The world "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.
Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.
A Birth 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 birth
- Stays with the woman throughout labor
- Provides emotional support, physical comfort measure and an objective viewpoint, 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 providers
- Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of the birth experience
- Allows the woman's partner to participate at his/her comfort level
*From Dona International
| Birth Doula Services, $800 sliding scale available
I limit my doula services to two families (based on estimated due date) per month in order to provide focused care and support.
- Free consultation/interview
- At least two, two-hour prenatal visits
- Assistance in creating your birth plan and birth vision
- Attendance and continuous, consistent support during labor, delivery and until family is settled in after birth (usually two hours after birth)
- Photography during labor and delivery, if desired
- Breastfeeding support following birth
- One two-hour postpartum appointment within a month of birth
- 24/7 phone and/or email support
- Access to the valuable resources in the Lending Library
- Reduced rate for placenta encapsulation
I accept cash, check, debit, credit, or HSA* via PayPal.
*Please check with your HSA to make sure doula support is covered.
Browse doulas and find me on DoulaMatch.net. Find me on Facebook at Denver Placenta Works & Honoring Birth Services.
| Research shows parents who receive support can: - Feel more supported, secure and cared for
- Are more successful in adapting to new family dynamics
- Have greater success with breastfeeding
- Have greater self-confidence
- Have less postpartum depression
- Have lower incidence of abuse
Numerous clinical studies have found that a doula’s presence at birth
- Tends to result in shorter labors with fewer complications
- Reduces negative feelings about one’s childbirth experience
- Reduces the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing drug), forceps or vacuum extraction and cesareans
- Reduces the mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals
*From Dona International
|
|
