❤ Words of Gratitude and Kindness
Check out more reviews, about working with me, on my Facebook business page, Google business page and my Yelp business page.
“You were made for this job!”
-G. and baby C., Toronto
“Kate, thank you so much for your help during our postpartum journey with our baby girl Alisha. The sessions we had with you as newbie parents helped to set us up on the right path. From breastfeeding advice to bath time, to our list of 50-100 questions, to helping us navigate all the new contraptions required to care for a newborn and even advice on how to style our baby girl, with local shop recs, made all the difference. We also appreciated how accessible you were even long after our time with you officially ended to answer some urgent questions. Thank you!!”
- Sophia and baby Alisha, Toronto
“I’m so grateful I was able to connect with Kate. She played such a vital role in my delivery and I’m honestly not sure I could have made it through my short and intense labour without her supporting us.”
-Katerina, Ben and baby S, Toronto
“After seeing several different lactation consultants, Kate helped set me up for success and saved my breastfeeding journey. She is incredibly knowledgeable, personable and clear in her directions/advice. She is also highly educated when it comes to pumping as well (an area that other LC’s were not as familiar with). She is worth every penny and I would not hesitate to recommend her to others!”
-Anita, Toronto
“We will be forever touched by your compassion, commitment and love during our delivery. You are not only an outstanding professional but an outstanding human being.”
- Pracha, Sheldon and baby Max, Toronto
“Pregnancy and postpartum is a rich journey full of twists and turns that you can't entirely prepare for, and you won't entirely know what you need to know until you need to know it. Oh how useful and comforting it is to have a kind and resourceful guide like Kate. Our daughter turned breech at 38 weeks and instead of the natural birth we had planned, we ended up having a c-section. It was quite a surprise, but Kate helped prepare us for the procedure, reducing this mama's anxiety greatly, and was there the day of our daughter's birth as an incredibly soothing and grounding presence. In the weeks that followed, Kate helped us navigate breastfeeding challenges and again, helped us feel supported and reassured. Like a good mom, Kate's style of practice is both gentle yet strong. We are so glad we decided to work with Kate, and feel so grateful that she was part of the team that helped bring our beautiful, healthy daughter into the world, and helped set us up as first-time parents.”
-Alex, Javier, and Baby Cecilia, Toronto
“We can’t thank you enough for the love, support, advice, positioning and encouragement you provided during (and before and after!) Winnie’s birth. It was so reassuring to have you in our most life changing experience - we’re thanking our lucky stars (our friends) Jackie and Lorne found you!”
- Monica, Danny and baby Winnie, Toronto
“Kate, I want to thank you so much for your help, patience and kindness in this most challenging time. Your practical breathing and visualization exercises have been most helpful! You are a first rate professional and I am so grateful to you for seeing a “non-labour” case, for your support and for your follow up.”
-Shari, Toronto
“Kate was an absolute lifesaver ! The first week of trying to breastfeed was no joke and Kate helped us efficiently navigate our unique challenges with compassion. Would highly recommend booking a session with Kate as proactive support for breastfeeding within those first few days at home - we were able to successfully overcome the challenges after our session with her, and she provided great support via text and email summaries for the couple weeks following.”
-Chelsea, Toronto
“Since C's arrival I've had the opportunity to reflect on her birth and my experience, and I can honestly say without hesitation that your presence on the day was an incredible help. I was so thankful to have you there; you provided a great deal of comfort and calmness when things were more challenging. I have a ton of gratitude towards you and the help that you were able to provide and truly can't thank you enough.”
- K. and baby C., Toronto
“We don’t even know how to begin to thank you - you made the single biggest different in the way I experienced the delivery of Alec. From the minute you arrived it all seemed far more manageable and possible. Your voice and hands helped rein everything in. Taking care of us through those first few hours, was above and beyond what had already been so far above and beyond - you kept us safe and hopeful. I can’t thank you enough - you were our saviour and our angel. You brought peace and calm and focus with you and we’ll forever love you for it all.”
- Liz, Bill, Robbie and baby Alec, Toronto
“Thank you for being such an integral part of Hannah’s birth. You were supportive in ways we couldn’t have imagined. We literally couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
-Kelly, James and baby Hannah, Toronto
"Kate's calm demeanour and strong consideration for my well being were a constant reassurance prenatally, during labour, and postpartum.
Her support throughout my pregnancy helped me to overcome many anxieties that I was dealing with, as I knew that having her by my side during my labour would provide me with all the confidence I needed to be strong.
Although I had a difficult labour, Kate supported me the whole time, telling me what a great job I was doing and that I should be so proud of myself. Having Kate at our labour also took a lot of pressure off my husband, Graham.
They made a wonderful team, feeling me ice chips and giving massages."
-Amanda, Graham and baby Felix, Toronto
“Kate was a huge asset during our pregnancy and delivery process. She educated my wife and I on all usual topics (we didn't go to any classes, but there wasn't anything unexpected before/during/after the delivery), and answered all of the questions that came up for us as they came up.
She helped give us a very unbiased view - instead of giving recommendations, she explained to us the pro's and con's of various viewpoints, and let us decide what was best for us. Most of all, she was empathetic and tried to make us comfortable with the process and whatever decisions we made.
On the day of the delivery, she showed up early, supported us both emotionally, and made sure that our choices were respected by everyone. When my wife abruptly decided she wanted an epidural mid-contraction, Kate helped 'talk her off the ledge', and reminded her that she had decided against that for various reasons. She stayed with us after the delivery, making sure that we were comfortable, healthy, and processing our feelings in the right way.
After the delivery, she followed up with us to make sure our baby was developing/feeding properly, and answered all of the questions that had popped up. By always coming to us/being available by phone or text, our entire process felt safe, comfortable, and supported. As a husband, I can say that it made me feel empowered and supported in ways that I didn't realize I would need (until after the fact).
I originally questioned the cost of hiring a doula. After having gone through the experience with one, I realize I had no idea what I was getting into. Having Kate before/during/after made the difference between me being calm, prepared, and confident vs. being caught off guard by so many unknowns (both practically and emotionally).
I recommend her both for the benefit of expectant mothers who need the support, and (in particular) for future fathers who want to be more than a nervous spectator in the process.”
-Luke, Samie and baby Ellie, Toronto
"Kate Sissons' prenatal class was very informative and extremely interesting. She displayed knowledge and professionalism throughout, and her expertise in pregnancy, childbirth and beyond was extremely reassuring as an expectant mom. She eased many of my partner's stresses and anxieties as well and helped him understand his role in this journey. I definitely feel more confident about the impending birth and newborn phase upon completing this course.
There were several topics that stood out for me such as the importance of a support network, mindfulness and overall emphasis on options; there is no one-size-fits-all in pregnancy, birth, and parenting. It is important to follow our own beliefs and intuition and not feel pressured by society. So many useful topics were thoroughly covered, and I can't say enough wonderful things about this course. I highly recommend it to new and experienced expectant parents! Thanks again Kate!"
-Kristan and Loic, Toronto
"Kate was extremely supportive and helpful, in so many ways. My labour was a traumatic experience, encroached with postpartum depression. She was very helpful in processing my story and provided emotional support and external resources for my PPD. As a new parent, I was concerned with bathing, burping techniques, kangaroo care, breastfeeding and help with infant sleep.
Kate was knowledgeable in all aspects and offered above and beyond her expertise via being on call with text, email and phone accessibility. She took great initiative in making care sure I was well-fed and maximized the time I had with her, so I could do simple tasks that I so easily forget, i.e. make breakfast and bottle feed or rock our baby to sleep, so I could shower or sleep myself. Kate also took care to help my husband, teaching him how to bathe our baby and carry her in a wrap. Thanks Kate!"
-Jesselyn, Hassan and baby Maya, Toronto
“I heard that having doulas helped with pain management during labour and I knew with my second baby I wanted a deeper level of support during my journey of birthing and postpartum. I also wanted to have mental and emotional support for postpartum, as my first baby was a challenging and particularly lonely experience with a lot of breast feeding issues.
I didn't want to have a repeat of my first birthing and postpartum experience.
The support alleviated my fears around pain management and helped me birth my baby more confidently and securely. The emotional support created space for me to let go during the birthing process, because I knew I had a knowledgeable and caring advocate by my side, and Max's side. A sense of greater wellbeing and trust in my body, myself and my baby. Having someone cheer you on and give you a boost of confidence and love in the early days with your new baby is an incredible feeling that sets a positive course for motherhood.
Being a voice for us with your health care providers, especially when labour started and we were discussing and being assessed over-the-phone by our midwives. Helping us arrive at the birth centre during labour, when (god bless) Max got a bit lost. Providing essential back pain-relief during labour and birth. Offering an extra pair of hands after my birth, by holding our baby, when we were dealing with my black-out post birth. And all the communication support for small and large questions and sharing thoughts, gave me piece-of-mind that I had a specific support network wanting to help and full of knowledge, expertise and ideas to share.
I highly recommend the support, care and knowledge Kate and Ruth will bring to the labour, birthing and postpartum experience. Just a big thank-you for everything! And I love the whatsapp option to communicate as well - really handy.”
-Carla, Max, Lilianna and baby Mila, Toronto
"Working with Kate has been a truly unique experience. She is the most down to earth teacher who makes you feel so at ease and supported. She was able to draw on her own experiences with her children and family which really endeared me to her even more as we share so many commonalities in terms of our journey through motherhood.
I felt like we were able to have a discussion as opposed to just being talked at. She is so incredibly knowledgable and answered every question I had in the most thoughtful, comprehensive way. She is so understanding and caring. Kate puts a lot of thought into her teaching resources and I felt really special when I was with her. She made me feel at ease, empowered and confident in my abilities and my knowledge. I will continue to rely on Kate in the months and years ahead as our family evolves."
-Heather and Ryan, Toronto
“Kate the great! It's cheesy but true. Here's why: We hired Kate for my second labour. My first labour was okay. It was a textbook labour (aka "easy") and epidural-free, under the care of midwives in a birth centre. That being said, I felt traumatized by it for quite some time afterwards. The pain totally surprised me and I felt like things got out of control. It was otherworldly and, quite frankly, I needed more support than I got.
During my second pregnancy, I did some research. I realised midwives, doctors, and nurses are great as healthcare providers, but they don't provide much emotional support. I wanted more emotional support and I wanted A LOT of suggestions on how to manage the pain in the moment.
Enter Kate. She impressed me right away because I could see she was super organised. She also had an immense toolkit to manage pain and calm emotions. Hiring her was a no-brainer (although I admit I had some sticker shock -- more on this later).
My second labour ended up being more challenging than the first (epidural failed, baby was stuck, etc.), but it felt better and more peaceful thanks to Kate's presence. Nothing about it felt traumatic.
I cannot recommend Kate enough.
Don't believe my review? My husband was skeptical prior to meeting Kate. "I don't think she'll be able to offer much more than a midwife", he said. After meeting her, he was surprised and impressed by her knowledge and toolkit. After labour, he agreed with me that she was worth every penny.”
-Sara, Will, Archer and baby Wilfred
"I had bed-shared and nursed my darling baby boy on demand, all day and all night, since the day he was born. But after nearly two years of waking up every 2 hours, or more, I was absolutely exhausted and very much missed sharing a bedroom with my husband.
I was not interested in letting my son "cry-it-out" and didn't want to do anything that compromised my attachment parenting philosophies. We had previously hired a sleep coach whose "gentle" sleep strategies were nothing more than leaving him to cry himself to sleep and whose "customized" sleep plan was anything but.
With the long-term goal of night weaning our son and moving towards independent sleeping, Kate worked with us on ways to slowly make this transition in a way that we felt comfortable with.
I could write page after page about what an unbelievably genuine, caring, down-to-earth woman Kate is. She is smart, sensitive, thoughtful, real. She gets it. She is a mum who is walking in my shoes.
I wasn't just a client to her. She took a vested interest in our family and provided us with the most thoughtfully personalized plan and truly helpful resources.
I didn't feel judged or intimated. Kate made me feel supported, appreciated and hopeful. She helped me see the light at the end of my sleep deprived tunnel and she has held my hand all the way through it. I would recommend Kate to any family in a heartbeat. She is a very, very special person."
-Heather, Ryan, and George, Toronto, Canada
“Kate and Ruth came to do a birth/labour refresher for my husband and I in Nov 2018 with our second child. The class was awesome. We exchanged emails before hand to determine exactly how they should personalize the session and it was perfect! Kate is super knowledgeable, answered all our questions and left us feeling calm, informed and excited about the experience. We've used midwives for both of our kids and I loved that Kate was non judgmental and unbiased when it came to birth choices. A very rare trait when it comes to this topic! She simply laid out the facts and offered choices. I absolutely would've loved to have used her as a doula if she'd been available.”
-Shannon, Ryan, Briar and baby
"Kate helped me ease back into my yoga practice, after the birth of my daughter. She had such depth of knowledge about postpartum recovery and gave me so much information as "homework". I would recommend that any pregnant or postpartum woman take a class with Kate!"
-Rachel, Toronto