"She is not a friend. She is not a healthcare provider. She is the mother figure of the most ancient kind. Her life experience empowers you. She is a reassuring presence that will always listen to you and support you in your chosen path. She will remind you of those choices, and the reason you made them, when you doubt, are anxious, or afraid. She sees you; the real you. Her understanding of your journey supports your self-confidence. She eases pain with a touch, a word, a look... SHE'S A DOULA" - Unknown
Birth Doula Care
I am a birth doula. My vision is to assist my clients using mindfulness and hypno-birthing techniques to both calm and empower. It is my honor to hold and protect the space for my clients as they embark on their journey to motherhood. I coach, cheer and remind her that her body was perfectly engineered to give birth. As a Smai Tawi Kemetic yoga student I encourage poses that will help mom during the birthing process. Inclusive within the Birth Doula Package is assistance with writing the birth plan and a prenatal visit. Attending a doctor’s appointment, a prenatal yoga session, or a walk in the park as we discuss expectations are creative examples of the prenatal visit options I offer.
I am available for questions via e-mail/text and go on-call at 36 weeks. I also include a postpartum visit within the cost where I check in on Mom and Baby.
Post Partum Doula Care
The fourth trimester is just as significant as the other 3 trimesters. Expecting mothers should prepare for this stage of childbirth equally. I am a CAPPA trained postpartum doula. I offer my clients physical, emotional, informational support. My role is different with each mother and family. I will come in and intuitively evaluate where I am needed most. I will ask Mom how I can support her. During my time with my families I educate and support them so that they feel confident in caring for their newborn themselves when I am gone. As an advocate for self-care I also want to impress upon mom, ways of caring for herself once I am gone.
If Mom needs a listening ear, I will hold space for that. I assist new mothers with breastfeeding such as proper positioning, latch, how long to nurse, how to determine that baby is “getting enough”. I also do light housework, by tidying up and surface cleaning. I encourage my mothers to get outside to walk or to do some postpartum or restorative yoga poses with me. Other benefits to my presence is extra support and caring hands, newborn instruction care, nursery management, resources and referral information, empathetic listening, relief from isolation of new parenting, fewer calls to the pediatrician for basic information, supporting parents to get more rest, household assistance, buffer for other family members/friends.
"Research shows the benefits of having postpartum support are: Lower rates of postpartum mood disorders, including depression, higher breastfeeding success rates, deeper bonds between parents and infants (as evidenced by lower rates of abuse) and more confidence in parenting skills and competence." - CAPPA
"Hiring A DOULA is Self Care" - Y'Na
* I accept Flexible spending accounts (FSA) and health savings accounts (HSA) payments, I offer payment plans and help clients to find creative ways to get the support they need.