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Like many women involved in birth, my journey to becoming a doula started with my own births. I knew I wanted a “natural” birth, but unfortunately, I didn’t know what that meant to me. Although we took the hospital’s 6-week Lamaze’ preparation course, as well as a Anesthesiology class, nothing prepared me for the actual day. Even though the medical staff were nice and did their jobs as expected
, you never felt as if anything was really explained to you or that you had the support you needed. Many times you feel left in the dark! I learned a lot from that experience and decided that I would be actively involved and aware during the birth of my next child. When I found out I was pregnant again, I approached the whole experience differently – from the books I read, to the classes we took, to the way we chose our care provider, down to familiarizing myself with my ever changing body and even my baby’s changes as well. My homework paid off and we had a wonderful, healing and joyous birth with our second baby. The lessons I learned from those two births inspired me to become a doula and to help women to have the empowered births they deserve. Now, many years later and we have just had our eighth child, surrounded by people who created the warm supportive and safe environment that is just right for children to come into this world. The word “doula” means a woman who serves women, and that is what I’ve learned is so helpful in birth. I’ve experienced birth in many different hospitals, both here and abroad, in unmedicated and medicated forms, and in all of these situations, a supportive, comforting and compassionate companion is the most valuable and indispensable component. My Role as your Doula
As a doula, I am present to help expecting parents create the birth that they envision for themselves and to experience birth fully and actively. My number one goal when I am hired as a doula for my clients is to make sure they are educated and informed. By being fully informed of all the benefits,risks and alternatives this gives them the ability to make the best decisions for their family at that time. I love empowering women to trust their bodies in the process of giving birth and helping them enter the world of parenting. Birth works best when Mom feels comfortable, safe and supported. My role in creating that feeling is to keep the birth space comfortable physically and emotionally, to provide continuous labor support – from comfort measures to taking pictures and video, and to provide information whenever it is needed to help parents make the right choices for them. Because I am there to enable the parents’ vision, I try to facilitate partner participation to whatever extent they choose.
