Doula Services
Pregnancy is an amazing time of a woman's life when she becomes part of the miracle of birth. As a doula I am fortunate to get the chance to pamper pregnant women during labor and help them achieve a birth experience that they will remember forever. I look forward to showing you how I can help make your pregnancy and birth a truly magical experience.
Birth doulas offer professional labor support to women and their partners. They are an integral part of the birth team and are dedicated to helping families stay with their birth plan. As a doula I will be by your side, assisting your partner with labor support skills, giving you a variety of ideas and techniques to help labor progress and ease your discomfort.
No Obligation Consultation
This is a chance for you to discover if I am the right doula for you: both my personality
and my experience. During this meeting you may have several questions you want to ask me
about my training, philosophy and the services I provide. I am enthusiastic about giving
you all the information you need to choose the doula that is right for you.
Prenatal Meetings
If, after our consultation, you think I am the right doula for you, we will schedule more
prenatal meetings to discuss your birth plan and generally become more acquainted with one
another. I usually meet with my clients two to three times before the birth of their baby.
Partners are welcome at all prenatal meetings!
Phone & Email Support
Between visits, if you feel like you need someone to talk to about your pregnancy or
impending birth, you are welcome to contact me via phone or email. Many clients find that
they use me as a sounding board when something concerns them and they don't know if they
want to "bother" their care provider or not. Then again, sometimes you just need someone
to vent to about your pregnancy and I'm happy to be that person!
Labor & Birth Support
Simply put, I will be there from the time you feel you need me until after the baby is born.
I am on-call for you 24/7 in the weeks before and after your due date. My job is to meet your
needs during labor: emotional, mental and physical support. I do this by performing or showing
your partner relaxation and pain coping techniques, running interference with visitors,
filling everyones basic needs (food, drinks, bathroom breaks, etc), helping you acquire
additional information about interventions if they become necessary, and generally just
making sure your labor and birth go as smoothly as possible. If you don't have a partner
or your partner is not going to be involved with the birth, you can expect that I will give
you all the one-on-one support you need. I also offer full breastfeeding and babywearing support.
Postpartum Visit
After the birth of your baby, I like to do two in-home visits. One when you get home from
the hospital or birth center (if a home birth, a day or two later) and another a few weeks
later, once the dust settles. This is a great opportunity for us to discuss your birth,
troubleshoot breastfeeding or baby care issues, or just hang out and admire your precious
little one(s). I'm also available by phone or email anytime after the birth if you need
help or suggestions.
My Fees:
For the services outlined above, my fee is $600. A non-refundable deposit is required upfront to reserve your birth on my calendar. I believe every woman deserves a doula regardless of their ability to pay, so if my fee seems uncomfortable to you, please let me know at our consultation and we can discuss ways to accommodate your budget.
Common Questions:
What is a doula and why should I have one?
As a doula I accompany you during labor, supporting your physical, mental and emotional needs throughout birth. I also provide support and suggestions for your partner that can enhance their experience of birth. How this applies to each woman can vary widely: some women want a gentle, reassuring presence at their birth to help them with breathing and comfort measures... others want a full-blown labor coach to enforce their birth plan... still others just want an extra person on hand to take pictures, coordinate relatives, watch kids and run errands. I don't go to births with any personal preconceived ideas of how it should play out; your birth plan is my birth plan. I am there to discover what your wants and needs are, then exceed them in every way possible.
If you like statistics, this might impress you. In research studies doulas have been proven to...
Decrease medical intervention in labor:
Reduce the need for cesarean by 50%
Reduce the length of labor by 25%
Reduce the use of oxytocin by 40%
Reduce pain medication use by 30%
Reduce the need for forceps by 40%
Reduce epidural requests by 60%
6 weeks after birth, mothers who had doulas were:
Less anxious and depressed
More confident with their baby
More satisfied with their partner (71% vs 30%)
More likely to be breastfeeding (52% vs. 29%)
*These statistics appear in "A Doula Makes the Difference" by Nugent in Mothering Magazine, March-April 1998. **Study cited in "The Doula" by Klaus in Childbirth Instructor Magazine, Spring 1995.
What about the dad, will he feel replaced?
Many people are confused as to how doulas interact with the laboring woman's partner. Rest assured that my job is bring the soon-to-be mom and dad closer together during labor. I do not replace the partner or usurp his role. Having me present enables the father to relax because there is someone there to guide both of them through the process. Most partners have had very little exposure to birth and laboring women. I am there to reassure the dad and show him labor support skills so that he can be involved in the birth right from the start. Even though seeing his laboring partner in pain can be scary, I work hard to encourage him that what he is seeing is normal and there are ways that he can soothe her discomfort. Many glowing testimonials come from fathers who are just amazed at how helpful and supportive the presence of a doula was for him.
Why would I want a stranger at my birth?
Trust me, by the time you give birth, I will not be a stranger! From the time you first contact me, I will begin to build a relationship with both you and your partner. As a matter of fact, for most typical hospital births, it is likely I will be the only person you know caring for you. Most OBGYN's and nurse midwives work in a group and whoever happens to be on call during your birth is who you get. You will also be randomly assigned a nurse you have never met and will likely go through one or more nurse shift changes. As your doula, I will be a constant reassuring presence for you and your partner, regardless of who the other support staff may be.
How is a doula different from a midwife or nurse?
I provide only non-medical support for the laboring woman. Doulas do not perform any medical procedures such as: checking baby's heart rate, vaginal exams, blood pressure checks or catching the baby. Because I am not responsible for your medical care, I am free to devote my entire attention to helping you through each contraction.
What if I want pain medication?
I am trained to support women in ALL birth scenarios. Even if you are planning to use pain medication or are just "open" to using it, I will be an invaluable part of your birth team. Doulas can help you gather all the information you need to make an informed choice about pain medication and give you a realistic picture of how you can expect your labor to change. Just because a woman has pain relief, it does not mean she has stopped laboring or needs less support. Many times the emotional needs of the laboring women are even greater when she has medication. I can also help with positioning and other comfort measures to reduce the negative effects of the medication and will be a key support during pushing which can require more coaching with an epidural. For the 5 to 15 percent of women who do not receive complete pain relief from an epidural, my role becomes even more important in helping the woman to cope with her contractions.
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