·
Postpartum comfort measures
·
Breastfeeding support
·
Explanation of newborn characteristics and
newborn care
·
Sleeping suggestions
And always…
·
Patience, and a listening ear
As a doula, I strive
to provide the humanistic, personal care that most women desire during their
prenatal, labor and birth, and postpartum periods.
I
accompany women in labor to help ensure a satisfying and safe birth experience.
I draw on my knowledge and experience to provide emotional support,
physical comfort, and communication with your partner or
other support people during your labor and birth.
I will provide information and help you ask questions to make sure that
you have the information you need to make informed choices as they arise in
labor. I can provide reassurance and perspective to you and your partner, make
suggestions for labor progress, and help with relaxation, massage, positioning,
and pain-coping techniques for comfort.
My bias is toward birth as a natural event, and as a major event in a
woman’s and couple’s psycho-sexual lifespan.
I promote non-pharmacological options for pain-relief, and fully informed
consent for all procedures used on a woman and baby during this time.
My most primary concern is that the power, integrity, and dignity of each
woman and baby is enhanced and intact during and following their births.
In
the event that medical intervention is necessary in a birth, I support women and
their families in the choices they make, provide informational support, and
work to maintain the sanctity of the birth space as they originally intended it.
I do believe there is a place for medical technology:
during births that have true complications.
Otherwise I believe birth is a normal process that is best left
undisturbed. The births that do need assistance still
require the humanistic touch, compassion to mother and baby, gentleness, and
spiritual recognition they deserve.
As your doula, I am
working for you, not your caregiver or hospital. I am independent and
self-employed. I do not have a
preconceived idea of how I think your birth should be – my role and goal is to
support you in achieving the birth experience you desire, and appreciating the
birth that you have as it unfolds.
I will hold your desires in the forefront of my caring for you, and do my
best to help you have a fulfilling birth experience.
I work with other doulas to provide back-up
doula services for my clients. You have the option to choose your own
backup, or have me select one for you. You can meet with the backup doula
or talk with her on the phone - whatever is most comfortable for you. Having a
backup doula means that, while I am your primary doula and intend
to be at your birth, you will know your back-up doula in case she needs to be called in for your birth.
I prefer to meet with
you and your partner three times before labor.
The first meeting is free and does not obligate you to use my services.
The purpose of this meeting is
to meet and become acquainted, to explore and discuss your priorities and
desires for your birth, to explain the services that I offer, and to discuss how
we might best work together. I will also inform you of known times when I am
unavailable for labor support. To cover those times, the back-up doula would
attend your birth.
If you do select me,
then I will want to meet with you two more times to become more familiar with
your desires for your birth, including your preferences regarding the birth
setting, labor support options, the use of pain management techniques, and
procedures you may need or want to avoid.
I also want to learn about your own best ways of coping with pain and
stress and
fatigue, and how you and your partner foresee working together.
If you have a Birth Plan, we will review it at that time, or I can assist
you with developing one. In our final
visit, we can talk more about your birth desires, and also discuss preparing for
after the baby is born, discussing newborn care, your postpartum plan,
breastfeeding questions, and any other concerns you might have.
Outside of visits, you are free to
call me at any time during your pregnancy with questions you may have about your
pregnancy, upcoming birth, or my services. Weekly phone check-ins in your last
few weeks of pregnancy are helpful – calling after each of your weekly prenatal
visits to give me an update is a good routine to use.
In the event that an induction or
Cesarean is planned for your birth, I respectfully request that you coordinate
the scheduling with my schedule. Of course, if you go into spontaneous labor I
will cancel any other commitments I may have to be with you, but if it will be
scheduled I appreciate being able to work around my teaching schedule.
When you are in
labor, I prefer that you call me when you think you are in labor, even if you do
not need me yet. I can answer
questions and make suggestions over the phone.
We will decide if I should come right then or wait for further change. I usually need at least one hour to get to you from the time
you ask me to come. We will also
decide where to meet - at your home, the hospital, or the birth center.
Except for extraordinary circumstances, I or my back-up will remain with
you throughout labor and birth. After
birth, I will stay with you for a few hours until you are comfortable and
your family is ready for quiet time together.
I can also help with initial breastfeeding, if necessary.
I am available for phone contact to answer questions about the birth,
your recovery, or your baby at any time.
I will call and visit you in the
first three days after your birth (a phone call one day, a visit the next, or
vice versa). Our final meeting will take place about two to three weeks after your
birth, to see how you are doing, to review the birth, to admire your baby, and
to get feedback from you about my role.
