General Definition Of A Doula A Doula's role is to ensure a satisfying birth experience by providing physical, emotional, and informational support to a laboring woman and her partner. However, a Doula does NOT perform clinical tasks such as blood pressure, fetal heart rate monitoring, cervical checks, or homeopathy. Your Doula works exclusively for you, not your care provider or hospital. My training and certification as a registered nurse enhances my doula practice, however, I will not perform nursing tasks as your doula.

Birth Doula Services I will meet with you before the birth to discuss the labor and birth, provide birth plan information, and practice labor positions, massage, and breathing techniques. From the moment you hire me, I am available to answer questions and make suggestions over the phone or on e-mail at any time. Once active labor has begun, I will stay with you until one to two hours after the baby is born. During labor, I will provide reassurance and perspective to you, make suggestions to help labor progress and help with relaxation, massage, positioning and other techniques for comfort. Your birth plan is of the highest importance to me. I will work to maintain the integrity of your birth plan throughout your labor and delivery. I will rarely speak to your healthcare provider on your behalf. Rather, I will help you consider all of your birth options and will create an environment where you feel comfortable communicating with your healthcare team. I am happy to photograph labor, birth and/or recovery if desired as time and circumstances permit. During our one postpartum meeting, it is my pleasure to admire your baby, help you with breastfeeding and pumping as needed, teach you techniques to help sooth your baby, give referrals, discuss the birth and any other concerns you may have at that time.

Obligations As Your Birth Doula As your Doula, I will be on call for you 24 hours a day beginning two weeks before your estimated due date (EDD) and ending with the birth of your baby. This means that I will carry my cell phone with me at all times, and will not leave the area unless it is an emergency. If unforeseen circumstances prevent me from attending your birth. I will have a back-up Doula on call beginning two weeks before your EDD and ending with the birth of your baby.

Your Obligations As Clients Please keep me updated after visits with your care provider if there are concerns that s/he has about your pregnancy and/or birth. As your EDD approaches, contact me after prenatal visits as your cervix begins to change. Call me when you think you may be in labor, even if you are not sure, so that I may make arrangements to attend your birth. Please allow me approximately 1.5 hour's time to reach you in non-rush hour traffic and 2.5 hours in rush hour traffic. I provide the services above for $1,500. A $500 deposit is due upon hiring me as your doula. The remaining amount is due at our prenatal meeting.

Philosophy My philosophy of doula care is very simple. I am there to help you experience your birth in a way that is meaningful for you. My professional experience includes: hospital, birth center, home birth, vaginal birth, Cesarean birth, VBAC, un-medicated or "natural childbirth", epidural, HypnoBirthing, water birth, labor induction with and without medical pain management, high-risk pregnancy, and working with licensed midwives, certified nurse midwives, and medical doctors. Regardless of your choices or situation, I will stand with you throughout your labor and delivery. I maintain a nurturing environment where you and your partner receive the kind of support that is uniquely appropriate for you.