“The birth of my first child was difficult and instrumental. Therefore, I didn’t underestimate my second one and contacted Corina to help me. It was a step out of the comfort zone for me – and one of the best decisions I’ve made. Everything clicked together and lead to a beautiful natural birth. I can’t decide what was the most useful: her thorough birth preparation – both physical and mental, how she was reassuring me while being on-call for me prior to the delivery, or her guidance during the labor itself. I am very confident that my first delivery would have gone differently, had she been there.”
B.M.
“Corina was our doula for the birth of our second child. Our first kid was born with an emergency C-section, and we were really hoping that we would have a natural birth for the second one. Corina was really helpful both in the preparation phase and during the birth itself.
During the preparation for the birth she was very pro-active in sending us various reads and advice. She would also consult me what questions to ask at my doctor's appointments, and she came with me for the talk with the midwife at the hospital before the birth. Corina is a very kind and gentle person, and she was always careful to understand our needs and preferences.
During the birth itself she was instrumental, together with my partner, in making me feel secure, taken care of, and more relaxed. The feeling that I had a professional that is constantly at my side was very reassuring and would help me focus on the birth itself.
We achieved our goal of having a natural delivery, and I am convinced that Corina played a big role in this achievement. I can full-heartedly recommend her as a birth companion.”
V.S.
I can attest to the supportive and caring hands and words of Corina as a Doula. Corina’s support and teachings in preparation of; during and after the birth of our daughter, gave me practical tools and emotional resilience to embark on the whole journey of labour and to carry forward into parenthood and life. Her professional insights as well as her caring nature equipped both my husband and myself with understanding the birth process but most importantly in reaching for and knowing our internal resources for delivering our daughter. Corina was an encouraging confidant in the birth preparation and after, as I raised anxieties and questions. She was a soothing carer during birth, giving me and my husband supportive advice and reassurance through the process, allowing us to retreat into what felt like a contained bubble of love and care beyond the medical procedures. More over, Corina has equipped me with lifelong resources of mindfulness and resilience that carries me through challenges of today. Her kindness and insights fostered a trusting relationship. We were guided in connecting with our daughter: our story as a family reaches back to the start of our daughter’s existence.
I can attest that Corina is a resource not only for birth but for lifelong strength. This for me encapsulates the invaluable worth of “A Doula.”
N.T.
"We are very thankful that Corina came into our lives for the birth of our second child. With her loving support and guidance I was able to deliver my baby in a way that I could have only dreamt about before.
Corina is just wonderful, she is genuinely a very caring person and I felt very much at ease with her during the entire process.
Thank you so much Corina for supporting us during this time of huge change."
S.L.
" Corina really helped me overcome any fears I had relatively early on in my pregnancy. She helped explain all the scientific details of what was to come, and how best these can be managed to help your body respond calmly and effectively. These sessions took away most of the worries that I’d unknowingly been feeling, which helped me relax and enjoy my pregnancy more. It wasn’t something I was initially focused on when I was thinking about working with a doula, but the impact of spending time with Corina in advance of the birth really did make the whole pregnancy and birthing process much calmer so that you appreciated what you’re going through and helped you savour the precious memories.
I went into the birth itself feeling prepared and supported. Corina was a great anchor during the whole birthing process, she was always there to support both me and my husband and was able to offer ways to calm, relax and refresh me throughout the birth. Corina has amazing patience when dealing with me in my... let’s call it less relaxed moments. She makes you feel so comfortable with her that you forget you’re not related! I may not have said it properly at the time but I couldn’t have had the birth I did without her!
After the birth Corina stayed for as long as we wanted to help us get settled and ensure we had everything we needed. She was always there when we needed her after the birth and was kind enough to check up on us regularly over the initial days and weeks. And it would be wrong to not mention the wonderful chocolate cake she brought over when she came to see us a few weeks later... yum!
Working with Corina was one of the best choices we made around our pregnancy journey and I can't recommend her highly enough to others who are thinking of working with her. You won’t regret it! "
C. F.
"Pregnancy and birth were so full of unknowns, but we knew we would have Corina with us, and that in itself was reassuring. She introduced us to the ever-powerful hormone oxytocin. She helped guide us through all of the information out there on the internet with a curated list of links and resources. She enabled us to step into roles we felt comfortable in the birthing room. Corina was able to get a sense of who we were, where our hopes and fears were and what we needed to feel safe, calm and prepared. We gave birth in a birthing house, as we had hoped for, but I felt very much that being in a foreign country, not speaking Swiss German, I wanted someone by my side who should we need to go into the hospital would be able to help us navigate and make our voices heard. In birth I felt more than safe, I felt strong, able to birth without panic or pain, welcoming our baby into the world after a night in labour. Thanks to all our preparation, my husband and I knew we could do this, that our baby knew what to do, my body knew what to do. Our midwives were there to accompany us and our doula to cherish us. As our daughter was born into a bathtub, Corina was one of the fairy godmothers, peering over the edge of the tub, welcoming her into a brand new world."
A.H.
"Corina Macsay was my doula for the birth of my second child. New in Switzerland, and about to give birth during a pandemic, it was important I had someone with me as I knew family wouldn't be able to support me and my Husband, would be needed to look after our older child when the time of birth came.
I was initally nervous about giving birth with someone I didn't know long, but by the time I was ready to have my baby, the only person I wanted by my side was Corina.
The sessions leading up to the birth were so useful. Corina really prepared me for the birth and helped me feel confident within myself and my body.My first birth was a C-section, the second time round I was sure I wanted a natural birth. Corina, through her own experince and knowledge, helped me feel sure in my decision and understand the process my body would go through with a natural birth. It was a daunting time, but I knew very early on she was the best person to be by my side.
When it came to having my baby, Corina was by myside. My labour lasted a number of hours and Corina was with me the entire time. When I was able to get some sleep in the hospital, Corina rested beside me. When I needed my back rubbed and words of support, Corina was there. She was with me the entirety of my birth journey, giving me strength when I really needed it. I was able to use our early sessions and the advice she had given me to successfully deliver my second child naturally and in the way I wanted.
Should I go onto have more children in Switzerland, even if my husband is able to be present, I would again want Corina by my side."
L.B.
Having Corina as a doula helped me clarify a lot of questions I had about pregnancy and delivery. She supported me without judgment. She made me feel well informed and empowered to made my own choices for the birth of my baby girl. I was more relaxed going into delivery as I trusted that I could count on her support and she comforted me the entire time. Corina is a person who will genuinely care to make your baby birth an unforgettable experience.
E.A.
With Corina’s support I was able to overcome my fear of giving birth. I was particularly scared of giving birth at the hospital. By working with Corina I gained agency, acquired knowledge and trust! Already after the first phone call and meeting, my partner and I were convinced by Corina’s competence and empathy. She was science and evidence based and her experienced communication style builds on her past as a teacher. She is an empathic listener and finds the perfect moments for a check-in. I really felt heard in my concerns and very well supported.
After our meetings and homework, my partner and I became a winning team for labor: e.g. we rehearsed positions and reflected about my way of relaxation. This enabled my partner to remind me to go to my unique place of relaxation in between contractions. We also found Corina's coaching very valuable when it came to interactions with the hospital team. It was especially helpful to be ready to deviate from my birth plan preferences should the staff have proposed interventions. This gave me and my partner a feeling of empowerment and confidence as a team. Due to the complete lockdown in the spring, Corina was not able to attend the birth but was available via phone.
Furthermore I found great spiritual support with Corina’s vast knowledge in areas such as Flower Essences, Jin Shin Jyutsu, trusting in my body and forming a team with my baby. With Corina as my Doula I was able to completely surrender to the process while feeling on top of things, such as asking for pertinent information when I had to get an induction. In addition, we were well prepared for the entire labor process and knew intuitively what to do at each phase. For the postpartum phase, Corina also offered a flexible model for support at home. This gave me much peace of mind.
A.F.
We contacted Corina while 5 months pregnant and living in South Africa as we were relocating to Switzerland without a support network of family or friends. Her efficient, calm and confident approach to providing care and interest in us as a couple and our journey to pregnancy inspired us right away. Corina helped us not only navigate first time pregnancy and childbirth, but also the Swiss Healthcare system. Having no knowledge of Swiss German or German she guided us on the questions and clarifications to ask our maternity care providers and prepared us well on what to expect at antenatal visits and when choosing a hospital for delivery. Corina kept in regular email, phone and in person contact which was reassuring and we felt we were not alone. The materials and training she provided were very helpful and informational on the progression of pregnancy, what to expect at C/section or normal birth and the post-partum experience. We had a Caesarean section and Corina was a pillar of strength as she was there from the moment we arrived at the hospital, in the theatre and until the end of the surgery. When we had questions or were given information, Corina stepped in to clarify what we needed to know and do. Corina also had great rapport with the health care providers. Corina is both a superb person and doula and we were so fortunate to have her support. Her knowledge and skill were part of the wonderful experience we had in welcoming our child. We would recommend Corina very highly to any new parents.
J.P.
I can't say enough how grateful I was to choose Corina as my doula for my daughter's birth. She was supportive to not only me, but my husband as well. We had planned to have a natural birth, but then we needed a planned caesarean. With no family in Zurich, I asked the my doctor if she could still be in the room with us, which was lovely. I can write so much really, but overall I can't thank her enough for the support pre and post birth of my little girl. Her genuine care for my family was beautiful. She became family as well.
H.M.
