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 My Doula Services I am a trained Labor and Birth Doula and a member of CAPPA (Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals of America) I believe birth can be an empowering experience for women. Women have the right to choose where and how they give birth, and who attends their birth. As a Doula I support women birthing in a hospital or at home, with a doctor or a midwife. I am here to give information to the expecting parents and to support their birth choices. I can provide information on common medical procedures used during birth and alternatives so that you can choose what's best for YOU. I charge $300.00 per birth. That includes at least two prenatal visits to get to know each other and to discuss your birth options and wishes, support during your entire labor and birth, and two postpartum visits to assist with initial breastfeeding and to discuss your birth experience. I will be on call for your birth from three weeks prior to your estimated due date until your baby comes. If you would like to set up and interview or get a FREE INFORMATION PACKET in the mail, go to the "contact me" page and give me your name and contact information. If you are worried that you cannot afford the $300 fee, please contact me anyway and I may reduce my price based on your income. Some doula's may not charge their first three clients, or may charge less, because they are working toward getting the clients they need in order to get their certification. I can also refer you to one of these doulas. If your husband is in the military and is unable to attend your birth due to being deployed, or has died or been seriously injured in his service to this country, you are eligible for a free doula through Operation Special Delivery. See my "links" page for their website. | What is a Doula, really? A doula is a professional labor assistant who is trained and experienced in childbirth. Doula's are also referred to as "Birth Assistants" or "Labor Support Specialists." Her role is to provide physical, emotional, and informational support to women and their partners during labor and birth. The doula offers help and advice on comfort measures such as breathing, relaxation, movement, massage, and positioning. She also assists families to gather information about the course of their labor and their options. By helping to meet the physical and emotional needs of a laboring mother around the clock, doulas also provide invaluable support to fathers or other birth partners.
Perhaps the most crucial role of the doula is providing continuous emotional reassurance and comfort. Doulas are not employees of the hospital, and therefore have no other commitments during your labor. This allows a doula to provide one-on-one, continuous labor support (without shift changes) throughout labor and early postpartum, according to your needs. Doulas and Dads Some dads who don't fully understand the doula's role feel skeptical at first and worry that they will be "replaced" in the delivery room. No one can replace the vital role that the partner (who may be the baby's father or another loved one) plays in providing support for the laboring woman. A doula cannot make some of the unique contributions that the partner makes, such as intimate knowledge of the woman and love for her and her child. At the same time, a doula's experience and reassurance of what's normal in birth can be especially comforting for dads, whose knowledge in this area may be (understandably) rather limited, and for moms who may be confused by the intensity of the sensations during labor.
The doula is there in addition to, not instead of, the partner. By insuring that his needs are met (food, drink, reassurance), and by building his confidence, the doula can actually help the woman and partner to work more closely together. As one father said, "I heaved a big sigh of relief when she (the doula) walked in. I hadn't realized how much pressure I had been feeling. She not only calmed my wife, she calmed me down."
By relieving some of the fear, anxiety, and pressure of expectations, doulas can help dads to be more fully present for the birth of their child. Ideally, the doula and the partner make the perfect support team for the woman, complementing each other's strengths.
| Benifits of having a Doula Having the continuous, reassuring support of a trained labor assistant chosen by you can dramatically transform your experience.The assistance of a doula throughout labor has been shown in numerous scientific trials to improve both the physical and psychological well-being of the mother. In order to better understand how a doula can help you through labor, take a look at the results of a landmark study conducted in Houston in 1991. This study of 412 healthy, first-time mothers giving birth at term showed that in doula-assisted births:
~ Cesarean section rate is reduced by 50%.
~ Length of labor is reduced by 25% (an average of 2 hours shorter).
~ Pitocin use is reduced by 40%.
~ Use of forceps in delivery is reduced by 40%.
~ Epidural requests are reduced by 60%.
~ Use of other narcotics for pain relief is reduced by 30%.
This and other studies show that women who are accompanied by doulas in childbirth are more satisfied with their birth experiences. They feel more confident, are more likely to interact closely with their infants, and are less likely to have postpartum depression. Mothers who are cared for by labor doulas are much more likely to initiate and continue breastfeeding and fewer newborns have complications.
We also know that the benefits of doula-assisted births extend far beyond the birth day itself, and affect the whole family. Amazingly, 71% of first-time mothers giving birth with a doula in the 1991 study reported that their relationship with their partner was improved after giving birth, compared to only 30% in the no-doula group. By six weeks postpartum, 85% of the doula moms reported increased satisfaction with their partners, compared to only 49% of the no-doula group.
The comfort and reassurance offered by the doula is beneficial regardless of the use of pain medications. Even so, many women find that when a doula is added to their labor support team the pain of labor becomes much more manageable. Studies show that some women feel less need for pain medications, or may postpone them until later in labor. For moms considering a natural childbirth, including a doula in your birth plan can dramatically improve your odds of success. In the 1991 study, 55% of doula-assisted mothers were able to deliver their babies naturally (without anesthesia, medications, or forceps), compared to only 12% in the no-doula group.
A doula is there to help you have a safe and satisfying birth--however you define it. Your doula recognizes birth as a key life experience that you will remember all your life, and she is there to nurture and protect the memory of your birth experience, for both you and your partner.
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