Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Your family is growing and your body is going through some amazing changes. Pretty soon you are going to be holding a newborn (or two...) in your arms. But how will this new baby get here? It is a question every mother asks herself at one point during her pregnancy and it usually leads to more questions. What will this birth be like? Will it be painful? How am I going to cope with it? Where will I give birth? Who will be present? What could happen to me?
WHAT DO I WANT?

A lot of women in our society are not aware that they can chose the birth they desire, or they know what they want but do not realize how to go about getting it. I can help you. As a doula, I am the medium through which your wishes will be realized. I will help you and your family facilitate the birth that you desire by offering you continuous emotional and physical support. If you want a natural birth at home, I will be there to help you see it through by providing pain relief techniques. If you desire a natural birth in a hospital or birth center, I will encourage and support you, help ease the pain and make sure that you have information to back your decisions. If you need to have an induced or medicated hospital birth, I will offer pain relief techniques and help you assess the best time for you to receive the epidural if you chose to. However, a doula's work does not end if you have choose an epidural, I will encourage you to rest and release because there is still a baby that needs to be born. That means we have to conserve energy for pushing and I will help you push as effectively as you can. I also provide emotional support for cesarean delivers. After the baby is born, I will ensure that the family bonds and the baby is comfortably nursing.

Often a laboring couple is left to their own devices. Nurses are usually attending to several women at a time and the doctor may not come until the baby is crowning. You may have taken a class or two, but will you and your partner remember everything you learned? What happens when your partner is tired, overwhelmed or if things are happening too fast? I can help you. As a doula I will never replace your partner. Instead I will enhance your partner's effectiveness by allowing him or her to enjoy the experience free from anxiety or doubt. For example, mom is doing pelvic rocks on a birth ball while I do counter-pressure on her lower back, mom leans on the partner for support. I will enable your partner to relax, grab a snack, take a nap, and support you with confidence.