LORRAINE SHORMAN Doula Profile

My husband and I felt instantly comfortable with Lorraine when she came to meet us. She is knowledgeable as a doula and also has a down to earth, sweet nature. She gave us information on various interventions/treatments that occur during birth then allowed us, without persuation of a particular style, to write our birth plan. She helped me stick with our plan without judgment and provided encouragement to me and my husband. She complemented my husband’s presence and worked well with the nursing and medical staff at the hospital. She was an advocate for my desires and concerns with the medical staff when I expressed them, but was not pushy. She helped explained things the medical staff said during my labor and delivery. When my OB visited me after the birth, she asked for copies of Lorraine’s business cards because her colleague had given her such a good report of Lorraine’s interactions with me, my husband, and the staff during my delivery. As a result of her presence, I was able to fulfill my vision of a natural birth.

I cannot say enough about our experience with Lorraine. As first time parents, my husband and I were clueless. But Lorraine guided us through our pregnancy, labor, and delivery with kindness, humor, knowledge, patience, and understanding. During the pregnancy, she was always available for questions and concerns and talking to her always helped alleviate my anxieties. Our labor took a really long time but Lorraine was a source of strength and calm for us and, I believe, she is a big reason why I was able to avoid a c-section (and she was in the hospital with us for more than 18 hrs of it!). Her presence allowed for my husband to get some rest and I always felt taken care of and heard. Honestly, I cannot imagine going through the process without her and we will be forever grateful for the invaluable role she played in bringing our beautiful boy into the world. 

When I got pregnant I knew that I wanted a homebirth, but I thought that since I had a Midwife I didn't need a doula. My husband and I decided to take Lorraine's Hypnobabies Birth classes and immediatly my husband and I loved Lorraine's approach to birth and especially how knowledgable she was and most importantly that we just seemed to click with her personality.  My husband immediatly wanted to hire her as our Doula. I was a little more reserved and wasn't sure I would "need" her nor was I sure that I wanted to spend the money. Well I couldn't have been more wrong. Having Lorraine at our birth was priceless and besides deciding to have a homebirth it was the best decision we made. She really gave me that strong reassurance that I could do this. I can't even begin to express the calmness I felt through labor (I was able to go on a mile walk at 7cm) and I truly attribute alot of that to Lorraine.  So many Women talk about their horror stories of labor and I can't wait to tell everyone how beautiful my labor was. My son is currently 3 weeks and I feel like I could go through labor again next week (ok maybe give me a month or two :),but it truly was a wonderful experience, but I really believe that had we not hired Lorraine or taken her birth class it would not have been the same experience.The birth was a great experience but with Lorraine it doesn't stop there. She is just as much support after the birth. Whenever I had questions about breastfeeding she was right there to answer them and then check in later to make sure everythig is going ok. In addition to her knowledge she knows a great network of people, which to me is invaluable. I was able to find a great pediatrician and a Lactation Consultant through Lorraine.I have told my husband that I don't want to move out of the area until we are done having kids, because I don't want to labor without Lorraine.

I had such a great experience using Lorraine as my doula.   As a first time mom I entered pregnancy with fear and uncertainty and she was there to help calm my fears and make child birth a memorable experience.  My husband and I live across the country from our family and were unsure how we wanted to handle the birth of our first child.  Once I discovered that using a doula was what we really wanted for the birth I set up a meeting with Lorraine and her down to earth easy going personality made it and easy choice for us.  I'm so glad she was one of the people by my side on such a magical day.  She has continued to be a huge support for me postpartum and has helped guide me through the difficulties of breast feeding.

An Addition:

Lorraine was also extremely helpful with all my breastfeeding questions!  When our baby wasn't gaining weight and all my pediatrician could offer was formula, it was Lorraine who had the most invaluable advice.  When I was really scared because our little one was throwing up daily, it was Lorraine who once again took the time to identify the problem and help find the solution.  It was also wonderful to see how she interacted with our baby girl, who just lit up when Lorraine spoke to her!  Watching them together really hit it home for me - Lorraine absolutely LOVES babies. It was such a gift to have a doula who truly loves what she does.

I am sitting here with our sweet 7 week old baby Grace on my lap and feeling so much gratitude for Lorraine.  She was the one I called when I was worried or uncertain about something - and I always felt deeply relieved when I got off the phone.  Lorraine is kind and compassionate, a great listener, extremely knowledgable and a definite advocate! We have learned so much from her - she is all about empowering parents to have the birth they want. She is also extremely experienced with hospital births and knows how to navigate the hospital system. As overwhelmed first-time parents, my husband and I were really relieved to have her there - amidst all the uncertainty, we knew we could trust Lorraine to be our voice. 

ps She gives fantastic foot rubs!!:)

 As a first-time mom I was faced with many unknowns and anxieties when I called Lorraine. Her support throughout pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum has been invaluable in helping me overcome my fears. She helped me to have a truly comfortable and enjoyable natural birth. I particularly appreciated her nonjudgmental stance and calm demeanor in the delivery room - my husband and I felt safe and confident throughout the whole process. Additionally, I appreciated how Lorraine skillfully advocated in support of our birth plan. Furthermore, Lorraine has been consistently available by phone and e-mail to answer any and all questions. She is incredibly knowledgeable and has always been able to provide useful expert information and advice from the start of my pregnancy to current questions I now have about breastfeeding. I highly recommend Lorraine to any woman who is seeking an empowering birth experience!

Lorraine's experience, sensitivity and down-to-earth personality helped us feel so at ease and comfortable for our first home birth.  My labor and pushing stage was longer than expected - Lorraine stayed with us until the very end and ensured I was doing well after the birth as well. After taking her HypnoBabies course, I know it was they key factor to an uncomplicated and natural birth for me, in addition to Lorraine's positive reinforcement and encouragement throughout the whole process.  Lorraine puts all of her passion into being a great doula and everything she does relating to pregnancy and childbirth.  She really does live and breath it...

I can not begin to express how grateful we are to have found Lorainne for the birth of our first child.  She provided invaluable support for my husband and me through the entire process, start to finish.  Before the birth, she was always available to answer our questions and was truly concerned that we felt comfortable and prepared.  Lorainne was highly skilled in dealing with the hospital staff and the complications that did arise.  Even after 24 hours of labor, Lorainne was positive, upbeat and extremely supportive.  I honestly don't know how we would have gotten through it with out her.  I would highly recommend her services to anyone who is looking for an experienced and truly wonderful doula.

Through this entire experience I was so happy to have Lorraine there. She was the one person in the room that I trusted with each waves and push. I guess we were all caught off guard in how fast the baby would come. For being a first time mother, four hours of active labor was not that bad. I highly recommend the hypnobabies program and hiring Lorraine. She made the experience the way I always imagine it to be.