Birth Doula

What is a Birth Doula?

Doulas are trained and experienced in providing physical and emotional support to a mother and her family throughout labour, birth and the postpartum period.

Birth Doula Services include:

2 Prenatal Visits

• We help you and your partner determine your wishes and goals for your birth through a series of in depth questions I have created to gain an understanding of your priorities, and help you better visualize and anticipate the variety of possibilities for your birth. Many times when a person /couple think of creating their birth wishes they don’t know where to start
• We am here to guide you through the stages of labour and provide extensive information about every stage, your options, and what to expect. We also provide an understanding of medical terminology so you feel better prepared, empowered, and involved in your birth experience. We discuss any previous births, your fears & concerns, your excitement & vision!
• We will provide resources and education for you about breastfeeding, and help you feel prepared for the addition of a new baby to your family whether it be your first, second, third… we help you feel prepared for new parenthood, or for helping older children adjust in the transition period.
• We go over homeopathic remedies, and handmade aromatherapy products we provide for each labour, how they work, and the potentials for their use
• We share with you ways to prepare your body for labour in the later weeks of pregnancy

Labour

• We are on call 24/7
• We are available to discuss the changes your body is experiencing leading up to the birth, and help you determine when you are in labour
• We are there from the moment your labour is established, through until 2 hours after your baby is born
• We support you and your partner physically and emotionally
• We take photos / videos of your labour and birth if you desire
• We encourage position changes and other coping techniques
• We provide and show your partner acupressure and massage to help you cope
• We provide and prepare remedies for healing after the birth

2 Postpartum Visits

• We provide educated support for breastfeeding – We discuss yours and your partner’s experience of the labour
• We discuss the possibility of additional postpartum visits if needed
• We offer resources and information on any concerns you may have with normal infant care and provide additional resources as needed

How Having a Birth Doula Helps:

• 50% reduction in cesarean rate
• 25% shorter labours – Doulas help reduce the length of a labour through suggestions of different positions and emotional support contributing to the mother being more relaxed
• 60% reduction in epidural requests – Doulas reduce the need for medical interventions and medications by offering coping techniques and continuous emotional support
• 40% reduction in oxytocin use
• 30% reduction in analgesia use
• 40% reduction in forceps delivery
• Doulas help the mother feel supported and more positive about the birth experience there by reducing the risk for postpartum depression
• Doulas encourage greater success with breastfeeding through one on one guidance and support, and the information for additional resources if necessary