What the families we support say about us…

“When I first got pregnant, I felt very alone in my situation, I’m in an international marriage in a country vastly different from my own. When I found the Facebook group hosted by Adele I immediately felt part of a community. It wasn’t long before I found out Adele leads and hosts birthing classes and I told my husband we had to do it, no ifs or buts.
I’m so bloody glad we did! Adele has been amazing, she put up with my 1000’s of questions and explained everything so well and covered everything I could think of! It explained a lot of what my doctor does and why they do it! In the U.K. you literally have 2 scans and done, here I’ve had so many scans and the system is so different so it was nice to be told why Korean doctors do this and certain tests. It also helped my Korean husband learn why I find things so strange with hospitals and the differences between our cultures in regards to childbirth.
It’s not any birth you learn about, but how to take care of yourself as new partners and how to keep your little human alive! The focus on breastfeeding, formula and pumping was so helpful and non-judgmental.
Adele is always updating her data and making sure the information is up to date.
I can never thank her enough for her wonderful work and class!” (Abi G.)

“I recently delivered the most perfect baby boy and was able to be confident and fearless in my birth experience! I strongly believe it was because I was educated through this great prenatal course. She covered many of the unknowns of delivering in Korea and trying to get the birth experience that we wanted. This course empowered me and help me have a successful vaginal birth! Thank you Adele Vitale and Morning Calm Birthing Services!” (Gina K.)

“Highly recommended. I used this service under COVID-19 time and it was very helpful. Adele answer every kind of questions and explain things really well. She became an important person during my pregnancy. We are far from our countries and a lot of things look like difficult in Korea but thanks to her and her services I could feel my mind and body more relaxed and easy. Thank you again ” (Ilaria P.)

“Adele gave so much useful information in the prenatal course. She was open to question during the class and sent helpful handouts and videos after classes. I feel much more prepared for the next several months after attending this course.” (Miranda J.)

“Adele was truly our dream doula! From the first time we Skyped with Adele we knew we wanted her to be our doula. She is warm and friendly, and very knowledgeable about pregnancy and birth. Following the call she was always there to answer questions and provide information. We took her classes and met other expat couples, which was great. Our baby was breech and she sourced all the information about ECV procedures and accompanied us to Seoul for the procedure itself. At the birth she took away a lot of fear and created a positive environment for labour. We we were so grateful Adele was our doula. We will always look back on my pregnancy and our baby’s birth with fond memories and a huge part of that is due to the incredible support Adele gave us. Thank you!” (Helen H.)

“Adele was the best thing about my birth. While everything else seemed to go wrong, she was my rock. The support I received before, during, and after the birth was invaluable. She’s very knowledgeable about and familiar with Korean birthing hospitals & methods and was a very strong advocate for me to make sure my wishes were honored the whole way. Her calm and reassuring manner was the only thing that kept me from losing my mind when my birth plan fell apart.
I highly recommend her to any new mom or new to Korea mom who’s feeling insecure and wants support for their birthing process”. (Lea C.)

“As a first time dad it was really helpful and reassuring to take the childbirth class and have Adele as a doula. It helped me support my wife and be there for her. Adele’s help and experience throughout the pregnancy, labor, and postpartum were invaluable.” (Matthew L.)

“Living in a rural area (Mokpo), my husband and I were unable to find any prenatal classes even provided in Korean. I was fortunate enough to find Adele and join in her online course. After taking the course I felt so much more prepared with evidence-based information so it removed my anxiety almost entirely. Her experience with both western and Korean practices makes her an invaluable resource for new/soon-to-be parents in Korea.” (Lindsay R.)

“Adele was and is an absolute God-send. She was our Doula and was incredibly supportive and informative. I totally credit her and her knowledge for the wonderful birthing experience I had and fully believe it would have been a completely different experience without her. IF I have another child, I will definitely be reaching back out to her to see what services I can take full advantage of. You can’t go wrong hiring Morning Calm!!!” (Leara T.)

“My husband and I are both foreigners in Korea and we took Adele’s childbirth class. It was an amazing learning opportunity and we both felt so relieved afterwards as this is our first baby. It can be overwhelming to have a baby abroad as expats and it really helped us a lot to take the class in English as there are so few opportunities like this especially outside of Seoul (we live in Gyeongbuk). She had so much good general information about pregnancy, childbirth, labor, and newborn care, as well as specific information for the Korean context (e.g. what to expect as routine procedures in Korean hospitals). We were so impressed that we decided to use her as our doula for our July baby!” (Melissa S.)

“Adele을 Doula로 자연분만을 했던 미국인 아내의 한국 남편입니다. Doula란 개념이 처음엔 익숙치 않아 망설였는데(왠지 병원 출산 + 조리원에 옵션을 추가한거 같은..), 출산을 옆에서 지켜보니 하길 잘했단 생각이 드네요. 혹시 저처럼 고민 중인 한국 남편분께 도움이 되었으면 해서 장점에 대해 몇자 적습니다. 1. 병원에 경험 많은 간호사분들이 계셔도 출산 당일 산모가 많으면 아내만 신경쓸 수 없겠죠. 경험이 많은 Adele이 항상 옆에 있으니 도움이 많이되었습니다. 특히, 아내가 심리적으로 안정하는데 가장 큰 도움을 준거 같네요. 2. 아내는 병원 도착 후 진통을 11시간정도 겪었는데, 남편이 그동안 은근히 할 게 많고 자리비울 경우도 생깁니다. 지치기도 하구요… Doula 추천합니다… 3. 출산 전부터 언어장벽, 출산문화 등에 대한 차이로 스트레스를 받았는데, Adele이 양쪽을 잘 이해하고 있어 잘 진행된 거 같습니다. 예를들면, 산모가 진통이 오는데 한국인 간호사에게 뭐가 어떻다 설명하기 쉽지 않죠. 남편인 저도 경황이 없고, Adele이 간호사에게 상황 설명 및 대응법을 전달하는 경우가 많았습니다. 순전히 남편입장에서 생각한 장점으로 아내 입장에선 더 많을 것 같습니다. 아무튼, 다른 고민 중인 분들께 작은 도움이나마 되었으면 좋겠네요.” (Jeon H.G.)

“Adele is a wonderful person and an amazing doula we could ever had. Her presence during the birth of our daughter was a tremendous help. This was our first pregnancy and we both wanted to have an experienced and encouraging coach to help us along the way. In addition, I wanted to complete a homebirth naturally.
At the time, our baby was born Adele was pregnant 👶and she did an outstanding job.
I would highly recommend her to anyone because she’s very knowledgeable in what she does and is a great support to have during the most important thing a women has to go through.” (Jenifher A.)

“Adele Vitale was the most dedicated, compassionate and supportive doula that I could have asked for. Of equal importance was her assertive yet pleasant approach with the hospital, absolutely putting my health, needs and comfort first. Adele is extremely knowledgeable, devoted to her work and has a heart of gold. If, like I was, you’re not sure about whether to use a doula or not, you will not regret deciding to use one. I couldn’t recommend her enough!” (Seema G.)

“Hiring Adele was one of the best decisions my husband and I made!
Her prenatal education classes gave us tons of practical information and loads of confidence going into labor and birth. I felt so empowered by Adele as I labored. She also helped my husband to know what to do to be helpful at every moment in labor. When it comes to navigating the Korean medical culture—she is hands down the best asset you can have at your side.” (Lindsey A.)

“Adele is truly a gem! She answered all of my questions, attended doctor appointments, and eased my fears, and she did all of it with such care and compassion. Being pregnant with my first child and not having family close by was a bit stressful, but Adele truly helped us every step of the way.” (Donique M.)

“4주 16시간 동안 많은 도움을 받았습니다. 특히 아내가 외국인이라 출산에 대한 막연한 두려움이 있었지만 교육을 받고나서는 아내가 심적으로 많이 안정 되었습니다. 또한 한국의 출산 시스템 등에 대해서 자세하게 설명해 주셔서 병원 방문 시 시스템 차이에 따른 오해 등도 많이 해결할 수 있습니다. 이 교육으로 인해 저희는 건강하게 딸을 얻었습니다.” (김 D.H.)

“I joined Morning Calm Childbirth, Breastfeeding & Newborn Care Classes and had a great experience!
It was a great opportunity to meet couples at exactly the same stage that we were.
Moreover, the teacher conducted the class in a very professional manner which gave us high confident prior the birth.
Highly recommended” (Hadar A.)

“Adele was dedicated and enthusiastic! She was confident and knowledgeable. She was great about responding via phone or kakao throughout pregnancy and in the postpartum stage. During labor she made me her priority and made sure the focus stayed where it needed to be. She helped me reiterate my desires and helped stay flexible when the doctor wouldn’t concede to my wishes. She knew what prompts to give me to relieve pressure or reassure me. ” (Amber B.)

“At 38 weeks my baby was still in the breech position after trying every attempt to turn him including ECV, chiropractor sessions, daily yoga positions and consulting the spinning babies website. Miriam was recommended to me after abruptly switching hospitals in a last minute attempt to have the natural birth I always imagined having. Starting from our first Skype meeting she put my husband and I at ease. She addressed our fears about having a breech birth and helped us embrace that this was the way our son wanted to be born. In our subsequent meetings Miriam answered our questions, walked us through a breech birth, and eliminated the fear that our previous hospital had left us feeling. When my doctor recommended induction Miriam coached us on exercises I should do to encourage labor and put my progression in a positive prospective. When active labor finally arrived Miriam guided me through positions that made the contractions work in my favor and breathing techniques to ease the pain. Her directions and coaching allowed me to attain the birth I had always wanted. Both my husband and I agree that we wouldn’t have had the same outcome without Miriam as our doula.” (Jennie G.)

“Adele was the much-needed piece that truly made our birth experience complete. My husband and I both look back and say we would never want to have gone through a natural birth without her!” (Emily F.)

“Miriam, Thank you so much for all of your support and assistance during Bethany’s pregnancy and the subsequent birth of our little boy! The relaxation technique classes were extremely helpful and paid dividends when the time came for our son to be born. Having seen the polar opposite end of the spectrum – an artificially induced birth concluding in an unnecessary caesarean – I am all the more grateful to have had your support. Bethany still questions the decisions we made regarding the birth of our first child to this day. Avoiding a similar experience with our second child is no small reason behind why we sought out the services provided by a doula. Your advice, support, and tireless hours spent with us at home and eventually the clinic are valued beyond measure. Your fluency in Korean was also paramount to this endeavour, allowing us to understand all the nuances of what the doctor and his staff said to us. Being able to have our little boy completely naturally was very important to both of us; you know what a personal milestone and sense of accomplishment this produced for her. So thank you, thank you, thank you so much for everything, Miriam! We are home only a day after the birth, and our children are excited to finally meet each other. We couldn’t have gone through all of this without you there, helping and encouraging us along the way. I would recommend you highly to anyone, and request you by name should we have another child born in Korea. Thank you again! ”
(Joshua O.)

“Adele!! I am going to be giving you a glowing review! My birth was soooo much easier this time around! From the first contraction to the last push was a little less than 4 hours. It went by so quickly and I kept kind of waiting for those debilitating contractions, and they just never came. They got bad when the nurses made me lay down to check how dilated I was or when I had to get on the birthing bed thing, but it was basically all over by that point so it was manageable. Seriously, I am so glad I invested in a birthing ball..that thing was a lifesaver. And my husband was sooo much more useful this time around and really stepped up his game^^. Thank you again for the class.” (Kay P.)

“After the birth of my first son in 2012, it was really clear to me that I would never have another baby in Korea. Even if my pregnancy had been really easy, my delivery was not a nice experience, and it took a very long time for me to recover, physically and mentally. But then I got pregnant again, 2 years later, in Korea. I was quite pessimistic about my 2nd birth, I looked at it as a bad moment in my life i would have to go through, so my idea was to ignore the fact that I was going to give birth until I actually had to. But when a friend of mine told me about her (good) experience, and how hypnobirthing really helped her, I got curious, and decided to meet Miriam. I knew she was used to work with the clinic I was going to, and that she spoke Korean, which were both important criterias to me, but what made me hire her was that she was super nice, open minded, with a good sense of humor and that I felt really comfortable being honest with her, telling her how skeptic I was about this supposedly “pain-free delivery” and how much I wanted to have an epidural. Miriam spent most of my prenatal appointments trying to make me understood that I could control my body a little bit more than I thought, that I was actually able to relax if you pushed the right buttons, and most of all she managed to convince me that I could have a not-so-terrible experience giving birth. The day my water broke, I was a lot more positive than 2 months before. I first followed Miriam’s instructions on the phone, until the labor begun and we then met at the clinic. She helped us go through every step as smoothly as possible, helping me to ease the pain, breath and relax, explaining what was happening, making us laugh and helping my husband to make himself as useful as he could all through the delivery. The “dream team” (doctor + midwife + Miriam) worked perfectly well together, they all knew each other and knew exactly who was supposed to do what, so everything seemed very calm and under control all the time. It was not a pain-free delivery, but as I only had to focus on my breathing (Miriam was dealing with the medical team) it was a cool and stress-free delivery, at least for me! I’m not sure about having a third kid, but if I do, I think I can say I would have the baby in the exact same conditions, and definitely with Miriam as a Doula. ” (Elsa J.)

“I had a wonderful birth experience and that’s because of the classes and support I received from my doula. The classes helped me prepare how to manage the pain during contractions. My doula was always available to answer all my questions and concerns. She made me realize that it is possible to have an all natural birth. Her support, knowledge, encouraging words during labor were priceless. I will definitely recommend her to my friends and hire her again in my next pregnancy.” (Maria G.)

“Thank you Miriam for everything you did in helping to bring our beautiful Oona into the world and in making our birth experience a positive one. With your compassionate and tender presence Myung and I were able to endure and remain positive throughout our long drawn out labor. Your calm voice, your soothing touch, your gentle reminders to always “breathe in – breath out” were such simple yet powerful ways to cope with the intensity of (back) labor. Thank you for your reassurances. Thank you for your working so well not only with us but also with the team at SCH. After having experienced this miracle we truly could not imagine having done it so well without you.” (Lauren T.)

“The childbirth classes were very informative. Knowing the stages of labor made me more aware of what my wife was going through and find ways to help her manage the pain.” (Marvin G.)

“As a doula, Miriam is compassionate, professional and extremely knowledgeable. She knows when to advise and when to step back and allow you to come to your own conclusions. While in labor, her voice was both comforting when it needed to be and urgent when it needed to be. I can’t even describe how good it felt to grab a fistful of her scrubs and hold on for dear life! She never takes “I can’t” for an answer- and for this I am forever indebted to her. Thank you, Miriam for watching over our son and his safe journey into the world! We couldn’t have done it without you!” (Jennifer L.)

“Thanks for your support to the expat moms here!” (Deirdre M.)

“Adele has a great manner and very enthusiastic about every aspect of the course she delivers. Both myself and my husband found it invaluable, especially the baby language and the labor tips, as well as the “what to expect” and how to cope in those early days and weeks. Her knowledge was fantastic and she had answers to any questions we had.
[When I went into labour,] I couldn’t have done it how I did without Adele present. For not only the translation, but also because I had a long and difficult labour, she guided me through with my husband and gave us many options and continuous encouragement, even when I thought I couldn’t do it any longer. Adele made me feel comfortable and in control, as well as reassured me of my ability to do it. I wouldn’t have had the experience I had without her. […] Adele was [also] VERY knowledgeable and a fantastic help to get me started on the breast feeding journey. I would recommend the course and Adele to any parents to be.” (Kristie R.)

“I really enjoyed the classes as they were. They made me more relaxed about going into labour and/or having a C-section if needed. I feel a lot more prepared and so excited. Thanks Adele!” (mom of twin boys Karina M.)

“When I found out I was pregnant I was of course very happy but then I started to feel anxious about having the baby in Korea, as I knew the habits were different from France. In France most deliveries are natural (C-sections only when needed) and a new mum stays 4-5 days at the hospital after birth so she gets plenty of help including newborn care and breastfeeding. I was so worried to have my first child in Korea, without our family’s support.
A couple of friends recommended me Miriam, saying that she was amazing! So after the first Skype conversation with her, my husband and I quickly decided to use her services for our birth as we had a really good first contact with her. We could tell that she was very well experienced and knew a lot of things about birth in Korea and pregnancy/delivery in general.
We first took the HypnoBirthing [course] and added the newborn and breastfeeding class […]. Both classes were very interesting and the content was so helpful.
We also decided to ask Miriam to be our doula. Our baby wasn’t well positioned so during labour Miriam and my midwife help me turn him around with several “exercises”. I truly believe that these exercises helped us a lot, and shortened the labour. Our son was born 4 hours after we arrived at the birthing centre which is relatively short for a first child and knowing that the baby wasn’t in a good position.
I really appreciated Miriam’s advice (before, during and after birth), and her calm during labour. She is very knowledgeable, professional and available. Now my worry is not to have Miriam for a future child!” (Amélie D.)