August 3, 2015
To Whom It May Concern:
I'm honored to write today on behalf of my former doula, Anasuya Yogini (Denise French).
Anasuya was an indispensable member of my birth team. She helped to transform an experience that's so often regarded with uncertainty and fear into a sacred event rife with equal parts of empowerment and tranquility.
My husband and I had the pleasure of crossing paths with Anasuya at a community event. At the time, we were expecting our first child and exploring our childbirth options; this included contemplating enlisting the support of a doula (though my husband, in particular, was not convinced of the necessity). Upon meeting Anasuya, my husband and I knew immediately that a doula was, in fact, the best choice for us, and Anasuya seemed the perfect fit.
From our initial meeting it was clear that Anasuya both recognized and respected the sanctity of pregnancy, childbirth, and the initial postpartum period. She exceeded my high expectations in every imaginable way throughout the unfolding of these events, and, in the time since my daughter's birth, Anasuya has become like family to us.
Everything about Anasuya radiates positivity and love; these traits are imperative during such a physically and emotionally charged period of time. In addition, Anasuya is fiercely passionate and knowledgeable about natural childbirth. She understands both the physical and emotional process involved, and, because of this, she's able to offer extraordinary one-of-a-kind holistic support including massage, affirmations, and aromatherapy all tailored to your specific needs.
Dr. John H. Kendall said, "If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it." I couldn't agree more with his statement, and I couldn't have asked for more from a doula than what Anasuya provided us with.
Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have regarding our experience.
Warmly,
Jess Jarrin
jjarrin0310@gmail.com
November 15, 2014
To Whom It May Concern:We are pleased to write this letter of recommendation for Anasuya. We have known Anasuya for almost two years while she provided doula services to our family for the birth of our son Cole who is now nearly 15 months old. Anasuya assisted in the lead up to the birth, which was performed at Broward Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale Florida under the medical guidance of Dr. Delisa Skeete-Henry.
We met Anasuya at a “Meet the Doula” and knew right from the beginning of our few minutes together that we had a soul connection with Anasuya. When you make a first impression and are introduced to someone else for the first time, a connection may or may not occur. This is true in all relationships. We had been through a high-risk birth eight years ago when our daughter Hannah was born by emergency C-section after she became breached. Our initial impression from Anasuya was she was confident in natural childbirth and that the lead up to the birth would be different for this pregnancy. This was important to us and was not prevalent in any of the other doulas that we met.
We have come to know Anasuya well even after the birth of our son, which reinforces this recommendation even further. Anasuya is caring and gentle yet strong and firm. She offered us unwavering confidence in our ability to go through the labor and delivery without any medical intervention. She never showed any fear of the process. Anasuya had confidence in me throughout the pregnancy. Her confidence and constant support through her touch and words helped me to trust that I could do it, even when I felt exhausted and weak. It was essential to have Anasuya there, just for me, to support me and stay strong when I felt exhausted and weak. Her confident loving presence helped me to trust that everything was o.k.
Anasuya helped me during my pregnancy with nutrition and health reminding me to take care of my self, psychologically with reassurance and encouragement when I felt fearful, sad or angry. Anasuya always reminded me that “We follow the baby” no matter how long it takes or what he or she decides to do. I never felt rushed or pressured when Anasuya was present, in fact she helped me to stop putting pressure on myself. I fully endorse and recommend Anasuya. Her presence is essential for a completely holistic successful pregnancy. I felt absolutely wonderful about the birth of my son. I would not change a thing even if I could. With Anasuya I was able to have an all-natural water birth and be present and fully with my son the whole time.
Anasuya is the best doula to support you with your pregnancy and birth. Anything is possible when you let go of your fears and trust the natural process and Anasuya is the best person to assist you on your journey. I encourage anyone to take advantage of her doula and other related services offered during your pregnancy in order to assist you in having the most healing, miraculous, beautiful birth you can imagine.
Sincerely,
Melanie and Eric Czerniejewski
Anasuya,
We have been so busy 'parenting' that we meant to send this letter of recommendation months ago.
First, we can't begin to thank you for the work you did with us.
From the initial meeting with the preparation tips, to the phone chats and finally the support on the day we went into labor. Nothing could have been better.
We do want to share with you Erik's take on all of this, as we believe it was so amazing how you two connected.
Erik started looking into Doulas when he realized I was afraid of having a baby (to the point I would not have a kid as I feared the birthing process). He educated himself, and helped me understand that Natural Birth was the way we needed to go about it.
It took us several meeting with other Doulas to make a decision. Each Doula has her own personality. Erik was sure you were our perfect match.
You are strong willed, powerful, and spoke with confidence. Erik could really see your passion through your voice: it changed from a soft spoken woman to a lawyer in a court room kind of tone. There was no arguing. He knew instantly that I needed someone as strong as I am in order to break my fears.
Throughout the entire preparation to birth, you were available; you invited us to your house making us feel welcomed and comfortable. During labor, you arrived like a ninja, ready for battle. You transformed yourself from advice-giver to a captain. Your confidence in the process gave us assurance that we were in good hands.
As a husband, you made Erik feel necessary in the process. You gave him a role and a purpose. You two partnered up in a way that he never felt unassured.
When talking to other future dads about this process, he made an analogy. Every sport has a good coach behind the best or worst players. The internet can't truly teach what goes on during birth. In fact, the internet does not focus on the dad's role much. A Doula carries thousands of births of experience that can't be replicated. Birth is a game that a man will never play; however, working with a Doula during the preparation to birth and during labor is as close as a man will ever get to 'giving birth'. A man who does not partake on this unique opportunity is leaving behind an experience of life. You allowed Erik to 'play the game'; you gave him purpose; he was not a by stander of the process, he was part of it.
As the wife and future mother, I recognize his role as important as mine. His participation, with you, is the main reason why we succeeded in having a natural birth (don't worry, he got a better push gift than I did 🙂 ).
We can't thank you enough. You are part of our lives, forever.
- Much love,
Carmen, Erik and Mia Stinson
I gave birth to a beautiful little girl in May 2013. It was a very long labor that resulted in a natural birth with no intervention just as I planned. I would do it again in a heartbeat! That experience of joy and a proud feeling of having a natural birth would not have been possible if it wasn’t for my dearest doula Anasuya Yogini. She made me feel empowered as a woman reminding me that my body was made for this. Guiding me each step of the way, from massaging, to meditation and chanting, to sitting on the exercise ball and relaxing in the bathtub, she made it possible for me to accomplish what I had set out to do. Anasuya not only helped me but also guided my husband to participate in my labor and birth as we united in this miraculous experience. She knew exactly when to guide and when to step back and allow my body to take its natural course. I would be honored to have her as my doula again once we decide on a second child. She is, without a doubt, the reason I have a natural birth story to share! Thank you a thousand times.
~Namaste~
Nina Kazemi, Miami, FL
Anasuya was referred to me by a friend and I am so happy to have listened to her and not wasted any time interviewing other Doulas. My friend showed me Anasuya’s picture and that was enough for me, because I knew that her face was the one I wanted to see during my first time transitioning into the motherhood. So before I even met her I knew that she was the one and after meeting her it was a sealed deal. Anasuya is the most passionate, knowledgeable, and positive person I had ever met. She eats, sleeps, and breathes all things pregnancy, delivery, and baby. She will make you feel like you are the only woman ever to have a baby. I enjoyed our labor rehearsals so much that I was super excited about my drug free water birth, which Anasuya referred to as “party time”. Although my labor and delivery did not go as planned, Anasuya still made sure that it was “party time,” and thinking about it now, I never actually felt like I was in labor. There was no fear and it was so natural. Anasuya made the stale hospital room feel like a spa experience. We exercised, listened to Samba, danced, ate fruit, drank REAL coconut water, and took super quirky pictures. Finally after all that “partying” my beautiful baby girl was born and Anasuya became a friend for life. So whether you are a first time mom or not, I believe that you will benefit from having this amazingly beautiful person next to you during your life’s biggest accomplishment.
Sincerely, Lera