As your doula, I will provide you with informational and emotional support, as well as physical assistance.

When we first meet and discuss your birthing preferences, I will help you construct your birth plan. We will keep things as close to your birth plan as possible. If a doctor or a nurse attempts to offer too many interventions, I will be there to advocate for your preferences and explain the details of any procedures that may be on offer by the medical staff.

I provide each family with a resource list that is specific to your requests that can include the information on yoga classes, placenta encapsulation, chiropractors and much more.

I encourage every client to participate in childbirth education classes. My job is to focus on your birth, and your duty is to learn ahead of time about labor and about how your body works. The information that you receive from all sources should resonate. If you feel the need for private childbirth education classes, I will provide separate sessions to address this need.

I will be by your side throughout your labor providing insight into the numerous physical and emotional reactions that any birthing mother experiences. Together we will look for comfortable birthing positions with which the medical staff at the hospital will agree. Oftentimes, mothers need reassurance to simply trust their bodies, and I will be there to mitigate any stressful moments that you and – importantly – your partner may have.

I usually get called in when a mother begins experiencing a shift during the first stage of labor, commonly when dilated around 5 cm. If necessary, I can come earlier. The labor can become so intense that you may feel you are losing control over your body. That is when I encourage using visualization and breathing techniques. At this moment, calming words and reassurance are critical to stress mitigation.

When dilation reaches 8 or 9 cm, it is common for a mother to feel overwhelmed. That is when the relaxation becomes ever more important so that dilation can continue. A gentle reminder that you are almost ‘there’ is often needed. Subsequently, during the pushing period the body sometimes requires a 10 to 20 minute pause (this is especially typical of the first time mothers) during which the baby is molding his/her head to fit the birth canal. This is the time to relax and re-energize.

After the birth, I will make sure that the baby is put on the mother’s chest. Sometimes at this stage nurses need a little encouragement to ensure that this sacred moment is preserved. I will encourage breastfeeding initiation as it is vital for a smooth transition of the baby from the womb to the life outside of the mother’s body.