What is a Birth Doula?
A Birth Doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to their client before, during and shortly after childbirth to help them achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible.
I am so honored to call doulahood my life's work. What began as a deep admiration of pregnancy and motherhood in early childhood has now flourished into the practical knowledge of and experience in supporting women through their journey of bringing new life into our world.
I view labor and motherhood as the most spiritual experience - and the greatest gift - we women are able to receive in this lifetime, and supporting mothers in feeling empowered, at ease, and present during this journey is of utmost importance to me.
How I Will Serve You
Free Consultation
I offer a free consultation by phone or on zoom. During this meeting we will discuss your pregnancy so far, and what expectations/concerns you or your partner have. I will introduce my background and philosophy as a Doula as well. We will end by covering contract details.
Phone & Email Support
Once a contract is signed you will have unlimited text, email and phone support from me. Upon request, I will also send useful information and resources to prepare you for labor.
2 Prenatal Visits
In the prenatal visits we will create your birth wishes and postpartum plan. We discuss everything from diet and exercise, labor and comfort measures, what to expect after your baby arrives and what my role will be from the beginning to after your baby arrives. I will also get to know a bit about your partners expectations and concerns.
Labor Support
I will make sure that you feel heard and your needs are met. I will provide verbal affirmations, various comfort measures and strategies for pain management. I will make sure that you and your partner are informed of all interventions that may be presented to you during labor. I will also guide your partner in better supporting you while giving them the opportunities to take care of their own needs.
Baby First Feeding
After your baby is born I will stay with you to assist you with breastfeeding your first and make sure everything else is in order for a smooth recovery.
Postpartum Visit
During this visit we will discuss healing after birth, nursing, and how to care for your baby. I will also assist you in light house keeping, putting together baby items, or just rocking your baby so you can sleep if needed. I will also provide you with informative resources on breastfeeding, sleeping, and everything in between.
“What if we told women the truth about birth
We’d have to tell them that contractions will probably be more than “surges” or “sensations.”
That they’ll probably rock your fcking world and leave you begging for salvation as you clutch the edge of the tub or the hospital linens
That your gentle breathing exercises and your Spotify soundtrack will be left in the dust as you sweat and pant and sway and swear your way through it
That you’ll trip harder than any mushroom you ever did in college and vomit with the same ferocity and travel to places deep within yourself that you didn’t know existed. That you’ll float above your body and simultaneously be trapped in it with an intensity you’ve never tasted
And in that intensity, in the sweating and the swearing and the swaying and the vomiting and the endless hours of contractions crashing down upon you
You’ll find your strength
You’ll find a resilience you’ve never known
You’ll find the power you need for the journey of motherhood ahead
In the messy humanity of it all
You’ll find that you are holy
A portal to the divine
Capable of indescribable miracles
A vessel of sacred life
What if we told women the truth about birth?
We’d have to tell them they are capable of anything
Worthy of being treated like goddesses
Made to walk through the flames
Surf the tidal waves
Dive into the underworld
And come out alive
Not unscathed
Not unchanged
But whole
And healed
And ready to take on the world
If we told women the truth about birth
We’d have to admit that we’ve lied about everything else
And that they are more powerful
More fierce
More capable
More beautiful
Than we’ve ever let on.
If we told the truth about birth?
We’d shatter the world.”
Spirit Y Sol
Why I Became A Birth Doula & My Philosophy
I have been fascinated with pregnancy ever since I was a child. Every time I stood in the same room as a pregnant woman, I felt as if I were sharing the room with a real life goddess! When I was 22 I discovered Doulahood. As a highly empathetic and sensitive individual, easing the pain and suffering of others has always been my greatest gift, and in assisting mothers through labor is my primary way of doing so in this lifetime.
My Philosophy:
Just like with most other aspects of life, acceptance key. Having expectations is completely normal, but practicing letting go of them before and during labor is a keystone to having an empowering birth experience. There is no right or wrong way to give birth, there is just the way it IS and embracing what IS is my philosophy as a Doula.
As a doula, my job is to provide comfort measures, physical touch, verbal affirmations, and advocating for the mother when there is confusion or resistance. I am NOT a Doula to convince the mother that I know what is best, I am merely here to make sure that the mother feels clear about what she wants or needs, and receives it. Above all, I am here to establish a trusting relationship and a safe environment for the mother to embrace the vulnerable and wild process of labor.