Nickie Tilsner, CD, CBE

Our experience when interviewing doulas was a bit like Goldilocks in the house of the three bears… the first was too much energy, the second too laid back and Nickie was just right. My partner and I looked at each other the second she left and just knew she was the one.
Our choice couldn’t have been better. When under pressure from my doctor to have an induction, I freaked out and called Nickie at 7 in the morning asking for advice. Despite rousing her from sleep, she reassured me that my instincts and desires were legitimate and that I should listen to them. Throughout that insane last week of my pregnancy, Nickie was there with advice, reassurance and material help to see me and my partner through.
Then finally I went into labor early one morning and it was on Nickie’s word that we very quickly dispatched to the hospital. When I got there I was in active labor and very much NOT wanting to wait out the twenty minutes in triage while they monitored the baby’s heartbeat and my contractions and kept pacing with anxiety. Nickie held my hand and, as quickly as she could, got me into a room, asked the nurses to find the telemetry monitor and got me into the bathtub, turned out the lights and put out these little fake candles. She got me into a regular pattern of breathing and for the next six hours, held my hand, gave me water and juice and let me labor in peace. I actually had no clue it had been six hours and I believe it was Nickie, who served as my great advocate to the OB, who allowed me that space to labor as I had wanted to do.
After four long hours of unproductive pushing when it came to the horrible choice of forceps, pitocin and Caesarean, I knew Caesarean was the safest for my daughter at this stage. But I needed to hear that it was the right decision from a non-​medical professional. Teary and exhausted, I turned to Nickie and asked her. Without judgment and with her wonderful reassurance, she told me again that I was already a parent and I had to trust my own instincts, making my very difficult decision much easier.
Seriously this woman is wonderful. I totally love her and if and when we decide on number two, I’m giving her a ring to make sure she’ll be free to be there with us through the second labor.

Nickie is a wonderful birth instructor for those looking to have a homebirth or for those who just want to be more in control of their hospital birth. Nickie does private lessons as well as larger birth prep classes. She’s also a doula. Plus, her mom is a wonderful midwife. So it’s a full service family.