through the process without a doula.

Shandelle was an incredible support to my husband and I as we welcomed our little boy into our family. Right away when we met her we knew she was a great fit for us. Shandelle is completely non-judgemental, very up-to-date on knowledge and resources, has a great sense of humour, and a calming presence that put us at ease during our prenatal meetings and the labour itself. You can tell that she was meant to be doing this. Labour itself ended up being quite fast and overwhelming. Shandelle showed up at 1:00 in the morning, not long after my first contractions. She helped with early labour and made sure that we left for the hospital when it was time. At the hospital she kept my husband and I calm and informed as we worked our way up to labour and delivery and she was able to quickly decipher the “doctor speak” for us so that we felt comfortable with events as they unfolded. She stayed afterwards to help establish breastfeeding and provided more coaching at our post-natal visits. She’s a fantastic problem solver, always willing to relate with personal stories, and has proven to be an excellent baby snuggler. Shandelle’s presence has had such a positive impact on us all and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her. Thank you, Shandelle!! 

          -Kasia Stolarz

Words cannot do justice to how Shandelle's presence, her mentorship and guidance, her advocacy, in the way that she just did not judge any decisions and just supported us in whatever we did, was so much appreciated.  It was amazing to have her support, and I know my husband and mother feel the same.   

          -Shannon Kam

Shandelle's support before, during, and after the birth of our son was exactly what we needed. Her calming presence was especially appreciated throughout the most intense moments of labour and delivery. We can't thank you enough, Shandelle!   

          -Nicole Barela

 I cannot thank Shandelle enough for the amazing support she provided for my wife and I, from the pregnancy to labor to post birth. From a Dad's perspective, she was a consistent support and was always there to answer any questions I had. Her amazing support was essential for me during the labour as she was able to describe all the aspects of the labor and provided me someone to talk to. If you are thinking about using a doula, Shandelle is the best. THANK YOU SHANDELLE!  

           -Chris Tilley