Birth Doula Services

Overview

As a birth doula, I see my role as providing support to you through your pregnancy, birth, and immediate postpartum experience. My goal is that you feel well cared for, that you are supported by your choices and that you make the transition into becoming a mama as smoothly and joyfully as possible. I am especially careful that my role is not to take place of your partner or others whom you have invited to your birth, but rather to facilitate everyone’s optimal involvement. The following services are included in my fee:

Services

  • Free Initial consultation/ interview in /at your home or public place (no obligation)
  • Two prenatal visits in your home; lasting approximately 90min each.
  • On-call availability beginning 3 weeks before and up to two weeks after your estimated due date.
  • Continuous support during your labor and birth in the hospital, birth center or for your homebirth
  • Support at home in early labor, if desired and appropriate
  • Support after your baby is born during the immediate recovery phase (approximately 2 hours)
  • One postpartum home visit, typically on the third or fourth day (can be earlier if needed or preferred.)
  • Phone consultations as needed up to six weeks postpartum.

Policies

MY PROMISE I promise to return your nonurgent phone calls or text messages within 24hours. I willmaintain availability to respond promptly to all your urgent calls. I will notify you when my backup doula is taking calls for me, for any reason. I promise to provide all services as described in this agreement. I will do my very best to support you to have the experience you are hoping for.
BACKUP I promise to be available for three weeks before and two weeks after your due est. date, except for any dates I provide to you up front at our initial interview. Should you birth outside of the on-call timeframe, I may very well still be available but if I am not, a backup doula will be on call for me. This way, you can be assured that you are covered and will always receive excellent care. Please understand that illness, family emergency or two births happening at once might also cause me to activate my backup doula. In the case of using my backup, I will continue to provide as much of the care as possible, including the postpartum visit.
CONTACT You are responsible for keeping me informed on how you are doing and updating me on any significant developments related to your pregnancy. Please call me, at a minimum, within a day or two following each prenatal visit with your care provider. Contact me if you suspect that you are in early labor. The more notice I have of your impending need, the better prepared I can be to leave at a moment’s notice. A 60min notice is helpful, prior to meeting you for the birth. Communicating honestly about your needs will help all of us to provide you with the best comfort and support.

Fees

My fee is $1500.- If you decide to hire me, a nonrefundable retainer of $750.-will be due at contract signing. The balance owed is due at the second prenatal visit, which is typically scheduled three weeks to four weeks before your expected due date. Repeat client: 15% discount Tricare accepted
LIMITATIONS
As your doula, I am committed to supporting you and your partner to make informed choices regarding your experience and care. I will not make decisions for you nor directly interfere with your health care providers on your behalf. My role is to provide nonmedicalized care focused on information, emotional and physical- support, including hands-on comfort measures, during labor and birth. I do not perform clinical tasks such as monitoring fetal heart rate tones or checking dilation.

Why Hire a Doula?

A doula helps the birthing mother strengthen that healthy inner voice that has been so often buried by a chatterbox of fear and stories, heard or experienced. By reminding the mother of her power and assisting in areas of stress, doulas are an impactful part of any birth team. Doulas support the physiological process of birth by offering different measures of comfort in coping with the intensity of pressure waves. This includes breathing, relaxation, movements, counter pressure, hip squeezers, cold or hot wash cloths, beverages, warm showers, baths, and more. She reminds the laboring mother with encouraging words and affirmation of how wonderfully she is doing, that each pressure wave will bring her baby closer earthside. The mother's self-esteem will be strengthened, and mountains can be moved.
The doula advocates for the clients wishes as expressed in her birth plan/preferences or in prenatal conversations and encourages her clients to ask their care provider relevant questions. If any changes of plan occur during labor or the prenatal phase, a doula will help to enhance the communication between client and care provider and advocate for what the client wants. Her advocacy role does not mean that she will speak or make decisions for the client. A woman’s partner is essential in providing support to the birthing woman and will not be replaced by the doula. But instead, the doula is an addition to the birth team and can complement the other’s strength. Her broad, evidence-based knowledge provides parents great information and helps them to be well prepared for any circumstances.

"Urvertrauen"

A German word meaning "innate trust" It is an important element in the outcome of how we experience birth.

A Birth Perspective

Mindset heavily effects the birth process. Having a healthy perspective and trusting your body is key.
You Give Birth
The perception of delivering a baby rather than giving birth, has been embedded in our culture. I encourage every expecting mother to use the term "birthing" instead of the physician "delivering" the baby. As Rebecca Dekker so beautifully writes: “Babies are not Pizza, they are born, but not delivered” Rewiring our brains in how we discuss birth and how we would like to experience it helps to shift our own perception, autonomy, and responsibility. Owning our birth experience empowers us to know our options.
Holding Space
We intuitively need a quiet, dark, warm space: a bubble of peace. Protecting a birth space for our clients where they feel safe and are able to let go is an important role of a doula. The foundational knowledge of a doula is to hold that space so that the birthing mother can be in a state of flow, or in "labor land". Understanding the nuances of the birth process, doulas are able to provide the right amount of support by anticipating the mother's needs through the relationship they have developed.
New Beginnings
In the same moment a child is born, a mother is too. The family dynamic becomes new. Whether it is your first child or not, each birth is a new experience. Doulas are trained to be sensitive to traumas and provide care with compassion and understanding. Freed from practicing medical procedures, doulas are able to focus on providing tailored support in the areas of physiology, biochemistry, and psychology. A doula is there to help gather information on the questions and issues surrounding birth so you can make informed decisions.

Doulas don’t fly in with a super cape on. They come in and help you to tighten your own!

Let’s talk

Schedule your consultation today

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