What is a Doula?

Picture
If you are looking for a Doula then you are a part of a growing number of women and families who are looking to take back control of birthing in America. All too often, the wishes and safety of mothers and their unborn babies are put aside in deference to the whims of lawyers and insurance companies. A Doula can help you work within and around these obstacles and give you the tools to birth your baby healthily. The word doula comes from the ancient Greek meaning a woman who serves and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the post partum period. Studies have shown that when Doula's attend births, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily. I am a certified Labor Doula orignalally trained through DONA International and more recently through Traditional Doula Arts. I am passionate about birth and dedicated to restoring its reputation as a normal and healthy function of a woman's body.

I am also a Hypnobabies Certified Hypno-Doula and can assist birthing couples with all of the tools and techniques learned in my Hypnobabies class or through private study.

I love birth and have personally experienced both a medicalized hospital birth and a natural home water birth and been privileged to assist women birthing in many places and ways.

What can a Doula do for you?

  • Emotional Support by encouragement, reassurance, and continulous physical presence.
  • Informational support by giving assisstance to families in gathering information about the course of their labor and their options, providing explanations and offering non-medical advice.
  • Physical support by means of positioning, massage, breathing, relaxation, and other non-pharmacological pain relief measures.
  • Advocacy by means of interpreting the woman's wishes to hopstial staff.
  • Partner support by rolemodeling, providing encouragement, and reassurance.

A Doula. . . 

  • Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life
  • Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
  • Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for the birth
  • Stays with the woman throughout the labor
  • Provides emotional support, physical compfort measures and an objective viewport, as well, as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decisions
  • Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner, and her clinical care providers
  • Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of the birth experience
  • Encourages the woman's partner to participate at his/her comfort level

A Doula does not. . . 

  • Replace the birth partner. We are a team and are involved as much or as little as is wanted.
  • Do anything clinical i.e.: vaginal exams, blood pressure checks, monitor heart rate etc.
  • Make decisions for you. A doula provides factual and unbiased information so that YOU can make the best decision for your family.

Services Provided by MammaGoddess

  • 1 meeting somewhere geographically between us where we get to know each other and decide if we'd be a good match.
  • 1 pre-natal visit with you and your birth partner(s) at your home where we go over every and any thing concerning your labor, birth, and afterwards. Approx. 4 weeks prior to your guess date.
  • unlimited phone and email support from me and and my seemingly endless supply of resources for all things related to birth and health for the whole family. This support has no time limit :-)
  • 1 postpartum visit at your home. I like to do this on day 3 or 4 postpartum when your milk comes in.

I will. . .

  • Come to your home and labor with you there keeping you as calm and comfortable as possible until you decide it is time to go to your birthing place. 
  • Use massage, aromatherapy, positioning, water and various other techniques depending on what is needed. 
  • Transfer with you to the hospital and stay with you throughout your birthing time until your baby is in your arms.
  • Help you initiate breastfeeding if you desire to do so.
  • Employ my laymen's knowledge of herbs, supplements, and homeopathy that are useful in pregnancy, birthing, postpartum and breast-feeding as well as many newborn issues that may occur if you ask for it.
  • I only take one client in ant two week period of time so you will never have to worry about me being at another birth when you need me. Once hired I block off a week before and after your guess date that is just for you. 
  • I can take pictures and video of the birth.
  • I have a back-up/partner who is also a certified doula and hypno-doula
  • I am a DONA certified labor doula, a Hypnobabies Birth Educator and Hypno-Doula and like to employ those techniques in any birth where the mother is willing, not just for women who have taken my class. Those include visualization and relaxation techniques, affirmations, and gentle birthing (mother lead, instead of having a room of people yelling at you to PUSH! :-)

Fees

Doula Services are $1,200.00
If you take my Hypnobabies class AND hire me as your doula I offer a $100.00 discount off the doula fee.
call 516-551-4283 or contact via email