To the families I've helped,
What an honor it is to have been present for so many miracles. To witness the moment you found your power, and the tears that shed because the deepest love cannot be contained. To be given credit for your stregnth is not fair. I was there to give you my knowledge, my respect, my compassion, my love. And with it, you climbed the highest mountains of your lives, together.
Thank you for taking a chance on me. Thank you for trusting me. I am immensely proud of each and every one of you. Never forget what you are capable of. You are amazing. You are a gift to your partner and to your children. You are a gift to me.
With all my love,
Your Doula, Nora
“What a blessing Nora is to any expecting mother. With her extensive training and background in Child and Family studies, she has so much to offer expecting families. She truly advocates for moms, educates them so they can make informed decisions, and helps them have the birth they truly want. Hospitals can be pushy and when moms are in labor, they're in such a vulnerable position, not knowing that they have a choice in the matter. Nora is able to offer women the power to choose, to know what's safe and what's not, and she can stand up to hospital staff when need be, so that the birth process continues to be safe and sacred. Having a doula is so important. Nora is an extraordinary doula, and a gift to any mom and family.”
Dr. Juli Mazi
Naturopathic Doctor at Thrive Natural Medicine
“We just had a new baby girl in May with the help of Nora Yerena. Nora was not the only doula that we interviewed, but she was the one we settled on in the end. I was skeptical at first about hiring a doula at all. This was my wife's second baby, and I figured she probably already had all the knowledge and experience we needed.
The labor from her first baby however, was long and painful, and she felt the people she had there were not able to help her relax. She very much wanted someone there who had experience helping laboring women control their anxiety. I agreed.
Nora set out from the beginning with a goal of understanding what we wanted from our birth experience.
I felt like she was very thorough, prepared, and very comprehensive about informing us of all our options, many of which we had not been made aware by our OB. Though there were a lot of options to consider, she didn't try to "sell" us on any of them or give us her personal opinion unless we asked. She was extremely objective, and offered to find us more research on any options we had interest in.
Nora's prenatal visits were good for getting to know her better, feeling more comfortable with each other, and reviewing what we'd all be doing when the time came. When labor started in earnest at 1am, we called Nora, woke her up, and she came right over with smile on her face.
I was very grateful to have her there coaching me, reminding me of the things I could do to help my wife through her labor. I never felt like she was trying to take control or perform my role, but she was right there to lend me a hand or make a suggestion if I needed one. There were some very intense moments, and being able to look over at her and hear her say it was all normal was a great relief, and made for a much more enjoyable experience. She helped keep us in good spirits, and reminded us how special each little milestone was.
My wife later recalled that Nora was able to tell her exactly the things she needed to hear at the moments she needed to hear them, something I don't think I would have been able to do. I feel like she was a great member of the team and I'm glad we chose her to help us. I would hire her again, and I would recommend her to other couples.”
Nathan K.
“I WISH I could have just Breast Fed her and didn't need formula ... So instead of making a big deal, why not applaud those who are comfortable and giving the Very best to their babies! I was living in the East Coast, away from friends and Family and I was thankful for Nora S Yerena to help me with the 6 months I could do.”
Jacqueline P.
“She’s kinda the best.”
Vignette C.
“Well worth it.”
Audrey B.
“Nora rocks.”
Ricardo “Rico” R.
“This doula knows her stuff! Caring, dedicated and puts the To-Be-Mom's needs and wants first!”
Cindy A.
“Blessed to have had such a wonderful Doula by my side. As a first time mom I had plenty of questions that Nora was able to answer and reassure me of my choices when it came to my birthing plan. My labor was not as I had planned with many unexpected surprises. She was there not only to coach me through my labor, but knew how to handle with Doctors suggestions for me to have a C-section. Thanks to my doula I delivered naturally to a healthy baby girl. Truly grateful for the experience I had and the reassurance to speak out my desires for what was best for me and my baby.”
Christina A.
“I witnessed Nora interact in a professional manner while in the same room during my sisters long labor. She did not leave my sisters side and was there to motivate and support her. My sister was very lucky to have had her as her Doula!”
Jessica A.
"Nora made my 30 hour non-medicated labor seem manageable! Also lovely to have her help post-partum to take care of little things (that seem like a big task with a newborn). Worth every penny! We were lucky to have her help."
Abby K.
“Nora isn’t your average doula. Many doulas I see practice the same way with each family. And that’s okay. But this doula changes what she does and offers a specialized approach to each mother and family. I love working with her.”
Dr. Nicky Hjort Robertson, OB/GYN
“When my wife first talked about hiring a doula my reaction was, "a what?" It sounded like a luxury we didn’t need at a time when we were had to spend allot on baby gear and medical bills.
After working with Nora I can say that she was more influential in the birth of our baby than any other single care provider. The education she gave us before the labor was key in preparing us and reducing anxiety.
During my wife's 23 hour labor several nurse's shifts came and went and the doctor didn’t appear until the end. Nora was there helping my wife through every contraction, and guided me in how to best support my wife. She worked tirelessly until the baby was safely in our arms and had nursed.
After the birth, Nora came through again, meeting with us and answering our many new parent questions. She is genuinely caring and her manner was unobtrusive and put us at ease. We will definitely be calling her again for our next baby and I've already recommended her to friends.”
Greg and Susanne G.
Central Coast Doula Services was the reason that the birth of my son was one of the best experiences of my life. After 24 hours of a difficult and mostly-unmedicated labor, and some minor but scary complications, my beautiful son was born healthy and happy. Nora was by my side 100% of the time, through the labor, delivery operating room, and more. I couldn't have done it without her.
I can't say enough good things about her and how lucky we were to find her and have her as our doula. She is knowledgable, supportive, a good listener, a great advocate, and most of all a calming presence. It was Nora who kept me going through the pain of each contraction. She gracefully helped my husband to support me and the rest of our family though the long labor. She tirelessly stayed by my side, encouraged and empowered me.
Even before the big day, Nora was an enormous source of knowledge, support, and empowerment. She helped us understand all our birth options, and gave us research and evidence to read at every turn. She helped us advocate for our birth preferences with our doctors and nurses She stepped through everything, every option one by one. She had a way to make everything so clear and approachable.
After the birth of our son, Nora was there for the first moments when he was placed on my chest. After a quick breastfeeding lesson, she helped us encourage him to latch on and he's been a pro ever since. After our son came home with us, Nora came to check on us and she helped us to learn the ropes as first time parents. All anxiety would melt away when I knew Nora was there to support and advise us. We were confidently bathing him, getting him safely in his carrier, and trimming his sharp little fingernails in no time - all things you don't even think about until faced with a delicate newborn baby in your arms. Thanks to pointers by Nora, we were all sleeping well in no time too.
We didn't hesitate to keep Nora on as a postpartum doula for 6 weeks after we brought our baby home and I am so glad we did.
“I'm sure Nora will become the Central Coast's leading doula because of her outstanding, beyond-the-call-of-duty service, caring, and gentle support. But if sharing my experience can help in any way, I hope it will. I want as many moms as possible to have as beautiful a birth and newborn experience as I have had, despite all the bumps and challenges, thanks in large part to Nora's invaluable help.”
Sanna G.
“Nora S Yerena has been an extremely huge source of encouragement and professional advocate to us mamas! Thank you!”
Elizabeth A.
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“Before having kids I never imagined I would have had two C-sections. With my first I never knew what questions to ask or procedures to doubt. I had pregnancy induced hypertension and was almost a week past my due date. So they attempted for almost three days to induce me, and it never worked. I spent a whole week in the hospital and struggled with my milk supply throughout nursing.
With my second baby, I had Nora assisting me both before and after I had my daughter, and it was a completely different experience. I was informed and empowered to make decisions that I feel bettered my bond and first moments with my daughter. She is nursing with ease and has since the start. Our stay at the hospital was so much less invasive and much more conducive to a healthy beginning. Nora is amazing, and without her I don't think my experience would have been as positive. Every issue that came up she had alternatives and research to back her findings. She really makes you feel like you are her top priority and is always just a phone call away. Everything from labor and delivery knowledge, to taking care of baby, Nora is an amazing person to have on your support team."
Amy C.