Doula Sophie - Alouette Erf 25

Highly recommended, great photographer. Amazing with babies, our pictures are capturing moments we will never forget. Creates memories we will cherish forever. Definitely worth it.

My husband and I hired Sophie as our doula for the birth of our first child. As expats, living outside of our home country and away from family, Sophie provided knowledge of the Dutch healthcare system, expertise in childbirth, and emotional support throughout the whole process. She was professional yet warm and personable. With the help of Sophie, we were able to make informed decisions and ultimately achieve the birth experience we wanted. I would highly recommend Sophie as a doula. Her photography is excellent as well!

I can’t say enough about my experience with Sophie’s doula services and photography. Your birth never goes as expected. We took the confident birthing class to learn about the birthing process in the Netherlands (since I’m from Canada). Sophie taught us and it was then that I knew she was the perfect doula for me. She somehow knows exactly what you need in the moment (for me - empathetic and encouraging, but firm). For my birth, it went so quickly that no pain meds were possible. And so of course that’s the moment I want them and want to abandon a natural birth plan. Sophie gave me just the pep talk and emotional support I needed to get through it. She speaks perfect English and can therefore communicate your wishes very clearly. She helped me leading up the birth and after as well, as giving birth just a few month after moving to a foreign country is so tough. This shouldn’t be overlooked when making your decision. She also captured amazing photos at the birth, but she didn’t need to be behind the camera the whole time. In fact we didn’t even notice her taking photos during the birth. It’s so wonderful to be able to look back at those very moments when you’re strongest as a woman and in the first moments with your little one. If you’re thinking/debating about it, do it. Invest in yourself. Having a negative experience can take a long time to recover from and Sophie can do her very best to work with you on a positive experience.

We know Sophie already for some time and we were very happy to have her by our side twice for the birth of our daughters. It is so important to have someone you trust and feel comfortable with during the birth. She was always there for us - before, during and after. And we made it! We can only recommend to get in touch with Sophie as she is attentive and caring, confident and knowledgeable.... and the photos of the memorable moments will make you smile many days after. Thank you Sophie!!!!

I highly recommend Sophie. She is amazing: very experienced and knowledgeable doula, really nice and kind. She helped us a lot in our birth preparation. We’ve done a course with her and we’ve read the books she has recommended. We also had few session to discuss our birth plan and to address the doubts and fears we had. It happened that I had contractions for 4 days before I actually gave birth. Sophie borrowed to me her MamaTens device which helped me to cope with the pain for this extended period. During the delivery day she was constantly with us, helping my partner with guidance on how to massage me, providing support and encouragement when I really needed it. She knew my wishes for natural birth and during a moment of doubt I had, she gently helped me to regain confidence and to stay away from the thoughts of getting pain medication. After the birth of our son, my placenta didn’t go out and I was about to get operated when Sophie intervene and gave an idea to the gynecologist, which made my body birth the placenta and saved me from operation. After the birth she stayed in touch. We had few meetings during which we went over the birth, so that I process and recall everything which has happened. She made beautiful photos from the delivery which tell the story of us becoming parents.

If you are looking for an attentive, level headed support with a good sense of humour during birth, look no further. We have contacted Sophie after my first less than ideal delivery - I was slightly traumatized, but determined to have a better experience the second time around. Sophie was helpful already during the no strings attached intake call, and have me good advise on a number of things - which hospital to choose, what hypothetical course of action to take, and also a ton of context information on hospital birth process. During the subsequent meetings she helped me and my husband collect our thoughts and experiences, guided me through writing a birth plan that was then actively used in the hospital, and above all was a calming presence and good company - something that I apparently really needed. She helped me through the delivery by gently coaching me through the steps (and respected all the boundaries), and by acting as a buffer between me and the hospital staff. As a result, both the atmosphere and the process of the second birth felt much calmer, more controlled and I was much more relaxed as a result. Same goes for my husband, who was gently included in the decision making and also got to experience a much nicer side of birth than the first time around! On top of that, Sophie really helped my third trimester pains by advising some simple but very effective exercises that also involved my husband and made the last weeks more bearable. If I end up with a third child in the Netherlands, we're definitely calling Sophie again!

If you are looking for someone besides your partner, to step by your side during your pregnancy, your delivery and shortly after your delivery who is empathetic, understanding, knowledgeable and who will definitely do everything possible to ensure that your wishes are respected when bringing your baby into this world, someone who will also take care that your previous and traumatic experiences are not repeated, who works as a team with you and your partner and that will do everything for you and your baby, look no further Sophie is your angel! After a very traumatic first birth which led me to be diagnosed with PTSD, I was blessed to meet Sophie and ask her to join our team to bring our second baby into the world. During pregnancy she was always attentive to changes and development and always there to give advice or a word of encouragement, during delivery she gave us the feeling of security of knowing that someone knew perfectly what to do for us when the pain did not let us think clearly, thanks to Sophie I felt safe, cared for, protected, thanks to her we were able to let go of things that were not in our control, thanks to her and with a little help from nature all my wishes were fulfilled during the delivery of my baby and today I can say that I have a second beautiful and peaceful experience that erases all bad taste of my first experience from my memory. A doula like Sophie is the best investment you can make, an angel on earth and she's just a phone call away :) not counting the spectacular birth photos she took for us capturing one of the purest and most beautiful moments of our lives. She's so talented! We will be forever grateful to Sophie and for all these reasons and more we can only highly recommend her! Thank you dear Sophie!

In the beginning we were not completely sure whether we really need a Doula or not. A "stranger" who will be part of one of the most intimate moments? Is this the right way for us? Maybe it will be fine just the two of us, even though our family cannot join us (due to covid).....? This were our thoughts at the beginning of the pregnancy. Now, looking back it was the best decision to make the choice to hire Sophie! Not only did she became a highly valued companion and friend along the way, but she gave us such good tips and advice that we did not think of ourselves - even though we would say we were well prepared for the journey. She asked the right questions when a decision was difficult to make and gave us the right impulses so we came to best possible outcome for us. Especially since we had a breech baby and many decisions needed to be made. I even think you can also call Sophie an expert in breech births, which will come in handy, if you are facing this position of your child! We always felt understood and supported, and really never, not once, judged. Sophie was with her years of experience invaluable to us! Especially during the birth she was our haven of tranquility, always present, but still discreetly in the background. Especially for my partner she was a great support, as this was our first child and we were not so sure what to expect and how to deal correctly with some of the situations we were facing. And even now, that we "know" what to expect (at least in general terms as each birth is unique), I would not even blink to think about whether we would hire her for another birthing journey (if we will be lucky enough again to experience a little wonder in the future). So, when you are in doubt about making this investment, go for it! It will be so worth it!! Dear Sophie, I hope you know what you means to us, how valuable you have been to us and how grateful we are to have found you just at the right moment for our journey. We couldn't be happier and our journey could not have been more beautiful with you by our side! Thank you! ❤️