"Hiring Marie was the best decision we made to set us up for success for the birth of our son! She supported us every step of the way, from before birth with helpful resources and writing out our birth plan, during my 15 hours of labor, and after my son's birth as well. During labor, there was lot happening, and the peace of mind we got by having Marie there to support us and help us navigate the process was priceless. I never needed to worry about my husband as i knew Marie was right there to help him, which allowed me to focus on my labor. Marie's calming voice counting down during each push and contraction was super helpful to keep me focused during the 3+ hours of pushing. I didn't need to worry about running out of energy during pushing as Marie kept giving me juice (this was a game changer as i only had 3 hours of sleep the night before). I remember Marie kept wiping my forehead with a cool peppermint scented cloth which was really soothing. I can honestly say if Marie (and of course my husband) weren't there during the pushing stage, I would've given up and likely would've ended up with a C Section. Marie's help was monumental for being able to push him out naturally! I cant emphasize enough the importance of having an experienced support person to help guide you along the journey of labor and birth. You wont regret hiring Marie. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Marie!"
Caitlin, Seth and Cole
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I recently had my first baby and knew from the start that I wanted a doula. My husband was uncertain, because he wasn't completely sure of a doula's role. After having Marie present at our son's delivery, he has agreed that Marie is an absolute must.
I met Marie through Community Birth Program. From our initial conversation, she was knowledgeable and understanding and provided so much information. On the day I went into labour, I texted Marie at 4:30 am and she promptly arrived at my house in half an hour. She was able to help me rest a bit and relax through my contractions, because I hadn't slept in nearly 24 hours. Once we were at the hospital, Marie helped me cope through a quick, intense active labour. I honestly don't think I would've been able to have a natural labour otherwise.
Marie is such a calming presence and such a great cheerleader. We are so thankful for all her help during our son's birth and for the photos she took of his first moments (and my husband cutting the cord)!
My husband admitted that he would not have been able to do what Marie did and we hope she'll be there for our next baby! Thank you so much, Marie!"
- Catherine, on Birth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Honestly most of it is pretty much a blur but I’ll try my best to tell my birth story.
The day of my induction I was super nervous. I was 41 weeks, and with my first son I never had to get induced so I wasn’t sure what to expect. My partner and I, went to the hospital around 1pm and after the covid testing we went into the nice room they gave us. They broke my water and saw that Jade (my baby) had pooped, which meant he needed to be monitored at all times during labour. After that they gave me an IV with oxytocin to finally induce me. Marie and Jessie (partner) helped me through the first few hours of contractions without any pain relieving medications. Marie taught Jessie this really neat trick to put pressure on my lower back and it made the contractions so much easier to deal with. It was honestly heaven sent and even helped during the contractions I had after birth. I was laughing and just hanging around most of the time. Which surprised everyone, including me 😂Marie and Jessie were really good at keeping me busy, always moving and talking about life which I really enjoyed because it was taking my attention away from
The contractions. She showed me the best way to sit on the yoga ball so I was still moving but also relaxed during contractions. Eventually they got strong enough that I wanted to try the laughing gas and wow that was nice. 😂 It helped so much and was also a nice way to focus my breathing during the contractions. Every time I got leg cramps or needed water Marie was right there and even taught Jessie all the best ways to rub my legs, arms and back. Now the rest of it is a bit of a blur. I eventually got the epidural because I was progressing pretty fast and did not want to push without it. It took them a few tries to get it in right, but once they did I literally didn’t feel a thing until it was time to push. This was Jessie’s first baby so he wasn’t really sure how to help and thankfully Marie was there and showed him as much as possible so that he was super active during the whole labour. I finally was able to start pushing. The breathing part was super hard, but with everyone giving me all that support and helping me by counting down and stuff it eventually got better. After 15-20 minutes I was able to finally hold my baby boy 🤍 Marie took some beautiful pictures for us and I’ll forever cherish them. I was honestly really worried about having a midwife, I have no idea why I was nervous but I’m SO SO glad I did. I can honestly say I couldn’t have pictured a better labour. My first son was a difficult one and I didn’t have the support I had with my second and I’m beyond thankful for everything Marie and Jessie did to make this as easy as possible for me. Now whenever I look back on my labour it’s nothing but a good time. I ever have another baby I will DEFINITELY have Marie there again. I can’t believe how absolutely terrified I was to give birth and it was nothing like I thought it was going to be. I’m so so thankful ❤️"
- Hunter, on Birth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Marie was my doula for Ryder’s birth, she offered me great support as it was my first time going through childbirth. I was scared and unsure as any first mom would be, Marie helped me stay calm with her warm presence, kindness and naturalness. She was way better support than what my partner was and she helped with my anxiety stay down."
- Dallas, on Birth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Marie was our doula for my second baby. My husband and I loved having her support us at our recent birth. My first baby was born 9 years ago in China. I kind of forgot how the pregnancy was, but I did remember the birth experience was not pleasant at that time. So we hoped to hire a doula for a better experience this time.
We decided to have Marie as our doula right after we face-timed with her the first time because she was so calming and had a ton of knowledge. I felt reassured knowing we'd have someone experienced there for me.
Marie was a great supporter throughout my entire pregnancy, birth and postpartum. She is always available to answer questions or provide additional info. When I talked, she listened, when I worried, she comforted, when I panicked, she calmed me.
I also really appreciated how she checked in with us a few times once we were home, sent us photos that she had snapped of the birth, sent me flowers and even offered me a postpartum massage and brought a very nice gift for my baby.
I highly recommend Marie to anyone thinking of hiring a doula."
- Sherry, on Birth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I’m a first time mom and it was suggested to me by a friend that we have the support of a Doula during labour. I am not the type of person that easily accepts help, but quickly realized in such an emotional and vulnerable journey, extra support was a must.
I was connected with Marie through the Community Birthing Program in Surrey. During our first meeting and subsequent contacts with Marie I knew she would be a calming presence with the knowledge to help not only myself but my husband as
well with the journey of welcoming our son into the world.
On the big day of our induction plans changed quickly and we were diverted to another hospital. Therefore, my midwife could no longer support me. Thankfully we still had Marie! Knowing that she was going to be at the hospital shortly after we arrived helped ease our anxiety one immensely.
During my labouring, Marie was attentive and calming. Having her there gave my husband time to rest as well, which was important so that he could support me after our son was born. When things changed quickly and we needed an emergency c-section, she was there to support us. Marie waited for us until we were out of surgery and recovery.
Marie’s follow up home visit was also wonderful and welcomed as after having the surgery, recovery is challenging and the wonderful leg and head massage she provided was just what I needed.
Overall, we found Marie to be professional, supportive, calming, nurturing and knowledgeable. I can’t imagine how this experience would have been without her wonderful support.”
- Catherine and Amel, on Birth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a first time mama I had a lot of questions. Marie kindly responded to all of them. She was helpful, nice and informative. When I first interviewed with her I was hesitant if I should go with a midwife or I should stick to my family doctor as she was specialized in births. Marie helped me to decide according to my personality and situation. She always spoke from her experience but stayed in a neutral position.
Marie's postnatal two appointments were great. Both the zoom call and the visit. She was very informative and made us feel calm. She provided me with tools and resources that could help me with more questions that could arise. I went through early labour on my own as I followed her advice on going through this stage as calm as possible and staying home as long as I could. Early labour lasted about 48 hours until I needed to go to the hospital. Once at the hospital my husband called Marie. Meanwhile I decided we needed to go with a c-section as a situation came up and doctors needed me to make a decision. Marie was there before I got the drugs to go into the OR. She was supportive and kind to me and my husband. She was there until I came out of the surgery and made sure everything looked good. Her postpartum services were also great. She gave me my time, gave me a nice massage and even taught me how to do infant massage. Overall, we were very happy with her Doula services!
- Adriana, on Birth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marie was amazing, and I know I could not have done it without her help. Even though we didn’t know each other at all, she didn’t feel like a stranger. She was very knowledgeable, supportive, and made me feel very comfortable. From prenatal to postpartum care, she was there for me. When it was time to go to the hospital and give birth, she never left my side the entire 12 hours. Without her, because of covid 19, I would have had to give birth to my daughter alone. I absolutely recommend her services and I will never forget what she did for me.
Tanya, from Abbotsford on Birth
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My husband and I recently had our first baby and having Marie there was blessing. When the midwife we were seeing recommended having a doula at the birth my husband did not really see the point in having some one else in the room and to be honest I was not to sure about it ether. Sure we knew that doula's were helpful but neither of use knew how great it would be to have her there. Marie and I met a few times before the birth and went over the birth plan, talked about what I would like at the birth and she brought up things I never even thought about. I went into labor at home and my husband called Marie to come over, it was such a comfort to me knowing that she would be there to help. Once we went to the hospital Marie helped set up the room how I wanted with pictures and electric candles and she even brought along her "bag of goodies" to help me with the labor. She rubbed my back, got me ice chips, helped me breath, had this amazing cold pack thing for my head, even took pictures and did so much more. I know that some of you might be thinking "well isn't that the husbands job?" and before having had this experience I thought the same thing, but it was so nice to have someone there who has done this before. Because Marie was there he was able to focus 100% on me, he had someone to tell him how to help and when he was doubting him self he could ask her. She even offered to go get him coffee so he would not have to leave me. After the birth having her there was the best thing we could have done and that her being there he said that having her there took so much pressure off him and he was really able to be there in the moment with me. Marie thank you so much for your support and help at the birth of my baby, I could not have imagined doing this without you!
- Tessa, from Surrey on Birth
__________________________________________________________________________
"I was getting quite anxious as weeks went on getting closer to my due date. I didn't know what to except for my first child birth experience and the idea of becoming a mother soon. My first impression of Marie was that she was calm and had a strong positive vibe about child birth and life all together. She also had a certain warmth and kindness to her that made it easy to get more personable with her. She came and visited a few times before the big day and gave me much needed encouragement and a variety of support resources around my community. Marie was good at checking in on me and genuinely cared about how I was doing days leading up to my birth. It was reassuring just to have her a phone call away for any questions or concerns I had. Thank you again Marie for your support."
- C.L from Abbotsford on Birth
___________________________________________________________________________
Kesler loves leg and foot massages. He instantly calms down when I massage his feet. Marie is knowledgeable with babies and classes are warm and welcoming. Kesler is always calm and happy at class"
- Michelle from Langley on Infant Massage
___________________________________________________________________________
"Marie is a great, professional and a loving person who taught me so much. I had a great time with her. It was an awesome experience. I would definitely attend massage classes if I get a chance."
- Gagan from Surrey on Birth and Infant Massage
___________________________________________________________________________
"Marie is a kind, patient, knowledgeable and helpful professional. She is flexible, listens to you, and helped bring solutions to my concerns. It was a delight to have her helping me, and get sleep when I had no one with me except my baby. She helped me with light duties and minded my little one so I could get some rest which was vital to my mental health. Thank you Marie."
- Nartila from South Surrey on Postpartum
___________________________________________________________________________
"Marie is the main reason why my daughters birth was such an amazing and positive experience. She guided me through the entire process with such a respectful, peaceful and loving way. She was also a great support for my mother who was also with me during the birth. All the pain management options that she proposed were truly helpful. I would recommend her in a heartbeat. I wish that every women could experience a birth like my daughters birth. I am sure it wouldn't have been the same without Marie and her calm, empowering attitude."
- Joannie from Surrey on Birth
___________________________________________________________________________
Find more on my Doula Match page!
Marie Steiner Birth and Postpartum Doula Profile (doulamatch.net)
Caitlin, Seth and Cole
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I recently had my first baby and knew from the start that I wanted a doula. My husband was uncertain, because he wasn't completely sure of a doula's role. After having Marie present at our son's delivery, he has agreed that Marie is an absolute must.
I met Marie through Community Birth Program. From our initial conversation, she was knowledgeable and understanding and provided so much information. On the day I went into labour, I texted Marie at 4:30 am and she promptly arrived at my house in half an hour. She was able to help me rest a bit and relax through my contractions, because I hadn't slept in nearly 24 hours. Once we were at the hospital, Marie helped me cope through a quick, intense active labour. I honestly don't think I would've been able to have a natural labour otherwise.
Marie is such a calming presence and such a great cheerleader. We are so thankful for all her help during our son's birth and for the photos she took of his first moments (and my husband cutting the cord)!
My husband admitted that he would not have been able to do what Marie did and we hope she'll be there for our next baby! Thank you so much, Marie!"
- Catherine, on Birth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Honestly most of it is pretty much a blur but I’ll try my best to tell my birth story.
The day of my induction I was super nervous. I was 41 weeks, and with my first son I never had to get induced so I wasn’t sure what to expect. My partner and I, went to the hospital around 1pm and after the covid testing we went into the nice room they gave us. They broke my water and saw that Jade (my baby) had pooped, which meant he needed to be monitored at all times during labour. After that they gave me an IV with oxytocin to finally induce me. Marie and Jessie (partner) helped me through the first few hours of contractions without any pain relieving medications. Marie taught Jessie this really neat trick to put pressure on my lower back and it made the contractions so much easier to deal with. It was honestly heaven sent and even helped during the contractions I had after birth. I was laughing and just hanging around most of the time. Which surprised everyone, including me 😂Marie and Jessie were really good at keeping me busy, always moving and talking about life which I really enjoyed because it was taking my attention away from
The contractions. She showed me the best way to sit on the yoga ball so I was still moving but also relaxed during contractions. Eventually they got strong enough that I wanted to try the laughing gas and wow that was nice. 😂 It helped so much and was also a nice way to focus my breathing during the contractions. Every time I got leg cramps or needed water Marie was right there and even taught Jessie all the best ways to rub my legs, arms and back. Now the rest of it is a bit of a blur. I eventually got the epidural because I was progressing pretty fast and did not want to push without it. It took them a few tries to get it in right, but once they did I literally didn’t feel a thing until it was time to push. This was Jessie’s first baby so he wasn’t really sure how to help and thankfully Marie was there and showed him as much as possible so that he was super active during the whole labour. I finally was able to start pushing. The breathing part was super hard, but with everyone giving me all that support and helping me by counting down and stuff it eventually got better. After 15-20 minutes I was able to finally hold my baby boy 🤍 Marie took some beautiful pictures for us and I’ll forever cherish them. I was honestly really worried about having a midwife, I have no idea why I was nervous but I’m SO SO glad I did. I can honestly say I couldn’t have pictured a better labour. My first son was a difficult one and I didn’t have the support I had with my second and I’m beyond thankful for everything Marie and Jessie did to make this as easy as possible for me. Now whenever I look back on my labour it’s nothing but a good time. I ever have another baby I will DEFINITELY have Marie there again. I can’t believe how absolutely terrified I was to give birth and it was nothing like I thought it was going to be. I’m so so thankful ❤️"
- Hunter, on Birth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Marie was my doula for Ryder’s birth, she offered me great support as it was my first time going through childbirth. I was scared and unsure as any first mom would be, Marie helped me stay calm with her warm presence, kindness and naturalness. She was way better support than what my partner was and she helped with my anxiety stay down."
- Dallas, on Birth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Marie was our doula for my second baby. My husband and I loved having her support us at our recent birth. My first baby was born 9 years ago in China. I kind of forgot how the pregnancy was, but I did remember the birth experience was not pleasant at that time. So we hoped to hire a doula for a better experience this time.
We decided to have Marie as our doula right after we face-timed with her the first time because she was so calming and had a ton of knowledge. I felt reassured knowing we'd have someone experienced there for me.
Marie was a great supporter throughout my entire pregnancy, birth and postpartum. She is always available to answer questions or provide additional info. When I talked, she listened, when I worried, she comforted, when I panicked, she calmed me.
I also really appreciated how she checked in with us a few times once we were home, sent us photos that she had snapped of the birth, sent me flowers and even offered me a postpartum massage and brought a very nice gift for my baby.
I highly recommend Marie to anyone thinking of hiring a doula."
- Sherry, on Birth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“I’m a first time mom and it was suggested to me by a friend that we have the support of a Doula during labour. I am not the type of person that easily accepts help, but quickly realized in such an emotional and vulnerable journey, extra support was a must.
I was connected with Marie through the Community Birthing Program in Surrey. During our first meeting and subsequent contacts with Marie I knew she would be a calming presence with the knowledge to help not only myself but my husband as
well with the journey of welcoming our son into the world.
On the big day of our induction plans changed quickly and we were diverted to another hospital. Therefore, my midwife could no longer support me. Thankfully we still had Marie! Knowing that she was going to be at the hospital shortly after we arrived helped ease our anxiety one immensely.
During my labouring, Marie was attentive and calming. Having her there gave my husband time to rest as well, which was important so that he could support me after our son was born. When things changed quickly and we needed an emergency c-section, she was there to support us. Marie waited for us until we were out of surgery and recovery.
Marie’s follow up home visit was also wonderful and welcomed as after having the surgery, recovery is challenging and the wonderful leg and head massage she provided was just what I needed.
Overall, we found Marie to be professional, supportive, calming, nurturing and knowledgeable. I can’t imagine how this experience would have been without her wonderful support.”
- Catherine and Amel, on Birth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a first time mama I had a lot of questions. Marie kindly responded to all of them. She was helpful, nice and informative. When I first interviewed with her I was hesitant if I should go with a midwife or I should stick to my family doctor as she was specialized in births. Marie helped me to decide according to my personality and situation. She always spoke from her experience but stayed in a neutral position.
Marie's postnatal two appointments were great. Both the zoom call and the visit. She was very informative and made us feel calm. She provided me with tools and resources that could help me with more questions that could arise. I went through early labour on my own as I followed her advice on going through this stage as calm as possible and staying home as long as I could. Early labour lasted about 48 hours until I needed to go to the hospital. Once at the hospital my husband called Marie. Meanwhile I decided we needed to go with a c-section as a situation came up and doctors needed me to make a decision. Marie was there before I got the drugs to go into the OR. She was supportive and kind to me and my husband. She was there until I came out of the surgery and made sure everything looked good. Her postpartum services were also great. She gave me my time, gave me a nice massage and even taught me how to do infant massage. Overall, we were very happy with her Doula services!
- Adriana, on Birth
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marie was amazing, and I know I could not have done it without her help. Even though we didn’t know each other at all, she didn’t feel like a stranger. She was very knowledgeable, supportive, and made me feel very comfortable. From prenatal to postpartum care, she was there for me. When it was time to go to the hospital and give birth, she never left my side the entire 12 hours. Without her, because of covid 19, I would have had to give birth to my daughter alone. I absolutely recommend her services and I will never forget what she did for me.
Tanya, from Abbotsford on Birth
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My husband and I recently had our first baby and having Marie there was blessing. When the midwife we were seeing recommended having a doula at the birth my husband did not really see the point in having some one else in the room and to be honest I was not to sure about it ether. Sure we knew that doula's were helpful but neither of use knew how great it would be to have her there. Marie and I met a few times before the birth and went over the birth plan, talked about what I would like at the birth and she brought up things I never even thought about. I went into labor at home and my husband called Marie to come over, it was such a comfort to me knowing that she would be there to help. Once we went to the hospital Marie helped set up the room how I wanted with pictures and electric candles and she even brought along her "bag of goodies" to help me with the labor. She rubbed my back, got me ice chips, helped me breath, had this amazing cold pack thing for my head, even took pictures and did so much more. I know that some of you might be thinking "well isn't that the husbands job?" and before having had this experience I thought the same thing, but it was so nice to have someone there who has done this before. Because Marie was there he was able to focus 100% on me, he had someone to tell him how to help and when he was doubting him self he could ask her. She even offered to go get him coffee so he would not have to leave me. After the birth having her there was the best thing we could have done and that her being there he said that having her there took so much pressure off him and he was really able to be there in the moment with me. Marie thank you so much for your support and help at the birth of my baby, I could not have imagined doing this without you!
- Tessa, from Surrey on Birth
__________________________________________________________________________
"I was getting quite anxious as weeks went on getting closer to my due date. I didn't know what to except for my first child birth experience and the idea of becoming a mother soon. My first impression of Marie was that she was calm and had a strong positive vibe about child birth and life all together. She also had a certain warmth and kindness to her that made it easy to get more personable with her. She came and visited a few times before the big day and gave me much needed encouragement and a variety of support resources around my community. Marie was good at checking in on me and genuinely cared about how I was doing days leading up to my birth. It was reassuring just to have her a phone call away for any questions or concerns I had. Thank you again Marie for your support."
- C.L from Abbotsford on Birth
___________________________________________________________________________
Kesler loves leg and foot massages. He instantly calms down when I massage his feet. Marie is knowledgeable with babies and classes are warm and welcoming. Kesler is always calm and happy at class"
- Michelle from Langley on Infant Massage
___________________________________________________________________________
"Marie is a great, professional and a loving person who taught me so much. I had a great time with her. It was an awesome experience. I would definitely attend massage classes if I get a chance."
- Gagan from Surrey on Birth and Infant Massage
___________________________________________________________________________
"Marie is a kind, patient, knowledgeable and helpful professional. She is flexible, listens to you, and helped bring solutions to my concerns. It was a delight to have her helping me, and get sleep when I had no one with me except my baby. She helped me with light duties and minded my little one so I could get some rest which was vital to my mental health. Thank you Marie."
- Nartila from South Surrey on Postpartum
___________________________________________________________________________
"Marie is the main reason why my daughters birth was such an amazing and positive experience. She guided me through the entire process with such a respectful, peaceful and loving way. She was also a great support for my mother who was also with me during the birth. All the pain management options that she proposed were truly helpful. I would recommend her in a heartbeat. I wish that every women could experience a birth like my daughters birth. I am sure it wouldn't have been the same without Marie and her calm, empowering attitude."
- Joannie from Surrey on Birth
___________________________________________________________________________
Find more on my Doula Match page!
Marie Steiner Birth and Postpartum Doula Profile (doulamatch.net)