I am delighted to provide a testimonial for Yvonne Bailey – Confident Mother Douala Services. I have known Yvonne for many years and despite the distance she was my first choice for supporting us following the birth of our second child. Her nursing background is a clear asset as well as her calm nature and natural ability with children. She smoothed the way for our toddler as he dealt with the shock of an addition to the household. He felt that he was getting the attention and care that he used to. She made sure that my home ran smoothly so I could recover and bond with my new child. When I had forgotten the challenges of a new born i.e. setting up a routine, feeding etc. She stepped in with practical advice and ideas. Yvonne worked behind the scenes giving us time as a newly extended family and was unobtrusive during the exciting but challenging time. I have no hesitation in recommending Yvonne as a doula. Aniko Dobson I just wanted to put pen to paper and thank you for the time that you have worked with us these last few months, looking after our daughter Esha. Before my daughter was born I had read and heard of doulas, little did I know that I would be employing the services of one not long after she was born! Shortly after giving birth, being the joint owner of a business I still had to fulfil many work commitments. I needed to work from home and have somebody to care for our little family 2 days a week. It was wonderful that a service like your exists. You were able to come into our home and take on all the duties of caring for my daughter and me! From the first day that you worked for us, you came into our home and were confident enough to take on the daily tasks of looking after baby and home, with little instruction! As the weeks went by we built up a good trust in you and a wonderful working relationship. It was also useful that I could discuss many aspects and anxieties of new motherhood with you. I always found you to be flexible with working hours and days, which was vital for our family situation and nothing was too much trouble for you. On another note my husband and I thought you had a lovely sense of humour and we had some fun times ! It has been such a pleasure to employ your services. We have been very happy with the quality of your work, professionalism and dedication to being a doula. As we said on your last day, we will miss you so much. I would have no hesitation in recommending you to any prospective clients as you offer such a wonderful service. If we are lucky enough to have any more children, I hope you are able to come back and work for us again. On a final note, thank you again for everything and I wish you all the success with Confident Mother. Please do keep in touch and come and see us whenever you are in the area. With warmest regards Sheena Ary and Esha Yvonne came to my aide following the birth of my second child ,as following a difficult birth I was feeling physically and emotionally exhausted and felt in need of some extra support so contacted “Confident Mother”. As soon as she arrived I felt more calm and relaxed, she has been a tremendous help with both the new baby and carrying out other essential domestic chores such as cooking, shopping and other aspects of home care which allowed me to spend time with my 4 year old and my new baby. Without Yvonne`s help and enthusiastic support I would have had great difficulty coping especially as my Husband works a way from home frequently. Yvonne helped me out over several months and during that time I found her to be fully committed, professional and very reliable I would highly recommend the services of “Confident Mother” to any new Mums in need of help. Mrs Marie Challoner. We were introduced to the idea of a postnatal doula by chance and have been very grateful for our luck. From the first evening we spent with Yvonne we felt so much more relaxed about having our second child. After a very difficult first pregnancy and postnatal depression, I was sure that this time around we should have a better experience. Since my husband and I realised early on that we will be more or less alone in caring for two little ones, we decided to get help from a postnatal doula for the first weeks after my Caesarean section. Coming home from hospital with Sebastian was already different to the previous experience, because we would know that I won’t be on my own with a new baby and our older daughter Anna can be looked after properly by her Dad. We decided to have Yvonne for my care and support with Sebastian and Anna will be either in the nursery or with her Dad. This precious time was one of the best experiences I could have had. Every day when Yvonne came to our house, I felt wonderfully looked after and professionally cared for. Yvonne was able to check my CS scar and supported my breast feeding. Besides getting wonderful meals and having even the house tidied up, I was mothered and felt reassured in mothering Sebastian. It was a very special time which I’ll never forget particularly due to Yvonne and her professionalism, her caring nature and her sense of humour. My husband always said: ‘It is great to have Yvonne even if it is only because of your beautiful smile when she is in the house.’ I hope that I’ll be alive to see the birth of my grandchildren and I do know that I’ll take a lot from the way Yvonne looked after me on board to nurture and support my own children (their partner) during this wonderful experience. Thanks, Yvonne, for making Sebastian’s birth very special for all of us. Ursula Yvonne came to help me with William and Joseph, my two twin boys, when they were two weeks old. She was a godsend as I had no idea how demanding twins would be! Yvonne helped me master the art of breastfeeding two babies at the same time, then helped to feed them when I later moved on to bottles. She was a whirlwind with the laundry and ironing (which has since fallen into decline now she is no longer here!) and made me lovely lunches. I slept at lunchtime while the babies napped, knowing that Yvonne was keeping an eye on them, which got me through those first few months of awful sleep deprivation. Most importantly of all, she gave me wonderful moral support and encouragement, which was fantastic. With no family nearby, Yvonne 'mothered' me at a time I really needed it and I would say she is an invaluable help to anyone with a new baby. Sarah(july 2006) Mother of Twins When my son Noah, was about 3 months old, we went through a really rough patch. I couldn’t get him to sleep during the day and consequently he was tired, wouldn’t feed well and cried constantly. I felt that I should be coping with motherhood by now and had lost my fragile confidence. I was just so exhausted that I couldn’t see how to improve things. As soon as I spoke to Yvonne on the phone, I was instantly reassured by her calmness. We were lucky that she was able to start with us straight away and her effect was immediate. She was never intrusive, but seemed to know instinctively how to help and support me and restore my confidence. By sorting out the kitchen and the washing and a hundred other jobs around the house, making sure I had regular meals, snacks and drinks, taking Noah for walks so that I could express breast milk, shower in peace or catch up on some sleep, and listening and advising on all my worries, calm was gradually restored to our house. With her support and advice, we got into a routine. Most importantly, Noah adored her and greeted her arrival with a beaming smile each morning. By the time Yvonne left us, I can honestly say that she really had helped me to become a confident mother. Rosemarie Mum to Noah Yvonne was recommended to me for Post Natal work after the birth of my second baby. As a busy Mum of two and trying to run a business, I felt that Yvonne thought about all the things I needed to do like putting in a load of washing even before I did. I found Yvonne to be reliable and trustworthy and would not hesitate to employ her services again. Rachel Owen