Testimonials
'To say that this is being done "with great pleasure" would be putting it mildly. Having now taken the woman's journey, better know as her rite of passage, I can truly say that absolutely nothing in the world can compare to giving birth to your own child. It is, quite frankly, what we were born to do - become mothers. It is where the strength of a woman lies.
After a first phase of labour that lasted from Tuesday to Thursday morning, I travelled to the Mamatoto Natural Birth Centre yesterday morning to carry on the journey.
It was a full and very active day, made all the easier with an international team made up of three midwives (from Holland, USA and UK Trained), a doula (Canada Trained) and my Mum (world trained and experienced) who is, I think, one of the world's finest midwives. And of course, my closer-than-family friend, Nimmi who arrived straight from work and supported until the very end. In the shadows was my grandmother, Catherine Sooknarine, a powerful matriarch who blessed the earth with no less than a dozen children who went on to become entrepreneurs and professsionals around the globe. Though deceased, some of her will live on with our daughter.
The eight of us delivered a healthy, happy and contented baby girl, Zafirah Selena Sylvester, at 9:35 p.m. last night. A little over 6lbs. of joy. The presence, support and strength of these seven women made the experience a true "I will never forget" one. Perhaps it's because I grew up watching my Mum work as a Midwife around the world and saw the difference that natural birth makes - from the UK to Zimbabwe - that I was determined to have it no other way. The world of midwifery and natural childbirth also exposed me to the heart of a woman's strength and power. We support each other at these times in ways that our male halves could never understand.
So many times yesterday when I felt that I could not go on any longer, I was carried by the energy, spirit and gifts from these women. We bonded in a way that I will stay with me for the rest of my life. They each gave selflessly and completely. So you may be able to imagine the joy I felt to know that the birth of my daughter was blessed through God's gifts to each of them. He was there with us all the way as they shared freely with Zafirah and me. There was nothing that any of them would not have done to ensure our success.
As I sit here writing this and watching her sleep, like all mothers, I am reflecting on her life and future. One of the many gifts that I will put in her bag, is one that I have been blessed to experince so many times in my life: That she will become a stong, supportive, compassionate, and selfless woman who is able to genuinely give of herself to others and touch their lives in a positively transforming way.
Last night, I felt the Hand of God. Be blessed.
Cassandra
'Ahhhh! Finally another tool to help me spread the word! Congrats on your new site. I can't wait to use 'our' room again. Thanks to Mamatoto I had the greatest experience of my life. I am forever in your debt. Special thanks to Dianne who is more than a midwife to us.'
Abbie & Julien
'During my stay, I made use of everything in my room: the bed, the bath, the birthing stool, the bean bag and even the walls.The privacy at mamatoto was comforting, the rooms super complete and best of all the staff who were so dedicated and encouraging. My doula never left my side and my two midwives were so competent and professional. Their reassurance and guidance throughout labour was amazing. I am so grateful for all the support I received and am still receiving from Mamatoto: it is the most up-to-date mother and baby friendly place for giving birth in Trinidad.'
Robin
My wife had done a lot of research concerning natural birth and after some discussion we decided that we wanted to have a midwife and a water birth. Ilona is our first child, a beautiful baby girl, and we know that part of her temperament can be accredited to the education and care which the midwives at Mamatoto provided to us during our pregrancy, during childbirth and up to this day. We were fortunate to be the first waterbirth performed at Mamatoto, but this did not mean there was any drop in quality or professionalism...in fact, far, far from it! We had the privilege of having two midwives and a doula, and the support - both emotional and scientific - during childbirth has my immeasurable gratitude. 
Mags, Debbie and Dianne will forever be friends of this household. They even made me feel like I was doing a great job during the labour process, despite being pretty nervous. My advice to all my friends and to everyone: if you can, get a midwife, definitely get a doula (trust me, you have no idea how helpful a doula can be) and choose Mamatoto.
Dwaynne Villiers
'Ahhhh! Finally another tool to help me spread the word! Congrats on your new site. I can't wait to use 'our' room again. Thanks to Mamatoto I had the greatest experience of my life. I am forever in your debt. Special thanks to Dianne who is more than a midwife to us.'
Abbie & Julien
'During my stay, I made use of everything in my room: the bed, the bath, the birthing stool, the bean bag and even the walls.The privacy at mamatoto was comforting, the rooms super complete and best of all the staff who were so dedicated and encouraging. My doula never left my side and my two midwives were so competent and professional. Their reassurance and guidance throughout labour was amazing. I am so grateful for all the support I received and am still receiving from Mamatoto: it is the most up-to-date mother and baby friendly place for giving birth in Trinidad.'
Robin