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Love from students & clients..

I found Amanda through a girlfriend who had recently used her services for her own birth a few months prior. It was a blessing to have been connected with Amanda. She is who I will call the next time we are expecting. We hired her with about 6 weeks left of my pregnancy, between her birthing class and the book provided with it I was enlightened to a whole new perspective of giving birth. She met us at the hospital the night I gave birth and was there before I even went into the birthing room. Amanda made all the difference in my comfort and mindset during labor. I was able to keep myself as relaxed and focused as possible due to her knowledge and calm aura. Between her and my husband I had the birth I had always wanted. I even said after giving birth to my son I could do this again, maybe not tomorrow or next week, (give myself a break LOL) but definitely again it was that “easy” for something that really isn’t easy. - Jenna

Amanda was our doula for our first baby and we also took her hypnobirthing classes. Her calm energy helped ease my concerns and gave me the confidence to go in to birth well-informed and how to advocate my preferences. Although baby girl was extremely particular in labor and end-up needing a c-section, I was glad to have Amanda by our side helping us navigate everything that was happening. I leaned on many of the relaxation techniques she taught us to stay calm especially during surgery. Highly recommend Amanda as a doula and her classes! - Katie

Amanda helped me by sending information and resource links during the last trimester as well as visiting before birth. She also gave me guidance and support during the actual labor. It ended up in me having a successful VBAC. - Jen


I wanted to give a huge shout out Amanda and Lindsey, who teamed up with Amanda to have her first labor and delivery experience with us.

I reached out to Amanda pretty late in my pregnancy, and I was lucky to know she was available and willing to work with us. James and I met with her 2 times before I gave birth, and she gave us so much information and helped us be educated on many things before the birth. She listened to all of the questions and concerns we had, and made James and I feel so confident and comfortable going into labor.

Both, Amanda and Lindsay, helped me so much during labor. They held me through almost every single contraction, reminded me how to breathe through each of them, kept telling me how good I was doing, and how close we were to meeting her. They reminded me of my birth plan, and respected it. They stood by me from 8am until 6pm almost with NO breaks and always made me feel comfortable and supported.

James and I are so thankful we had them. Our labor and delivery would not have been the same without these ladies.

It is great to be able to look back and talk about our birth as such a positive experience, it was my dream was after having the opposite with my son.

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

 

Amanda was our doula for our second child. She was recommended to us by tons of families and now we know why.

Our first birth was pretty traumatic. There was a lot of things that we had fears about. The hypno birthing classes really helped not only me but my husband work through our fears from the previous birth. We learned ways of coping with labor and surges as well as how to stay calm if something happens that we weren’t expecting.

This birth turned out similar to my last. I was immediately admitted due to severe pre eclampsia at 36 weeks and had to be induce right away. I told Amanda as soon as I found out. She was calm and collected which helped me also be the same. I was on magnesium as well as tons of other things. Once Amanda came I was having surges regularly and they were uncomfortable. With taking the classes I was able to breathe through the surges and be relaxed. We had a small hiccup about 7 cm and my sons heart beat slowed down tremendously. The nurses ran in flipping me from side to side trying to get his heart rate back/up. I eventually ended up on all 4s because they was the only way to get his heart rate back up. Amanda stayed so calm. This really helped my husband and I stay calm while everything was happening. Not but 15 minutes later our son was born. Amanda stayed with me for about 2 hours after just chatting and keeping me company while little one and my husband went to the NICU.

Anyways, if you are wanting a doula Amanda is your girl 100%. She is caring, understanding, calm energy, tons more. Do it! You won’t regret it. - Shelby B.

 

It took me almost 5 years to decide we wanted a second baby. I had a traumatic c-section with my first so I knew I had to do a lot of work to get through my fears. That’s when I realized hypnobirthing would be a good fit for me. Amanda’s course was extremely helpful. I had a tough pregnancy (constant morning sickness and pubic symphasis) so I was very uncomfortable. Hypnobirthing helped me overcome that discomfort and prepared me for the big day! My second c section was planned but there was a lot of anxiety around it. The more I listened to the recordings, the more I read the affirmations my confidence was building up. The day of the c section it was everything that I wished for. Even the anesthesiologist whispered in my ear “this is how every cesarean should be” I have pictures right after they placed my baby on my chest and everyone keeps telling me I’m glowing and look so at peace (I was) Thank you Amanda. Thank you for helping me achieve my c-section dream and overcome my fears! - Valentina.

Amanda was amazing and worked us into her schedule for private classes when I was 38 weeks pregnant. Her lessons were the missing piece to us wanting to have a successful low stress birth and positive experience overall with the birthing process. I felt she really listened to our wants and needs when it came to overcoming fear and anxiety around past trauma and helped us focus on the knowledge and tools that would make this experience a positive, calm, and safe journey for us. She was very patient with answering all of our questions and helped immensely with addressing our concerns. 10/10 recommend Amanda and her hypnobirthing class!! - Anna K.

Amanda was my doula for my baby girl (#3 but first time with a doula!) about three weeks ago. It was a great experience. Despite my entire birth plan being flipped upside down and having to do an induction at 37wks bc of preeclampsia, she helped me stay informed and comfortable before and during my delivery. I had back labor pretty intensely during transition and she used the tens unit and counter pressure as well as helping me get into different positions to help open up my pelvis. I believe her knowledge is why my baby came out so fast with hardly any pushing. I highly recommend her, she is knowledgeable and caring and will make sure your needs are met and that the medical staff prioritizes your care! - Sarah K.

 

On October 5th, 2021, my husband and I welcomed our beautiful son Mason James into the world. I have been trying to process the full experience and how amazing it really was, while also being a mom of a 15 month old and newborn.

So here’s the scoop:

I had reached out to multiple doulas throughout my second pregnancy, and when I was told to reach out to Oceanside Hypnobirthing, i did anxiously. I met with Amanda, and she heard my story, and i immediately loved her approach. She didn’t put me down or tell me what I wanted was impossible. Instead she did the exact opposite and taught me so much during her 5 week course.

Not only was she always readily available, she would check on me often.

I am forever thankful for my birthing experience; but what I am most thankful for is that after 2 very long days of fighting for a VBAC, my doula kept advocating for me and never gave up. She spent 3 days in the hospital with me, comforting me, and encouraging me. She believed in me, my body, and knew I was fully capable of giving birth on my own.

Her birthing techniques really helped me and I was able to have a natural delivery like I so strongly desired. Amanda really impacted me in so many ways and even brought healing to me from my daughters traumatic delivery experience.

I couldn’t have had a better experience and if you’re an anxious person or worry a lot, I strongly recommend Amanda to be your doula throughout your pregnancy. She changed my life, my heart, and made me stronger. - Wilkinson Family

 

Amanda is a truly incredible childbirth educator. Her calm yet confident demeanor sets you at ease from the first meeting. I was sad when our classes ended and was wishing I had scheduled her as my doula! I still hear her soothing voice when I practice my relaxations and fear release exercises from the course. I am currently 38 weeks along with my first child and, because of Amanda’s Hypnobirthing class, I am going calmly and confidently into childbirth and motherhood. - Cooper Family

 

Amanda is so amazing! She made pregnancy and birthing time so safe and enjoyable. Amanda truly has that mothers touch and made me feel so loved and supported. Can’t wait to have her at our (hopefully) future birth if we are blessed again! Couldn’t have done it without her and even my husband loves her, and he’s antisocial and doesn’t really like anyone. - Alan Family

My family and I cannot recommend Amanda and her services enough. Being a first time mom, birth was an intimidating thought. Wanting a birth as natural as possible, we loved Amanda’s philosophy surrounding the birth experience. From the very beginning, taking her super informative HypnoBirthing classes, and through every unplanned intervention my birth took, Amanda remained a calm, yet firm advocate for me and my husband and my baby, ensuring we had all the information we needed to make the best, most

Informed decisions for us and supporting us in whatever we needed. We are forever grateful for her support, ample knowledge, and always calm/helpful demeanor! - Paul Family

We had an incredible birth experience primarily attributable to the support of our doula, Amanda. Amanda advocated on our behalf to be able to attend the birth of our daughter despite Covid-19 restrictions, helped create the environment we were looking for in the deliver room regardless of challenging circumstances, and coached myself and my husband through labor. Amanda's support, undoubtedly, allows me to look back on our birth experience in a favorable light today.

After birth, Amanda was able to put us in contact with an extremely helpful lactation consultant who saved our breastfeeding journey.

I cannot say enough good things about our experience. I would recommend anyone work with a doula and would specifically recommend working with Amanda if you are able!

We would also recommend pairing the doula services with the hypnobirthing classes. We were skeptical of hypnobirthing, never having heard of it, but would use this method of pain management for future births. -Thayer Family

We had a wonderful experience having Amanda do private Hypnobirthing sessions with us and then joining us as our doula as well. She provided such a calm, caring, and supportive presence during the birthing process and particularly in the final phase when the birth took a scary turn due to our son having a tight nuchal cord. Her wide breadth of knowledge with Hypnobirthing techniques and even some “spinning babies” maneuvers helped me to refocus and likely get our baby to get over the hump of remaining too high and better able to descend and emerge. Of my 3 sons, this birth was the hardest and most complicated and while I did the others without a doula, I’m so glad we had Amanda for this one and cannot recommend her services highly enough. - Jaime

 

Amanda has made us so comfortable as we approach the birth of our baby girl. We had so many anxieties and questions that she answered in the most reassuring yet honest manner. We took her Hypnobirthing class and ultimately decided to use her as our doula. Book her, that one decision will help you with making countless other decisions as you move forward in your birth story.

- Joe W.

 

We took Amanda’s hypnobirthing class and were fortunate to have her as our doula. The class is informative and presents relaxation techniques for labor. I am so thankful that Amanda was present for my birth. She coached and encouraged me every step of the way. She helped me relax and ride through the surges and reminded me of the skills I had practiced during pregnancy. She was by my side once I was ready for her to come and she stayed with me until after my baby was born and I was settled. She utilized a variety of comfort measures that felt so good and really helped me. Amanda also used her expertise to encourage me to find movement when necessary, to eat and drink and use the bathroom to keep my labor flowing. She is so peaceful, steady and calm and her presence made me feel grounded throughout my birth. - Jillian

I highly recommend Oceanside Hypnobirthing classes and Doula Services to everyone! Amanda is a gentle soul and has a very calming and consoling presence. We took her in home classes since we live in Wilmington and after one session had to hire her as our Doula! I ended up needing a C-Section due to breach presentation, and it was awesome having Amanda there. She really helped me to keep my mind calm and clear going into surgery. Normally, I am pretty dialed up if I have to have a procedure done (knee surgery, wisdom teeth, minor procedures ) but I was completely calm and actually enjoyed the whole process. Everyone commented on how alert and calm my daughter was for a C-Section baby and I attribute that to my hypnobirthing lifestyle during pregnancy! We did a meditation before I went in and she brought a diffuser to help set the tone. She stayed while we were in recovery and helped to bring our things to our room. Amanda did a great job of being there for us but not being over bearing! I still use the breathing techniques today.

-Malia H.

 

Living overseas offers a realm of amazing experiences, although for those who wish to begin a family, being thousands of miles away from family can be overwhelming. I moved to Okinawa, Japan 32 weeks pregnant and it was even longer before meeting the potential staff that would help deliver our son. I sought out a doula so that I could have comfort in personally knowing someone with experience to be there to support our birth.  Amanda Dodson has been at both of my births while in Okinawa and each time has been essential in being in tune with my progress and desires and helping communicate both of those with the staff.  (Had she not been there with my second son, I’m pretty sure the nurse would have caught baby without gloves on!) Her ability to simultaneously coach and soothe is a gift that helped both my husband and I in having a positive experience of having babies overseas.  She is a woman who listens and advocates for the mothers she works with.  She represents a mother figure for those who don’t have family that can come out or don’t have a strong network. Beyond her doula services, she is the founder of The Birth Education Center of Okinawa which offers services that the military hospital doesn’t offer, I.E. lactation consultation, support groups of all kinds, etc., services that moms need access to and can have trouble finding overseas, especially with the language barrier.

-Monika B.

Being pregnant overseas can be scary. You're away from your home and your family. My first pregnancy was more difficult, because I didn't know about the resources available to me, much like many other women. Luckily, the Japan Birth Resource Network has made an effort to change that. Before my second pregnancy, I learned a lot through their first birth and baby fair in Okinawa. I then chose to go through the birth doula training they hosted. Both of these things helped better prepare me for my second pregnancy. They also hosted several birth talks that I attended and learned from. The main topic, such as discussing birth options on the island, was different each time and someone would tell their birth story. The JBRN also connected me with my wonderful doula that attended my second birth, introduced me to Hypnobirthing, and helped me find my maternity/birth/newborn photographer. My second pregnancy and birth experience was vastly different from my first in an extremely positive way. I have the JBRN, and the women behind it, to thank for that.

-Kaitlin D.

We took Amanda's course and and we learned very valuable information. As we live quite far and it was difficult to find time, She was very flexible and arranged a private course for us. That was so helpful for us! Thank you Amanda!

— suzuka t.

 

 

I can't say enough about how valuable Amanda was to us throughout our pregnancy, birth and post partum period. Her calm reassuring presence helped me to feel safe and protected so I could focus on my experience. The Hypnobirthing classes also helped so much to work through my labor and delivery of my son naturally without any interventions. I highly recommend her services. Her knowledge and skills are priceless.

— stacey M.

 

I was having my second child and was not familiar with the hospital, my choices, and had only made a handful of friends. I knew I needed additional support to have my baby; I needed a doula. That's when I found Amanda. She supported me and my husband through my natural birth. I felt so blessed to have the resources Amanda was able to establish through the JBRN. They helped me navigate my birth options, helped with breastfeeding, and gave me access to a network of other new and seasoned mothers to help answer questions, offer advice, and most importantly provide friendship. Being a new mother is hard enough, and you should never have to go through it alone. I couldn't imagine not having the support and resources Amanda has brought to the community.

- Jamie S.

I took Amanda's Hypnobirthing class with my husband and it was one of the best choices I made! She was very knowledgable instructor who helped teach me and my husband relaxing techniques that allowed for a calm, quick, natural labor. This wasn't my first child but the information to aid in natural labor taught in this class was so beneficial. She also provides tons of resources for information! I'm glad I went into my birth knowledgable and prepared. And the best part was she taught my husband how to help me relax and understand the process so he stayed calm! I would have another baby just to use hypnobirthing in labor.

— meghan h.

 

There isn't enough room in this little box to write enough good things about Amanda. We hired her as our doula for my daughter's birth, and attended the Hypnobirthing class at the Okinawa Birth Education Center. Amanda gave me all of the tools I needed in order to have the birth experience that I desired. Since my husband and I did not have family come to Okinawa for my daughter's birth, Amanda played not only the role of physical support, but she emotionally supported my husband and myself through the labor, deliver, and post-partum process. I would've paid double for how she taught me, made me feel supported, and became our friend.- Kaitlyn

— Kaitlyn

 

Amanda was my hypnobirthing instructor and my doula. I learned so much from the classes. This was my second birth and I really wanted it to go the way I wanted this time...natural! I used a lot of the techniques taught in the classes, and it helped me relax so much. I realized that relaxation was the missing key with my first labor. Amanda was great at stopping me from panicking, keeping me focused and reminding me to follow my body's lead. We got the birth we wanted...completely natural, and I totally put that down to having an amazing doula, and my hypnobirthing techniques. I am very thankful that I had the opportunity to take these classes. I would recommend them to everyone. Having a doula for me is a must. She will be your biggest helper on the day.

- Sarah F

We decided do have natural birth and choose Amanda as our doula. We took classes with my husband and were getting ready for birth. Amanda was very helpful. We've learned a lot during classes. When my water broke we called Amanda and we've met at the hospital. My labour was 17 hours and after 5 hours of contractions I asked for epidural. Amanda was there with us supporting each step. If you are having labour and have no family with you you defenatelly need Amanda.

— Albina r.

Amanda was exactly what I hoped for in my relationship with a doula. She was nurturing, knowledgeable and professional and connected me with a network of expecting moms and birthing groups I would never have known about. She helped me through a really difficult birth with premature twins in Okinawa that turned into a circus and she was so calm and reassuring the whole time. She stayed with me and her presence was exactly what I needed. I am lucky to have found her while in Okinawa and certainly would have worked with her again if we hadn't moved with the AF back stateside.

— autumn b.

 

 

My husband and I took Amanda's hypnobirthing class for the arrival of our third baby. Amanda has such a wonderful, calming presence and a true passion for helping families improve their birth experiences. I was able to apply all of the techniques I learned throughout the classes during my labor and birth, and had an amazing birth experience that we will treasure forever. I will also be using hypnobirthing for the upcoming birth of our fourth baby. I highly recommend Amanda and all of her services.

-Cassie H.

 

I took the HypnoBirthing classes and loved loved loved them. I'm so glad I educated myself. I wouldn't have been able to have my natural none medicated birth without it. Thank you so much!

-Cassandra

My Husband and I participated in Amanda's Hypnobirthing class. I'll admit, I was skeptical at first but I wanted to go a different route with my second pregnancy/labor. My first was a "go with the flow kind of labor." That was not the best idea I've ever had....BUT.....taking the Hypnobirthing class was!! Amanda was an amazing instructor, she has such a calming presence about her. I was able to achieve the natural birth that I wanted and I know that Amanda's Hypnobirthing class had a lot to do with it.

— nicole a.

 

Amanda was absolutely amazing as both our hypnobirthing instructor and as our doula. After a birth experience with my first son that was challenging, our second son's birth was just what i had hoped for. Amanda is incredibly knowledgeable and sweet. She guided us every step of the way and I would ask her to be our doula again in an instant.

-Maria P

Amanda was an amazing doula and hypnobirthing coach! She helped make pregnancy and giving birth such wonderful experiences. She worked around our schedule for private classes and taught me (and my husband) great techniques for relaxing before and during labor. During labor she let me and my husband labor how we wanted to and knew the perfect times to step in to offer support to me and my husband. She understands women in labor and knows how to coach them through difficult moments. I look back on my birth with such joy and pride. I would hire Amanda again in a heartbeat! She will always have a special place in our family!!

- Brenna W.

Amanda was our doula for the birth of our first son in 2012. The support she provided for our family was very much needed for both my husband and myself. She was also a very good resource for my postpartum period when additional help was needed with breastfeeding. We also took her hypnobirthing classes to prepare for our birth. They were very helpful in during my birth. I used my techniques I learned from her class with my second child last month.

— jackie d.

 

Amanda is seriously one of *the* sweetest people I have ever met. My husband & I attended her Hypnobirth Class recently & we loved it! (I did maybe more than my husband, hah!) But, she really goes over everything and helps you with anything you need! The hands on classes more towards the end of the course really brought my husband into the whole "getting ready" phase for our baby! The class is *so* worth it, and Amanda is the cherry on top!

- Chelsea E.

 

First, let me say I knew Amanda was the right Doula for me when she asked if she could pray for me during a home visit leading up to my birth. Second, I think of Amanda practically every day because I think of my birth story almost every day. It still seems like a dream to me so I’m always replaying it! Amanda was the only person in the birthing room with me that I knew and I am forever grateful that she was there. Her support, her words of encouragement, her touch, everything was what I needed and more!

- Alina