Cyndi’s Doula Service

So, this review is way past due, but better late than never! :D
We hired Cyndi early on in my second pregnancy. From the beginning, she showed how sweet and attentive she is to your needs and wants. She is an abundance source of information! Any question or concern I had she was there with comforting words and knowledge based on years of experience. I met up with her multiple times during my pregnancy, and each time it felt nothing like business but as if she was family.
I explained early on I was vbac and I want nothing but a safe and all natural labor. She went through all the ins and outs even how the hospital I would be delivering at operates with vbac mothers. The signs of labor, when to go the hospital, comfort for dads too, etc.
The day I went into labor, she actually got to the hospital before we did. Seeing her as we walked in was so reassuring, from the start to holding my son in my arms she was so amazing and helpful!
She ensured the hospital staff listened to my wishes, comforted me in all ways and kept reassuring me I can bring my baby into this world safely, calmly, and naturally.
Hours of natural labor and delivery turned out gentle, positive, and fast all due to my great birth team (my partner and Cyndi). I cannot recommend her ENOUGH! She is amazing in every way! Absolutely lovvveeed having her as a part of my pregnancy journey!

Cyndi is amazing! Throughout my pregnancy, if I had questions or concerns, I could email her and get a quick response. During early labor, she was always available and I truly appreciated our phone check ins, as this was my first baby and I really wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
Cyndi was an invaluable source of information, comfort, and calming during our birthing time. I jokingly call my birthing experience «birth: three ways», because I got to experience laboring at home (early on) and at the hospital unmedicated for a while, then as I wasn’t quite progressing and had to receive more Pitocin, I experienced labor with an epidural, and finally after pushing for hours and finding out our little man just wasn’t budging, I experienced a C-​Section.
Our birth plan totally flew out the window, but I never felt bad about that and I think a lot of that has to do with Cyndi and the support she provided. We tried everything as long as I could without interventions before moving to the next stage, and sometimes things didn’t work out as expected. However, I still feel like I had a very satisfying and positive birth experience and Cyndi was a large part of that. I would definitely recommend Cyndi to anyone looking for a Doula.

I finally had the birth of my dreams, thanks to Cyndi! Pretty much painless, not too long or short, breezed through transition, didn’t even push.
Cyndi met with my husband and me at our home and listened to us talk about all our concerns about labor. This was my fourth birth. Having had the others without epidurals, I was committed to going without a fourth time. However, flashbacks of the pain associated with my previous births filled me with fear and panic. The closer I got to the birth, the more scared I was. That’s what ultimately prompted me to seek Cyndi’s help. I wanted the best doula around so that I could relax and be confident, and that search led me to Cyndi, the most experienced doula in Sacramento… And probably Northern California.
She kept up great communication with me before the birth. She always loved hearing from me. She helped me to change my thinking about the birth beforehand, to the point that I could smile, relax my furrowed brow, and take some deep breaths for the first time in months.
When I went into labor and called her with updates in the middle of the night, TWICE, she was happy to hear from me and replied with a soothing, happy voice.
To tell you about all the ways she helped us in labor would take pages and pages and pages. So here are some highlights:
She has the softest, most soothing voice and the softest hands ever.
My husband followed her suggestions and became not just a supportive and loving coach, but an effective one.
Really, ladies, the only support you will get from your nurses is piddly stuff like: «You’re doing soooo gooood.» They’re focused on making sure you and your baby are medically ok.
She was the only person in the room who focused on the big picture. My hubs, the nurse, and I were focused on the present. So she was able to direct our birth to achieve the goals we had told her we wanted.
In the postpartum period, she came over and we had a good laugh as we reminisced about the particulars of my birth. She still keeps in contact with me from time to time.
I’d go through birth every year until I reach menopause if Cyndi would doula me through them all.

I first found Cyndi from Unilocal,so it was definitely important for me to write a review. However, it’s taken me months to come up with the words to express just how important Cyndi was to our birth. Our birth was fast and truly magical. Cyndi was an integral part of making our birth the way I had always dreamed it could be.
Cyndi provided support, information and encouragement from the very beginning. But the most valuable thing that Cyndi provided was a guiding hand. Pregnancy and child birth are a great unknown. Cyndi was a steady guide on the path.
I wanted a natural birth, with no interventions. We chose Sutter Davis before meeting Cyndi. When we went to our first midwife appointment, we were asked if we were interested in having a doula. I said, we have an appointment to meet with Cyndi in a few weeks. The midwife said — Oh wonderful! Cyndi is the best! This put my husband and I immediately at ease. What a testimony!
When we eventually went into labor, at 41 weeks and a day, Cyndi had already been checking in with me after my appointments. When labor began, we gave Cyndi a call, and told her how it was going. As the contractions increased in intensity, being able to call someone who knew what was going on, someone who could give my husband suggestions, help, support — it was invaluable.
My labor was fast and intense and upon arriving at the birth center, our son was delivered less than two hours later. We initially planned that Cyndi would provide support during my contractions, counter-​pressure, helping my husband and mom, etc, expecting many hours of labor. Well, there was none of that. It was fast! Cyndi was still an amazing presence during those few hours.
Two moments stand out for me, two anecdotes when I tell other women about how awesome it was to have our doula at our birth. As I got into the tub to have my water birth, my husband got in with me. I was having VERY intense contractions at this point, and struggled to talk. My husband tried to support me by looking at me closely, breathing deeply and looking into my eyes. While it was sweet, it was just wasn’t what I needed. Too much in my face stimulus, I guess. I could barely express I wasn’t happy, when Cyndi gently and masterfully suggested to my husband he get behind me and hold me while I contracted. It was perfect. I could not tell him that in the moment, but it was exactly what I needed.
The second moment was as I began to push, Cyndi briefly and quietly confirmed with me that I wanted my family to come in for the birth. While we had discussed this before, I was not able to articulate in the moment those were my desires. She checked in with me, her voice floated in through the waves of the contractions, and confirmed with me that it was indeed what I wanted. It was. She made it happen. I didn’t need to remind anyone. I didn’t need to ask. It just happened easily and quietly. And it was the greatest moment of my life, to give birth to my baby with the support of my family.
If you’re on the fence about having a doula, or choosing Cyndi, I can only say that I loved my birth, and I believe it would not have been as wonderful as it was without Cyndi. She was a true gift to me in those hours.

I could NOT have gone through unmedicated labor TWICE without the support of Cyndi! Cyndi was not only a huge support for myself but she was also immensely helpful to my husband. My husband oftentimes felt very helpless and Cyndi was there to share the load and to empower him to be a proactive partner! She is incredibly calm but also has a «no-​nonsense» approach that was CRITICAL when I was in labor… I needed somebody who could give me loving support AS WELL as have the ability to tell me when I was straying and needed to refocus… she did that wonderfully. I cannot recommend Cyndi highly enough.

I cannot say enough great things about Cyndi. We are so glad that we opted to use a doula, and most pleased that we selected Cyndi.
From our first meeting with her, I felt completely at ease. My husband was a little skeptical of the need for a doula, but knew better than to argue with his pregnant wife. We met with Cyndi twice before the birth, and I spoke with her on the phone and via email constantly. She was a fantastic resource for my pregnancy, and even recommended other services that made my pregnancy more comfortable (birth classes at Herself Moms and Watsu massage by Jillian Van Ness, also highly recommended!). Cyndi prepped us for laboring at home, and shared tips and techniques to assist with my goal to have as natural and intervention-​limited a birth as possible.
Ultimately, I ended up having to be induced. Although I was disappointed that I would not be able to labor at home, Cyndi was at the hospital with us right when I needed her. Through a very, very long labor, Cyndi helped my breathe, rubbed my feet, and coached me through different positions to make the process as comfortable as possible. She is such a calming presence.
My husband and family, and the medical team at the hospital, especially appreciated Cyndi. My husband had been nervous that using a doula would mean that he would not be able to play as active a role in the labor and delivery. That was not the case at all, and Cyndi even helped guide him through the labor, and ways to make me more comfortable himself. Following the whole birth process, my husband said that Cyndi was like having a fairy godmother there. Similarly, the medical staff was initially reluctant at the idea of a doula, because they had all had previous experiences of doulas getting in the way (for lack of a better term). However, all of them commented on what a pro Cyndi is. I completely agree.
A few weeks after the baby was born, Cyndi came over to check in on us, and had printed out a lovely card detailing the labor and birth. It is a lovely keepsake. The process was such a blur in retrospect– it was very nice to have someone there to remember and document it all.
If I ever have another pregnancy, Cyndi will be one of the first to know, and we will definitely utilize her services again. If you’re on the fence about hiring her, I cannot emphasize enough that you should. As a side note, I was able to pay for Cyndi’s services through my health savings account. They were a little hesitant at first, but with a note from my doctor, it was a breeze.

Cyndi was amazing!!!
My wife and I were going for an all Natural Birth at the Sutter Davis, my wife has some complications and was in labor for 4 days our son had broken her pelvis and gotten stuck. On the forth night we finally had to do a C section
Cyndi was there supporting us and helping us through the entire thing, making sure our wishes were being met and my wife and son were always safe through out.
As a man helping my wife through childbirth Cyndi was amazing she helped me get through everything and helped me support my wife to still have a memorable birth even with all the complications. When we have more children we will be calling Cyndi again.
(side note for Dads if you want to get out and get a bite to each while your wife is any kind of labor Cyndi will make it so your wife doesn’t hate you for leaving for a short time.)

My husband and I wanted our first baby’s birth to happen with as few interventions as possible, but we felt unprepared for the labor and delivery process as new parents who hadn’t taken childbirth classes. Additionally, I was using an MD (as opposed to a midwife) and delivering at Sutter Roseville, both of which were our choice but not entirely advantageous to achieving an unmedicated birth. Cyndi was the perfect link for us to achieve this. I was worried about not having adequate pain management techniques and my husband wasn’t sure how to support me. We contacted Cyndi extremely late in the pregnancy due to not knowing until then about the wonderful services offered by doulas. Cyndi met with us and provided a great overview of what to expect when labor started as well as some techniques to manage pain and discomfort. We discussed our hopes and wishes for the delivery as well as our fears.
My labor began late at night so we contacted Cyndi early the next morning. I had been coping well until that point but we called Cyndi at the perfect time because we were at a loss for what to do as the labor increased in intensity. Cyndi was able to give my husband advice over the phone which he then used to coach me. He was so grateful to have something to offer that helped me. This was probably the best thing about having Cyndi was the support she provided my husband which in turn allowed him to support me. He was initially concerned that a doula would supplant his role in the process, but we both agree in hindsight that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Having Cyndi as our doula helped him rise to the demands of his role and be the most amazing labor coach for me. Cyndi met us at the hospital and was professional, comforting, and helpful for the rest of the labor process.
My biggest advice to mamas would be to try whatever Cyndi asks you to. At the time, you will likely not want to do anything she suggests (it feels like nothing could possibly help!). I forced myself to listen and at least try her suggestions, and every single thing helped me either cope with the pain or move along labor faster. We are so thrilled with our experience having Cyndi at the birth of our daughter and wouldn’t change anything, except maybe hiring her earlier than we did! She definitely helped me achieve the unmedicated birth I desired. We have such a wonderful memory of our daughter’s birth process and Cyndi helped make that happen! She also left us with an unexpected treasure with the wonderful (and classy) photos she took of the birth!

She’s amazing! Very kind and knowledgeable. All my friends have used her as well. Also she’s even been doing this before the word «doula» was invented. Over 900 births!

Having decided I wanted a natural birth, friends told me to find a doula because the doula would provide the support I would need during an unmedicated delivery and would increase the likelihood of having our wishes respected by hospital staff. After talking on the phone with a few doulas in the area, I decided Cyndi was the one I wanted to work with. Unfortunately she was already booked the month I was due but after I explained to her I wasn’t able or willing to work with anyone else, she kindly agreed to work with us.
Right from the start, she put us at ease with her calm presence and her vast experience. She was easy to talk to and gave us all the information we needed before the birth. Unfortunately I ended up two weeks overdue and during that time she and I continued daily email chats and she provided pep talks and advice about techniques to try to start labor naturally. Nothing worked however, so against my previous wishes for a natural birth, I was induced in the hospital. My labor did not progress, after 24 hours I was not dilating and the baby was at risk, so a C-​section was recommended. In the early morning hours Cyndi helped me prepare mentally for a C-​section. She explained what it would involve and and helped us come to the decision that we had exhausted our options for a natural birth and it just wasn’t in the cards. At that point I just wanted a healthy baby.
Cyndi instilled a feeling of acceptance and calm in me which was much needed. She was there during the surgery, supporting my partner and documenting the birth with photos. Though the birth was nothing like I had planned, I don’t feel regret about it. Thanks to Cyndi, I feel like I was given plenty of time to make the decisions I needed to make to be sure our baby arrived in this world happy and healthy. She was there to answer questions and help when plans changed along the way and I’m grateful for that. I would highly recommend Cyndi to anyone and I would love to work with her again in the future.

I hired Cyndi for the recent birth of my 2^nd child. Having a natural birth after a previous emergency C section as well as having a very experienced doula by my side was very important to me. I took comfort in her extensive experience and calm demeanor. I also felt like she was able to give me a heads up of how things may go or what could potentially happen one way or another etc. As it turned out (as it always does) I went 10 days past my due date and ended up needing another csection unfortunately. Cyndi offered to stay with me and my husband even in the operating room for support and to take photos should we want any. During this hectic time and now in hindsight we are so glad she thought about that and was there for all of us. She met with me a month after delivery and gave me my little girls «birth story» documented perfectly. It brought me to tears once again by taking me back to that precious time… I would absolutely recommend Cyndi and would hire her again if we ever had another child.

Cyndi assisted my husband and I with the birth of our daughter, which ended up being an unmedicated vaginal breech delivery. She was phenomenal and I cannot recommend her enough.
Early on, I knew I wanted an unmedicated birth, and I had heard that having a doula present would increase my chances of achieving this. I only interviewed one doula — Cyndi — and from the start, she proved to be an invaluable resource. Upon hearing my desire for an unmedicated birth, she encouraged me to switch hospitals to Sutter Davis. I followed her advice, which ended up being instrumental because my baby girl ended was ultimately breech, and I would not have even had the chance to deliver her vaginally anywhere else but at Sutter Davis.
I met with Cyndi twice before my delivery — first at our initial interview, and later at the 36-​week visit. Both times, it was evident how experienced, well-​spoken and supportive Cyndi was. Even so, I think my husband was not 100% convinced that we needed a doula until he saw Cyndi in action on the night our daughter was born (he later said, and I quote, «Cyndi was worth every penny!). Before she arrived, we were laboring on our own using techniques we’d learned in a labor tools class. Although the techniques were helpful, we reached a point where I felt like we could no longer labor on our own.
That’s when Cyndi arrived at the hospital, and her gentle guidance made all the difference. Without interfering or taking charge, she was able to aid my husband in being the best birth coach he could be. When I started to doubt my ability to go on unmedicated, she was great at not letting me «go there» mentally and I never went there for the rest of my labor. I think the fact that she has attended over 800 births gives her a real edge in terms of understanding a laboring woman’s psychology. Another plus is that Cyndi is well respected by the hospital staff, so much so that she was allowed in the OR for the pushing stage (breech deliveries have to be done in the OR, just in case, and they don’t always allow doulas to come in).
I am so thankful that we hired Cyndi as our doula, and I know she is part of the reason we had such an amazing birth experience. I also treasure the photos and videos that she captured of our birth experience (added perk!), and I enjoyed meeting with her one last time at our postpartum visit 2 weeks after the delivery. I would recommend her wholeheartedly to anyone, especially someone interested in a natural birth experience.

Cyndi is amazing! I’ve known her for more than 13 years. She was there for me when I had my first child who is now 13 years old. It was an amazing experience that went so smoothly. He was born at the Birth Center in Fair Oaks with a nurse and midwife. I had my second child about 3 years ago and didn’t think to hire a doula assuming that I had plenty of family support and experience now. Boy was I wrong! I look back now and know that things would have gone so much better for me if I had only hired Cyndi!
Therefore, I made the brilliant decision to hire Cyndi again for my final birth. My third child was born about 5 months ago at Kaiser Roseville with a midwife. It was once again an amazing experience, much like my first, and I do believe I owe that mostly to Cyndi!
She is a wonderful support for mother and father as well. My husband was a little apprehensive but now tells everyone how worthwhile it is to hire a doula and Cyndi is great! When you first meet her it’s like you’ve known her for years. She really knows how to make you comfortable.
Cyndi is also extremely knowledgable, of course, due to all her experience (I believe she’s attended over 800 births, dot quote me though ;)). During my third childbirth I was administered a drug that I’d never heard of before. Cyndi immediately explained to my husband and I what it was and that it was very normal. Thank goodness she was there because the nurses were much too busy to take the time to explain and make us comfortable.
If I were to have another child I’d definitely be hiring Cyndi again!
Thank you Cyndi!!!

I had my first baby in October. My goal was to go unmedicated. I knew that in order to give myself the best opportunity to achieve this, I would need some help. I found Cyndi online, and I initially communicated with her by email. She was very responsive. Before we committed, Cyndi visited my husband and I at our home. She explained her role in the birthing process and doulas in general. Although my husband was already on board, Cyndi’s explanation helped him to fully understand why I thought a doula would be beneficial.
After we contracted with Cyndi, she met with us to discuss our goals, our birthing plan and a number of other things including the best ways to tell when you’re in labor. It was reassuring to know that when the time came, we had Cyndi on our team. She has many years of experience (in fact, I was her 830^th labor/​delivery) which meant that she had been involved with so many different labor and delivery scenarios.
At my 40 week prenatal appointment, my doctor accidentally ruptured my water bag. I had to be admitted to the hospital that night for induction. Coincidentally, Cyndi had another client who was scheduled for induction at the same hospital on the same night. Despite having two clients to juggle, I never once felt neglected by Cyndi; she was there for me the whole way through.
During my labor, Cyndi showed us different positions and ways to breathe. She was encouraging and soothing. After being on pitocin for so long and having not gotten any sleep, though, I gave in and got an epidural. Although Cyndi helped me to think it through, I did not feel judged by her for making this decision. She stayed by my side during the laboring down process, pushing and delivery. I remember her helping me breathe and instructing my mom on ways my mom could help me (i.e., feeding me ice chips and popsicles).
My parents and in laws, who were also in the delivery room, loved Cyndi. They felt that she was a great resource, helping them to understand what was going on and why with the labor and delivery process.
A few weeks after my delivery, Cyndi met with us again. She gave us our birth story which was a narrative of everything that happened during my labor and delivery. This is something that I will cherish forever.
I would recommend Cyndi to anyone, especially first time moms. She is informative, experienced, supportive, nurturing and a great advocate.

Cyndi assisted my husband and I in the birth of our first child, and we are now firm believers in the value of having a doula present during childbirth. She was very familiar with the facility at Kaiser South where we gave birth, which was an added bonus. With over 800 births under her belt, having her available for advice and assistance before and during labor made me feel much more confident and empowered than I would have been on my own.
A few weeks before my due date, Cyndi met with me to teach me about how to handle early labor, including use of the birthing ball and various birthing positions. When I went past my due date, I was able to call Cyndi and get advice about induction, stripping the membranes, and so on.
In the end, I went into labor naturally and Cyndi was right by my side coaching me at the hospital. She helped me get through back labor totally drug-​free despite my initial fear that my pain tolerance wasn’t sufficient. I had a beautiful birthing experience that I cherish, and Cyndi gave me a typed-​up summary of my baby’s birth story a few weeks post-​partum, with specific times and details that I would have forgotten without her notes. I can’t promote doulas, and Cyndi specifically, enough!

Cyndi is an amazing doula. I had her help with labor with both of my babies. After my son was born, my husband, sister and mother, who were all in the room with us (yes, it was crowded!), said she was worth every penny.
She knows the ins and outs of Kaiser Roseville and Sutter Roseville and probably the rest of the hospitals in Sacramento, too. Cyndi knows how to get you to focus through the contractions. I had a natural, med free birth with both kids thanks to her. And I don’t think I could have done it by myself the first time. Best labor coach I could have ever wanted.

We hired Cyndi to help with the birth of my son. My husband was skeptical at first, but I very much wanted to have a drug-​free labor and knew I wouldn’t last without help. What I did not expect was how she worked for both my husband and I; I honestly thought a doula would be mainly for the laboring mother.
She coached my husband to provided the needed much support and helped me when I was ready to give up (and trust me, I was ready to give up!!). She knew when to step in to provide guidance and when to fade into the shadows to allow us to work together. Ultimately, with her help, we welcomed our son with my desired goal of a drug-​free birth.
And I need to give her kudos on making it to the hospital in record time when I went into labor prematurely! I believe she must keep a helicopter nearby. ;-)
You’re in good hands with Cyndi! I will definitely be calling upon her when it comes time to expand our family.

When my wife first mentioned a desire for hiring a Doula I was reluctant thinking that it was not necessary. Let me tell you, I was wrong to think that and am EXTREMELY grateful for the service that Cyndi provides. Without her there for my wife and I the whole child birth process would have been much more stressful. Her experience and knowledge are top notch and I highly recommend her services.
Just recently we re-​hired Cyndi to help us with our second child birth. Once again Cyndi was there for us. Needless to say we are pleased and grateful to have her help us again.
Thank you Cyndi! Sincerely, Shaun Clearwater

Hiring a doula is the best choice you can make to prepare for your first delivery, and quite honestly, hiring Cyndi (twice – for each of my wife’s labors) has been one of the best choices we’ve made during our marriage!
Before our first child came, my wife and I trained diligently in Bradley Method classes, and while I still recommend Bradley, there’s just no amount of classroom training that can replace the experience Cyndi has accrued (600+ deliveries as of 2009 – probably over 800 by now!). And so Cyndi always knew what to expect, knew when to get my wife to change positions, knew what would make her comfortable, knew how to calm her down and encourage her during her unmedicated deliveries. And Cyndi knew how to calm me down when I was freaking out. (For each birth, my wife labored for fourteen hours without medications and, blessedly, without complications.)
My wife really appreciated Cyndi’s availability prior to and during delivery. Cyndi answered e-​mails in minutes (or less!) and kept us posted about her schedule as we neared our due dates. It’s so nice to have a real veteran friend on hand to coach you through the emotional roller coaster of the final month of pregnancy! At the start of the first labor, Cyndi came to our home and coached us until we were ready to go to the hospital. The second time around, we felt confident enough to invite her to meet us at the hospital, though she was really helpful to me over the phone how best to help my wife.
Cyndi knows how to communicate with hospital staff, knows how to tactfully and effectively make things happen. This sort of help is so invaluable, especially to first-​timers, who may not realize how alone you can feel for stretches of time during long labors or how often hospitals will strong-​arm you into choices that precipitate C-​Section.
If you’re weighing how to prep for your first birth, hiring a doula is first priority, then classes (like Bradley or Lamaze). Try to do both, of course!

A few months before my delivery, I decided to add a Doula to my birth team. After interviewing a couple of people, I decided to hire Cyndi. Cyndi, not only made me feel comfortable but she had years of experience that would prove vital for me.
I truly believe that I was able to accomplish my goal, of a medication free natural delivery, because of Cyndi. She was there the whole time and even allowed for breaks for my husband.
Her words were exactly what I needed when I was in labor. I don’t know where I would be without her. She walked me thru a cloud of pain and made it seem like I did it alone. She is an Amazing, Amazing Doula!
I cannot recommend her enough. I will be contacting her again for our second child in the near future.