I believe that every pregnant woman should have a Doula. It can be your best friend, your mother, your sister, your aunt, it can even be your husband. Every woman needs someone there to care for her during her pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum. . Women have been supporting other women during the childbearing period from the beginning of time, It is what we are supposed to do. I was a Doula f
or the first time for my best friend and I LOVED it! It was an energizing and awe inspiring experience; second only to my experience in labor. It is a precious gift to witness a woman in all her glory, bring a life into this world and an honor to support her while she does it. I have four children and had four very different births. Each one came with its own lessons. My first birth taught me that I am not happy with having someone "manage" my labor for me and that I needed to be the one in control of my labor. My second birth taught me that I can birth a baby naturally and in my own way without pain medicine and without someone dictating when and how to push. My third and somewhat traumatic birth taught me that I can make it through the dark valleys even when I feel like giving up and that even the best laid plans are subject to nature. My fourth and very healing homebirth taught me to release my "inner monkey"(See Ina May Gaskin's Birth Matters) and welcome the contractions instead of fearing how powerful they could be and fearing a repeat of my previous labor. It taught me to use what I had once perceived as pain, as a tool to open myself up and to have complete faith in my body to do what God built to do. It was a life changing experience that has shown me that my true power lies not in all the great things that I may do but in how I will make it through the times when I feel like I can go no further. I fervently hope that I will be able to use these lessons to help other women have empowering, passionate births that they can look back on with joy and awe. My Promise to You
I promise to do my best to help you have the labor and birth experience that you desire. I will put all of my effort, resources and experience to their best possible use to reach this goal. I will do my best to make sure that the mother and father/ birth partner are fully educated about ALL birthing options and procedures. This will enable them to make their first decisions as parents, informed decisions. This will also allow them to decide what, if any, methods and procedures/ interventions they would like to use during labor and after the baby is born. I will provide them with a resource list and suggested reading list to this end. I will be supportive of their decisions and encourage them to be as involved as possible with all aspects of her pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum care. I will teach the mother and birth partner different pain coping techniques. I will also employ, or coach the birth partner in, the use of some or all of these techniques during labor and birth to help with pain or discomfort. I promise to do my best to reassure the mother and father/ birth partner during stressful times in labor and birth and to encourage others to also. I promise to do my best to help make the birth of your child a pleasant and deeply satisfying experience. If your birth/ labor was not at all what you planned, or turned out to be traumatic I will help you to cope with and understand how and why your birth was not satisfying. If you decide to breastfeed your baby, I will help you and the baby establish good nursing habits(i.e. good latch, positioning, pain management techniques for after-pains). I can step in for your birth partner(or the father) if he/she needs to run out for a bit or needs to sleep. I will help you create a birth plan that allows you to convey how you would like for your labor, birth, baby care and postpartum care to be handled. I am here to do everything possible to ensure that you have a truly wonderful birth and postpartum recovery. I will help you at home with caring for you and your baby. I can show you how to bathe, swaddle, wear, and calm your baby. I can show you exercises that will help reduce backache and muscle soreness that can occur after you have had your baby.
