MotheRetreat — Local services in Hallandale Beach

I knew that Olga and all of the services MotheRetreat provided were of high value based on the type of work she does and all of the great reviews and testimonials she received. I especially wanted to work with Olga because of her professionalism, wealth of knowledge, and confidence in her abilities and skill set. I also had Olga recommended to me by someone I know who only had great things to say about Olga. Our prenatal visits together and private courses my husband and I had with her in our home were only more evidence of this. Not only this, but Olga was so receptive to my desires for my birth and she is a firm believer in Mother autonomy and the Mother being the ultimate decision maker in what went on during labor and birth (such as interventions one might find being faced with in hospital). (We wanted a home birth with minimal interventions, ideally a physiological birth.) I envisioned myself having Olga present at my birth but me not needing her very much during the birth process. However, I had not realized what a major support she would become during my active labor. Early labor had began almost 48 hours prior- I had a long labor. When I had finally called Olga and my contractions became closer, I was 8cm dilated but with an asynclitic baby, didn't realized I'd have hours of laboring to go. From the moment Olga arrived at my home in the middle of the night to the moment my baby was out, she was laboring with me. Physically it felt as though she worked as hard as I did throughout the labor. She consistently was with me to provide pain relief efforts throughout my labor, from counter pressure techniques, to reminders on overcoming contractions through proper breathing, reminders on where to direct my pushing when I had to push. Olga’s techniques also helped my asynclitic baby shift which is why I was able to push her out soon after a couple hours of these techniques. Olga worked so well with my midwife and because of her reputation, my midwife looked to her for guidance in terms of the physical work/ movement I would need to do to next in order to get the baby in a more favorable position tans be able to birth her. It worked - my baby slightly shifted. Olga and my midwife worked so well together, which is not surprising based on the many great connections she has with other professionals who work with her clientele. Olga was part of my laboring until the moment the baby came out because even then she was using the rebozo, pulling away while I held onto it pulling towards me during the contractions and final stage as baby was crowning. I cannot say enough good things about how much Olga helped us during labor and birth! She believed in me and was so patient with my long labor and wouldn’t stop providing techniques so long as I was able to keep enduring contractions. She only encouraged me throughout. Olga spoke truth to me, positive affirmations, and reminders (ex. Asynclitic babies are a harder labor but I have seen many women birth them vaginally; the contractions may be strong, but remember you are stronger). It was the little things that went such a long way like offering to labor in different locations even outdoor on my balcony for fresh air.

I also had Olga come for postpartum visits. She was such a major help with breastfeeding and lactation. She also helped me decide that I wanted to exclusively breastfeed and not begin pumping right away based on my particular home/work situation. Olga does not coerce in any decision. She believes in the Mother-Baby dyad and in Mother autonomy so she provides all the information so the mom can make the best decision for her and her baby.

My husband and I are so thankful to have found Olga and MotheRetreat and plan to hire Olga for all of our future pregnancies and births. I would be happy to be a reference to provide my phone number to anyone who would like to ask me more about my...

"We enlisted Olga as our doula for the birth of our second child, and I am immensely grateful for the support and love she provided to myself and my family. From the very beginning she integrated herself as a trusted family advisor and she will forever be a part of our extended family. As a second-time mom, I thought I knew what to expect and how to plan for labor and delivery, but Olga’s expertise and guidance helped me feel more confident and empowered to make decisions that I would not had made without her by my side. For example, I wanted to prolong my pregnancy and not force a scheduled induction, Olga helped empower me to make that decision and stand behind it. In partnership with that, we wanted to work towards a natural induction. Olga gave us access to her tool kit of resources/contacts and through Acupuncture and an induction massage our desire to naturally induce came true! We also wanted to labor as long as possible in the comfort of our home (previously in my first birth, I wouldn’t have known that was possible). With Olga’s support we were able to do just that (only labored for 6 hours at hospital) and it immensely positively impacted the birthing experience for both my partner and I. I was more relaxed and comfortable and that was all because of a great partner and Olga helping me every step of the way.

Olga was always available and patient when answering my questions and continuously educated me leading up to my due date. When I went into labor, she stayed in close contact with my partner via phone and immediately upon arrival, was a calming presence in the room. Having her with us in the hospital as a direct resource was priceless!

One of the things I appreciated most about working with Olga was her flexibility, openness and willingness to adapt to my changing needs as I evolved my birth plan. She took the time to listen, to educate and to help me make the right decisions for ME. I felt so empowered and powerful with her support. She also was a phenomenal support to my partner, enabling him with the knowledge and guidance he needed to give me the support I needed during labor and delivery.

I would highly recommend Olga and her services to anyone having a baby. In addition to her support she provided before birth, we also did a closing of the birth ceremony after our little one was born. Closing out the birth was a life changing experience and allowed me to soulfully close out all of my feelings and emotions and move forward into the next chapter of our life.

She is a light in our world and forever a part of our family. There is so much more to say, thank you, Olga, for your exceptional support, friendship and for helping our family have a beautiful birth...

I can’t say enough about Olga! I was lucky enough to find her on google while I was pregnant and looking for a more personalized birthing and newborn class then what the hospital was offering which was only still online. We connected via video chat for intros and I immediately felt a calming connection to her. She got to know me and what I was looking for, she throughly discussed all the options she offers to mothers and new families. I felt really comfortable with her from day 1. I contracted for the birth class and she came to my home to give my husband and I a personal in-depth session on all things birthing and new born need to know! About 30 days before my due date I reached out to her to see if she was available for doula services , she made it happen and I signed a contract for her assistance in having an unmedicated birth. I did all the things she recommended to prep for the day. When the day came and passed, 40 weeks plus 2 days my doctor sent me for an induction , which I never planned for. I was scared…. Wondering how this all would really work out. I called Olga and she walked me through the process and told me she would be there in a few hours. When I checked in the hospital , they got me settled in the L&D room at noon on Monday, I was only dilated 1/2cm and 40% effaced at the beginning. My husband and I stayed in contact with Olga during the process and she would meet us when things were more progressed. At 10:30 pm I called Olga and told her I would need her within the hour. She was there right on time! She helped me get through the toughest part of phase 1 of my induction. She helped me stay focused , with my breath work, with compress and counter pressure. All which helped me immensely!! When phase one was done at 2 am my body only went to 1.5 cm and 80% effaced and baby still hadn’t dropped. They moved in to phase 2- at this point I was up 20 hours, last ate over 12 hours ago, my body was weak, my legs weee shaky and I wasn’t sure how I was going to make it though! To make a long story shorter, I elected a C- section at this point, Olga discussed with me to make sure I was sure about changing my plan and supported me along the way. When I went into surgery, she tried to get an exception to be in the OR with me, but wasn’t granted. She stayed and waited for me to get through surgery and was there when I went to recovery. She went above and beyond in the final hours and took my placenta to drop off for encapsulation. I can’t say enough to thank Olga for being there for my husband and I when we needed it most. I would recommend her 1000 time over to anyone who is looking for support during the birth process. With love Jessica,...