Shari Aizenman - Bodyworks Atlanta & A Doula's Touch
Shari was an INCREDIBLE birth and postpartum doula for our family and I really cannot express how much she helped us in this testimonial. I had an unexpected medical emergency after the birth of my son which had me in the hospital for a couple of weeks and in the ICU for several days. Because our baby came three weeks early and our family was visiting from abroad, we were completely overwhelmed and alone at the hospital for several days while trying to deal with an incredibly challenging situation. Shari was a consistent source of support, knowledge and care for us during this time. She was a calm and assertive presence when everything around us was chaotic, frightening and filled with heavy uncertainty. She researched my heart condition and brought me information so that I could make informed decisions about my treatment. She helped advocate for my needs and our baby's needs with a stubborn hospital staff when my husband and I were too exhausted to do this for ourselves. She brought my husband coffee and real, non-hospital food, kept me company, and held and helped take care of our newborn baby when I wasn't able to. Shari knew how important breastfeeding was for me, and when I was told I couldn't breastfeed because of medication I was on, she helped me to find breast milk donors. Shari is passionate about birthing and helping newborns thrive and has a personal philosophy of serving others that far exceeds what you will find anywhere else. This woman is doula-excellence personified. Hire this woman. It will be one of the first and most important decisions you make for yourself as a mother and for your new baby.
Gabrielle G.
Shari is loving, strong, knowledgeable, and incredibly supportive. She goes above and beyond what one would expect from a traditional doula. We lucked upon her late in our 2nd pregnancy and give much credit to her for the fact that I was able to achieve an unmedicated birth (a far cry from my first birthing experience). Shari knows people - she can read what you need before you even knew that you needed it. She is gentle in her approach but not afraid to ask the hard questions. This assertiveness leads her clients to be clear on what they want both before and during the labor/delivery experience. Shari also knows pretty much all things pregnancy, labor/delivery, and postpartum. And if she doesn't know offhand, she will find out in 2 seconds and provide you with references and a list of resources! Her care starts when she meets you and continues well beyond your delivery. Shari is simply living out what she was put here to do. She believes in her work as evidenced by how darn good she is. We would recommend her with all of our hearts-and have!!
Kerri S.
Shari is exactly what you want from a doula - someone who knows what the heck she's talking about, knows how to tell people what to do in an emergency situation (do you?), and simply knows how to quickly Get The Job Done. Her strength and foresight is only matched by her compassion and empathy. If you're a dad and are part of the doula-decision-making process, pick Shari. Seriously, man.
Michael M.
Shari was a God-send when we needed her most. After our previous doula left on vacation the week we were to deliver, we were desperate to find a doula who would be there to help us deliver our third child. We stumbled across Shari and she was the answer to our prayers. She is compassionate, understanding, and a supreme expert when it comes to babies and delivery. When Ashley went into labor, our first call was Shari and the second was the hospital. When Shari arrived at the hospital, the room went from chaos to calm in an instant. She was our conduit between us and the doctors and the doctors knew that Shari had our full confidence. When our son was inverted in utero, the doctor stood up in disgust, took off his gloves and told the head nurse to start prepping for a c-section. Shari convinced the nurse to give her 1 hour alone with us. Shari did some techniques with Ashley to get our son moving around and 30 minutes later he was facing the right way and crowning. If the doctor had waited 3 more minutes, he would have missed the whole delivery. You will struggle to find someone more respectful of your wishes, educated about peaceful childbirth, compassionate to your situation and circumstances, and in tune with the mother and her baby than Shari. We have recommended her to everyone who even looks like they're pregnant. She has been, and continues to be, a wonderful woman and a great friend to our family.
Jason & Ashley K.
Being a body-mind instructor and therapist, I understand
the value of massage and have received scores of them
from various practitioners over the last 25 years. I can
say definitively that I have not found one to compare to the degree of care I receive to my body, mind, soul and emotions during a massage from Shari--the therapeutic
benefits are priceless.
Debbie Unterman, Master Alchemist Author, "Talking
to My Selves"
Even though I first went to see Shari because of a recommendation
from someone I respected, I was still skeptical of the
benefits of massage as therapeutic. The few "professional"
experiences I'd had before her were ones I'd had for relaxation
in a spa-style environment ... touchy-feely ... something
I might do on occasion but definitely not the therapeutic
characteristic I found in Shari. Shari's approach does result in relaxation but it does so on a deeper level ...
One that considers the well-being of the whole person
... The interconnection of body, mind and soul ... Whether
it's on her massage table or in her pool, the work she
performs on one's body releases the mind to be more at
peace with the soul ... It doesn't come about right away,
at least not for me. I had to learn through Shari's guidance
of that connection. But now, when Shari works on my body,
in or out of water, I come away with a much better sense
of self.
C.Malikian
Shari's intuitive ability to facilitate healing is a
phenomenal gift that she generously shares with anyone
fortunate enough to seek her out. Her power, presence,
and sincerity of purpose create a safe and nurturing space
and momentous opportunity for anyone who is truly open
to heal. Without hesitation and from the depth of my soul
I count myself as one of the fortunate to have received
her gift of healing and unconditional love.
Selena Goldberg, architect
When one is lucky enough to find oneself beneath the
healing forces of Shari's hands, the gift reveals
itself in many ways. The atmosphere in the massage
studio is warm, calm, peaceful, and open. Her
presence is at once strong, confident, kind, generous,
and authentic. The hands hold you, mold you, release
you. You may not hear what you think you want to
hear, but you ultimately trust; because the years Shari has spent studying, practicing, and sharing her skills make you a believer.
My body and my spirit
have been healed many times by this gifted teacher.
There is a reason why we call her "The Supreme Goddess of the Universe."
Anne R.
I cannot sing my praises for Shari’s work as my doula high enough!
During a sometimes difficult and a little bit chaotic hospital labor, Shari was an amazingly encouraging and reassuring presence. As first-time parents, we were looking for a doula who would provide emotional support as well as suggestions on position changes and breathing, and Shari was perfect. We were so grateful to have her there and to have the benefit of her considerable knowledge about the birthing process. I wouldn't want to have a baby without her!
Meghan L.
I had a very positive experience with Shari for the
birth of my first child in September. From the first time
I met her, I could see that Shari has true passion for
birth and her work as a doula. I had massage and Watsu
sessions with her that really calmed and nurtured me to
the deepest part of my being. She was readily available
for both questions and encouragement prior to labor, but
the real work came during labor! She stayed with me during
early labor at home, and then continued to support me
at the hospital when my labor was more established. I
can't say enough how much her support meant to me as I
moved through labor--when transition came, she was right
next to me, whispering in my ear, reminding me to breathe
and let go. It was exactly what I needed, and I had the
non-medicated birth I wanted. Even more importantly, her
support didn't end with birth. With my rocky start to
breastfeeding, she was there to encourage me that it would
get better, and eventually it did. What Shari does as
a doula is so vital that I can't imagine having another
birth without her. She is genuinely dedicated to the well-being
of her mothers and babies; I can't recommend her highly
enough.
Maryanne E.
