My ultimate goal as a doula is to enable women and their partners to have safe, satisfying, and joyful birth experiences, however they might define it.  Throughout our time together, as you move from pregnancy into parenthood, I listen to your needs and strive to facilitate the fulfillment of your birth choices.

To get started with me, I offer a free meet and greet in which we discuss what you might want out of a doula and what I can provide you, and we then determine if we might make a good birth team.  Once we decide to go forward, I will visit you in your home once or twice and in these prenatal meetings, we will go over your birth preferences, make a birth plan together, discuss coping techniques, and address any fears or concerns you may have.  I will provide referrals to specialists and informational resources should you be in need of anything beyond my scope of expertise.

Three weeks before and two weeks beyond your due date, I provide 24 hour on-call support.  Once you go into labor, I will meet you in your home within an hour after you request so, and remain with you throughout your entire labor and two to three hours after the delivery of your baby.

Here are a few examples of what I might do during your labor:

• Give a massage with lavender or eucalyptus oil
• Suggest activities and positions to help cope with pain
• Help your partner time your contractions and aid in the decision to transition to the place of delivery
• Let you use my birth ball
• When we’re leaving for the place of delivery, check if you’ve left food for the cat, make sure you remember your keys, move your suitcases into the taxi, and tell the taxi driver where to go—so that you can focus on your labor and your partner can focus on you
• Remind your care provider of your birth preferences
• Respect your acute emotional vulnerability in labor and deflect you from negative energy
• Non-judgmentally facilitate your decisions
• Take pictures
• Remind you that you are safe, strong, and beautiful

Immediately postpartum, I will help you with initial breastfeeding and address any concerns you might have about early infant care.  Within the following week, I will visit you in your home once more to ensure that breastfeeding is going well, that you feel balanced emotionally, and that your transition into parenthood is passing as smooth as possible.  Finally, I give your baby a letter detailing the events of his or her birthday as a keepsake for the whole family.