Testimonials
"When I got pregnant, I decided to take prenatal yoga classes, even though I had never had a yoga class in my entire life. I took classes with two different instructors and quickly realized that I preferred Andrea's and stopped attending the other one. I really appreciated the way she had us connect with our bodies and our babies. When the time came to give birth, I was able to labor at home for a while, keeping my body and thoughts calm. Once at the hospital, labor progressed, and at one point my doula said, "Those prenatal yoga classes are paying off!" I was able to have the natural birth that I had hoped for, with no medications or interventions. I truly believe that Andrea's yoga classes had a lot to do with that, as they helped me prepare myself both mentally and physically. If I get pregnant a second time, I will definitely attend classes with Andrea again!" -Bethany B.
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"Andrea's prenatal yoga class became my weekly respite. I had really wanted a child, so I thought pregnancy would be fun and fulfilling; in reality, pregnancy was very difficult for me, physically and emotionally. I was sick for sixteen weeks, and when my nausea ended, instead of experiencing relief, I became increasingly uncomfortable with my expanding body. Emotionally, I was a wreck. I missed the challenging yoga classes I'd taken before pregnancy, I was super picky about yoga teachers, and I had a horribly bad attitude about "gentle" yoga. My husband talked me into trying prenatal yoga with Andrea. And thank goodness! Andrea had a substantial knowledge of yoga (and have I mentioned I'm picky?). She knew how to create a space in which I felt at peace with my pregnancy and my big belly -- without it feeling forced, cheesy, or new-agey. Those hours in Andrea's classes are some of my fondest memories of pregnancy." -Jen W.
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"Two of the best things I did to prepare for labor and the early days of motherhood were to consistently go to my prenatal yoga classes with Andrea, and to welcome Andrea into the birth room as our doula. I had the support of a fabulous midwife and my extraordinary husband, and Andrea's warm yet practical presence was still much needed during our labor. Since specifics always help me, here are some specific things Andrea did that no one else was able to do for us:
All those things are wonderful. But also: the person who holds your leg when you're giving birth needs to be someone with whom you feel really comfortable. Andrea Dixon is warm-hearted, generous of spirit, and really smart. She is loving without imposing, is intuitive without being flaky, and has a heap of training and experience so that you know she knows what she's doing.
The birth of my daughter is a beautiful, joyful memory for me--and Andrea's presence as my prenatal yoga teacher and doula is one of the reasons for that." -Cheryl C.
- She answered our embarrassing questions. When we met to go over our birth plan, we had a lot of questions that we felt goofy about asking. Andrea answered them without making us feel goofy at all.
- She helped me get my contractions going. My water had broken, and things weren't moving fast enough. Since Andrea had been my prenatal yoga teacher, she knew which poses I enjoyed. She helped me into lunges and squats that would both get things moving and help me relax. And she showed my husband how to help support me in them.
- She kept me hydrated. This is crazy important, and I thought my husband and I would remember it, but we didn't. Andrea did.
- She found the trash can that wasn't bolted to the wall. So lots of people get sick during labor--especially those of us who get to take delicious castor oil. I can't tell you what a miracle it was that Andrea found the one trash can that wasn't bolted to the wall, just in the nick of time.
- She took pictures of my husband supporting me through contractions. You may not want this. But holy moly, I am so glad I have them. They make me cry. And, even though I had asked her to take them, I had *no idea* during labor that she was actually doing it because she was so unimposing about it. It was an amazing surprise to look at them later.
- She reminded me to call my mother. My labor happened fast, and I had decided beforehand when I wanted to call my mother to let her know the status. We had, well, a lot going on. Andrea was the one who remembered.
- She didn't ask me anything. So actually, she *didn't* remind me to call my mother. She reminded my husband, and then she went out in the hall and called my mother herself. I had no idea any of that was happening. Andrea lovingly managed all the tasks that needed doing--and she did it without me having to decide about any of it. I had something else to concentrate on.
- She taught me how to sit with a contraction and not run away from it. I learned this from her in my prenatal yoga class. And I relied on it about 976 times during labor.
- She told me to relax my neck. This happened during the pushing stage. It was a brief cue that I was able to hear and respond to because of my time in her prenatal yoga classes. It made all the difference in just one sentence; my daughter emerged about three pushes later.
- She held my leg. You just never know what position you'll be in when you give birth. As it turned out, I needed my husband supporting my back. My midwife caught the baby. And I needed someone to hold my leg. Legs are heavy. Good thing Andrea is yoga-strong.
All those things are wonderful. But also: the person who holds your leg when you're giving birth needs to be someone with whom you feel really comfortable. Andrea Dixon is warm-hearted, generous of spirit, and really smart. She is loving without imposing, is intuitive without being flaky, and has a heap of training and experience so that you know she knows what she's doing.
The birth of my daughter is a beautiful, joyful memory for me--and Andrea's presence as my prenatal yoga teacher and doula is one of the reasons for that." -Cheryl C.
"Andrea was my doula at both of my daughters' births. As I was preparing for my first labor, I knew that I needed to have a labor support team that was emotionally, spiritually, and physically supportive of me. I knew my husband Jeff would make a great birth partner, but I needed some female, sisterhood energy in the room, too. We chose Andrea because of our easy rapport and her passion for promoting positive natural birth experiences. The entire time I was in labor, I felt like Andrea was listening to me, rooting for me, offering kind words of encouragement. I was able to share my fears with her, unabated. And Jeff felt that she allowed him to lead as my birth partner, while giving him the support he needed as well, such as bringing food and drinks, and giving him a chance to rest now and then. The midwives and nurses came and went as I labored along, but Andrea and Jeff were my rocks, my sustaining source of strength. She was such an integral part of our birth team at my first daughter's birth that it was a very natural decision to have her at our second daughter's birth as well. Andrea is such an easy person to be with and communicate with, and she brings positive energy to every room she enters. I could not recommend her doula services highly enough." -Jess P.