Doula Services

What Is a Doula?

A doula is best summed up in the word Support. The word "doula" itself comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves.”

Doula care includes emotional support, informational support, and physical support. This starts with prenatal visits to help you prepare for your labor and delivery, presence, advocacy, and partner support during the entirety of your labor and delivery, and followed up with breastfeeding support and postpartum visits.

Doulas support you no matter what you choose to do or not do. Studies show that clients who have a doula attend them in childbirth have labors that are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.
Looking for more information? This video is my favorite introduction to doula care.

My Approach to Care

My philosophy as a doula is to help women have the best birth possible by acting as first an educator, then as a facilitator of the relationship between the woman and her partner, and then as an advocate during birth. Informed consent makes all the difference in your birth. Whether you are in a hospital, birth center, or at home, as a doula, I help to ensure you are fully informed so that you are able to make informed choices during your birth. Along with informational support and advocacy, I seek to offer women the support she and her partner needs during labor in the form of physical and emotional support.

What’s Included?

Physical Support
As a doula I provide comfort measures such as: massage, counter pressure, positioning, rebozo comfort techniques, relaxation methods, birth ball techniques, aromatherapy, hot/cold hydrotherapy, mobility and other non-medical forms of pain/ stress relief.
Emotional Support
As a doula I offer a continuous presence during labor, encouragement for the parents to be and/or the woman’s choice of birth partner, reassurance that what is happening is normal, feedback and praise. I act as a road map on your journey through labor and delivery for you and your partner during the process of birth.
Informational Support & Advcacy
As a doula I provide you with help gathering information so that you can make informed decisions about your labor and birth. I offer advice about your options during labor and delivery, and offer explanations for these terms and procedures.
As a doula I advocate for you, offering to help interpret your wishes and needs to the hospital staff, partner, and family.
Partner Support
As a doula I do not take the place of your partner. I may model techniques and/or offer suggestions on how your partner can better help and be involved at their own comfort level, as well as help them understand where you are emotionally and physically at that point of labor. I support partners just as much as I support you, and hold space for your relationship and experience as a couple.
Prenatal Visits
Support in the form of prenatal visits to help you prepare for your upcoming birth. These visits include: help writing a birth plan, discussing what your wishes are for your birth, and education on the typical process of labor and birth.
Breastfeeding Support, Postpartum Support
As a doula I offer help with first latch, positioning and breastfeeding at the hospital right after birth. I also provide 1-2 postpartum visits after you go home to talk about your experience and answer any questions you might have about your birth and breastfeeding.