Birth Doula

In the Greek, the word doula means “woman who serves”.  Today, we often see the word Doula used to describe a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a mother (and her partner) before, during, and just after birth.

While midwives and nurses provide medical care during childbirth, doulas do not perform medical tasks such as taking blood pressures, checking your cervix, etc.  Also, as your doula, I am 100% focused on you and your needs.  Your birth team may have other patients to consider, not to mention many other tasks to accomplish throughtout your labor, while I only have you and your partner to think about. 

Doulas offer a wide array of support including from physical and emotional support, to informational and advocacy support, all the way to spousal support.  Whether you need a pep talk, a back rub, a new glass of water, or simply a hand to hold.  I am there to support you 100%.

Absolutely!  Doulas support all types of births, including those involving epidurals or cesarean deliveries.  My goal is to equip you with the information you need to fully understand your options, and then, support you in whatever decisions you make about what will work best for your body and your baby.  

It’s always a good idea to hire a doula early in your pregnancy journey, allowing for as much time as possible for us to build a connection and relationship.  However, doulas can be hired at any stage of pregnancy.  It’s certainly never too early to start a conversation, so let’s connect!

Yes!  Doulas work alongside partners and family members, to enhance your support system.  As someone who understands the facets of physiologic birth, I am a huge proponent for partners having the main support role in the labor room.  My goal is to equip and support your partner in supporting you.  I always say, if at the end of the day you turn to your partner and say “I could not have done this without you.” then I have done my job well!

Yes!  Doulas support birth in various settings, whether that is at home, in a hospital, or at a birth center.  Wherever you feel most comfortable is where I want to be supporting you!  

Starting at 32 weeks, we will have our first prenatal appointment where we will discuss your desires and dreams for birth, we’ll curate a birth plan, and begin to better understand what your big day may look like.

At 36 weeks, we will meet again to do some more hands on practice for different comfort measures to be used during delivery.  Helping both you and your partner to grow confident in your ability to tackle birth.

I will remain on-call for your birth and you will have 24/7 access to me from the time your start contractions until a little while after your sweet bundle arrives!

We will meet one final time after birth to discuss how you and your family are settling into your new roles, how you feel about your birth and all that you experienced, and finally bring a close to this chapter, together.

Research indicates that continuous support from a doula can lead to a…

• 28% decrease in the risk of Cesarean.
• 31% decrease in the use of pitocin to speed up labor.
• 8% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth.
• 10% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief.
• Shorter labors by 41 minutes on average.
• 38% decrease in baby’s risk of a low five minute Apgar score.
• 34% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience.