How I doula?

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My main goal as a doula is to ensure parents feel respected, heard and validated. I bring empathy and genuine care as well as mindfulness and coping techniques to assist you in your pregnancy, labor and delivery.

I like to get to know my clients on a personal level, by actively listening and sharing my experiences and knowledge. 

Using my skills as a designer and photographer, I can also provide the family with precious memories  of this precious moment by photographing your birth if you wish.

I believe every woman deserves to have a positive childbirth experience and it is my goal to help her feel respected and heard.

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What is a birth doula?

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A doula is someone who has the training and skills to help a woman and her partner prepare for labor and birth.  A doula also assists during the birth by offering physical and emotional support.

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What does a birth doula do?

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A doula provides emotional and physical support for the mom and her partner during pregnancy and birth. Here are some things you can expect when you hire  a doula. I will:

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• provide evidence-based information to help the mom make informed choices and prepare for labor -- trust me, this is one of the most important tools you will have when preparing to give birth.

• help mom make a birth plan -- also very important. Even though sometimes things don't go as planned, when you are working on your birth plan, you are considering your options and what may or may not work for you. This is a very powerful process to become informed.

• use comfort measures during labor and delivery -- when you are in labor, you are vulnerable and focused. It is amazing to have someone experienced by your side trying different methods to provide comfort, even if you opt for an epidural.

• help communication between mom and medical staff -- many times a doula can make this process easier and less stressful, reminding you or the staff of your preferences and other options.

• give list of resources, such as books, videos, groups, etc;

• help the birth partner know what to do and how to help and how to get more involved -- a doula will help your partner be as involved as you both prefer, giving tips and suggestions. She won't try to replace him.

• keep mom company if/ when birth partner needs rest/ food;

• help mom know what questions to ask;

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A doula WON'T:

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• perform any clinical tasks/ make medical recommendations;

•  make decisions for the mom

• speak to the medical staff on your behalf.

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How much?​

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Doula Services

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$950

1 Prenatal session | 1 birth plan building session | Unlimited contact through phone, text and email | Continual support during active labor | 1 Postpartum visit

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Birth Photos + Doula Services

$1500​

Doula services as well as Birth Photos

You save $300

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The Purpose and Value of Labor Support

 

Camilla Alves

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Along with childbearing, come a lot of emotions. The excitement is usually accompanied by fear, doubts and uncertainties. Each woman will face her own challenges and insecurities, but all deserve to have support, which can come from different sources. Health providers offer their knowledge and skills for medical procedures, to guarantee healthy outcomes. Partners and family use their love and knowledge of the birthing mother in a way no one can replace. A doula is a trained labor companion, who provides emotional and physical support to a mother and her family before, during and after childbirth. Her ultimate goal is to help the mother have a satisfying and memorable birth experience, as the mother defines it.

 

Every mother has specific needs during labor and delivery, and they go beyond modern medical care. Since childbirth is a very unique moment, mothers and partners may feel the need for extra support.

 

The birth experience is more than just a baby being born; it is the start or addition to a family. The events during and right after it can have a large impact on the relationships that are being formed. Therefore, it is vital that a mother is well cared for during labor and delivery. A doula can help ensure that the mother's emotional and physical needs are being met, as well as encourage and empower the mother, while providing evidence based information.

 

A doula offers continuous physical support with positioning, relaxation, breathing techniques, movement, counter pressure, touch, applying cold or hot packs, giving ice chips, water or food, and more.  According to Caton et. al. [1], women feel less pain when a doula is present. This is a result not only of physical comfort measures, but also of emotional support. Having someone to rely on increases oxytocin release, which impacts mom's self-esteem and decreases anxiety and stress [2]. Therefore mothers are less likely to request pain medication or epidurals, which can also help prevent other interventions, such as Pitocin and continuous fetal monitoring. Additionally, women who do not have the epidural are more likely to be able to move and shift positions, facilitating delivery. That  constant support results in shorter labor, less interventions, lower cesarean rates, better infant outcomes and more satisfactory experiences.

 

Partners also benefit from the presence of a doula. According to DONA's Position Paper [3], when a doula is present, partners feel relieved and have a more enjoyable experience. One does not replace the other. On the contrary, they complement each other, making the perfect support team for the mother. The partner is usually the baby's father or another loved one and has a strong relationship with the mother and the baby. He or she knows her, cares for her and is committed to her. The doula has knowledge and skills that the partner might not have. Additionally, the doula can guide the partner by making suggestions on how to help, allowing him or her to be as involved as desired. Furthermore, a doula can also be a buffer for the hospital environment, where the laboring woman may feel vulnerable. In essence, health care providers, partners and the doula can work together to create the ideal environment for a pleasant birth experience.

 

Doulas do not make medical decisions for the mother. They can help the mother empower herself with the information she needs and even assist in creating a birth plan while reviewing the mother's options. However, a doula will respect the mother's wishes and support her. The doula does not reflect her personal preferences on the laboring mother. The doula can facilitate communication between the medical staff and the mother, clarifying technical terms or reminding them of their options or birth plan, but she does not speak to the staff on the mother's behalf.

 

Doulas do not perform any medical tasks, such as vaginal exams or fetal heart monitoring. They are not nurses, midwives or doctors. They play a very specific role caring for the mother's emotional and physical well being. The code of Ethics [4] states that doulas should promote the general health of women and their babies. Doulas should strive to keep learning, be their best and serve women with reliability, confidentiality and respect.

 

Labor and delivery can seem like a rollercoaster of emotions. The doula can ease that transition and even assist with initial breastfeeding. She will not leave until she has made sure that all the family's needs are met. Birth should be a memorable moment, when the mother and the family are well taken care of emotionally. The mother should feel empowered, accomplished and satisfied, regardless of what kind of birth she has.

 

[1] CATON, D. (2002). The Nature and Management of Labor Pain: Executive summary. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 186(5), pp.S1-S15.

 

[2] Dekker, R. (2018). Evidence on: Doulas. [online] Evidence Based Birth®. Available at: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/ [Accessed 22 Jun. 2018].

 

[3] Simkin, P. (2012). Position Paper: The Birth Doula’s Contribution to Modern Maternity Care. [online] Dona.org. Available at: https://www.dona.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/COESOP-2017-FINAL-Birth.pdf [Accessed 22 Jun. 2018].

 

[4] Dona.org. (2017). Code of Ethics: Birth Doula. [online] Available at: https://www.dona.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/COESOP-2017-FINAL-Birth.pdf [Accessed 22 Jun. 2018].