The birth you want is DOULABLE!
I have been privileged to attend over 100 births as of January 2013. (that number was last updated January 2013)
While that sounds like a lot of moms, if you average that number out over four years, you can see I usually have a good amount of time between births. I book my clients by due week, so I always have a buffer zone between clients. That means no more than 1 client per week, 4 clients per month. Of course, mother nature and your baby will decide when your labor begins, so I have a backup doula.
In addition to the number of clients I have worked with, I'm lucky to have attended births at over 35 hospitals. This gives me an enormous advantage because I've seen so many different ways of doing the same thing!
Yes, I'm trained and certified by both CAPPA (I recently let that go) and DONA, the leading doula certifying organizations in the United States. I am a certified HypnoDoula, trained to assist moms using Childbirth Hypnosis. I also completed a Doula Internship through South Coast Midwifery. All of my certifications require me to attend several continuing education trainings each year. Training courses I have attended include:
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) (1 afternoon);
- Low Milk Supply (1 day training); trainer Diana West's book, Making More Milk
- HypnoBirthing (The Mongan Method) (4 evenings);
- The Bradley Method (12 evenings classes);
- Stemming the Tide of Formula Supplementation (1 day)
- Hypnobabies HypnoDoula Training (1 day);
- CAPPA Childbirth Educator Training (3 days)
- CAPPA Lactation Educator Training (3 days)
- DONA Labor Doula Training (2 days)
- CAPPA Labor Doula Training (2 days)
- Spinning Babies (1 day) with Gail Tully, homebirth midwife
- CAPPA Annual Conference (3 days) 2011
- DONA Advanced Doula Skills (2 days) 2011
Does certification matter?
I believe it does. I have agreed as part of my certification that I will not exceed the scope of practice of a doula: a non-medical support person who does not make decisions for the mother. I believe in the limits of my work and hope to be a valued member of your non-medical support team. Doctors may prefer a certified doula to an un-certified one, as well.
When you
ask me to join you. Some moms want support at home, some moms want me to meet them at the hospital. It's a very personal
decision. It depends on so many factors
- how fast your contractions get up to speed (if they start out at every 6
minutes, or they start out every 30 minutes), whether your partner is being
useful to you, whether your baby is facing up or down (sunny side up, or OP,
occiput posterior), etc. There is no
wrong time to ask me to join you in labor.
Studies show that early support is better than too late. I have never understood other doulas and their "rules" for when you can call them. Aren't you paying me to support you during your birth? You might need my emotional support from the very beginning!
Which labor-coping techniques do I think tend to be the most helpful?
- Massage
- Hot and cold compresses
- Baths and showers
- Changing positions, using props (birth balls, birthing stools)
- Hypnosis, guided imagery (I highly recommend a hypnosis for childbirth class or homestudy course)
- Vocalizing/verbalizing (sighing, moaning)
- Deep pressure on your low back and hips (I know some pressure points, not a lot, but some)
The most important thing is to keep trying until we find out what works for you!
How would I work with and involve your partner?
Your partner probably already knows what they bring to the table - but they don't know what I bring to the experience. In a word: experience! It's the one thing your partner almost certainly doesn't have, and it won't hurt his feelings to admit it! If your partner is skeptical about hiring me, let's arrange a Skype interview first, and if he has a positive response to that, let's schedule an in-home interview so we can get to know each other better.
Your partner must like the doula you choose, but they may not realize how important it is for a woman to have the support of another knowledgeable woman during her whole labor. Your partner may need to see the research on the benefits of having a doula. Your partner may also need to be reassured that I won't take their place. Then I can help your partner be the best birth partner possible. Whatever role you need me to fill, that's where I'll be. I promise I won't push your partner out of the way, and I promise that if you have unfulfilled needs, I will meet them if your partner cannot. If your partner doesn't want to see the head crowning, I will hold up your leg! If your partner wants to hold up one leg, then I will take the birth photographs (the nurse will hold your other leg). Between us, you will have your emotional, physical, and informational needs met during your birth, so you can focus on doing what you need to do. Tip: at least three fathers have written testimonials for me on the endorsements page, you can read them to your partner or I have already cut and paste them into an email which I can send you so you can send it to them to reassure him/her about bringing someone else into your birth.
How do I feel about the use of pain medication during labor?
I loved my epidural! On the other hand, some moms hire me specifically to help them achieve an all natural birth. If that's your goal, I have a huge bag of tricks to help you cope. I have a lot of experience with drug-free births, but I personally had an epidural and I'm skilled at helping you give birth vaginally even with an epidural. I maintain records of every birth I've attended and I am happy to share the information: of 100 births, 54 occurred without an epidural.
Many moms hire me planning on an epidural, and that is great! I will still meet you at home and help you know when your labor has progressed to the point it is safe to go to the hospital and get your epidural. Many first time moms come into the hospital triage unit and get turned away because they aren't in "enough" labor. I can save you that wasted trip, and help you get the baby into a good position even while lying in bed by positioning your body so as to help your baby pass through your pelvis. My job as chief photographer and head archivist is still very much in play during an epidural birth, and I'm especially good at suggesting pushing positions to make use of gravity even while you have an epidural in place! Some moms think they won't need a doula if they use an epidural, but does an epidural answer questions? No, it does not!
What matters is whatever matters to YOU. If you want to delay the epidural, skip it, or get it right away, what matters to me is what matters to you. Wasn't the whole point of the feminist movement the idea that each woman gets to decide for herself?
Why did I become a doula?
I started
my professional life as an attorney for children in foster care, and then did
their adoptions if they couldn't go home to their birth
parents.
When I
got pregnant I hired a doula for my birth.
My baby was persistent occiput posterior (sunny side up) and had the
cord wrapped around his neck twice, and we joke that it took a long time for that cord to stretch long enough to let him out! My doula's presence at the hospital helped me avoid a
c-section. I would have asked
the staff to "do something, anything!" long before pushing
because I was tired and hurting. My doula had me walking the halls, taking showers, and changing positions to keep my labor going - and keep me distracted! Those simple things really work!
I was
fine at home, but at the hospital, it would have been very hard to cope and relax and negotiate with staff
and work the hospital bed (you need a degree in civil engineering!!) and find the
pillows, pillowcases, blankets, etc. while dealing with contractions. My doula made it all happen without me or my husband having
to worry about it. She stood in the
shower with me (not getting wet) so she could hold the water nozzle on my back,
and my husband could hold the hand with the IV up and out of the water....for
TWO HOURS.
When I couldn't take the pain
any more (back labor is very difficult to cope with), I asked for an epidural,
and my doula never left my side. She was
there when I went to sleep, and when I woke up.
She never "judged me" - and I've heard other doulas talk about their clients choosing an epidural like it is evil! Her face told me everything that I needed to know at that point. She believed in me and let me know I was doing alright and
everything would be okay, and it was. I
pushed and pushed and pushed and she never told me I was doing it wrong, or acted like I
wasn't going to be able to do this.
She kept looking at me like I was going to
make it work, and I did. Partly because
she believed I could. It was a transformative experience. Now, I am hired to
believe in your ability to give birth, and that’s what I do. I have never looked back on my life as a lawyer and regretted changing jobs - my work remains the same. I work with families in a time of great need, same as before. The setting may have changed a little bit (hospitals instead of courts), but the rules are the same - find out what your client wants and try to get it for them. Believe in them. Trust them. And advocate for their wishes at every opportunity.
Because of my birth experience, my best friend decided to become a doula after spending most of my labor with me. She loved it so much, she invited me to join her at a training. I loved that training so much I left behind my fancy (and expensive!) law degree and joined the ranks of women helping women in this remarkable rite of passage. Now I'm a doula focusing on the whole family, and believing
they can have the birth they want. It's
doulable!
Currently, I'm charging $1,200 for my complete birth package, but just in case, contact me for the latest fee. It
changes constantly as I get more birth experience and more certifications and as I discover what other doulas are charging (so tell me if you think my fee is out of step, I may have a discount for you as a student, as a military family, single mother, etc). My fee covers at least two prenatal visits
(the free consultation to meet each other doesn't count), a visit with you to
the doctor if necessary to fight off anything you don't want (after we both listen attentively to their concerns and exploring the gap between what you want and what the caregiver recommends in a peaceful way), I attend
non-stress tests as necessary, especially the ones where a decision is likely
going to be made about induction or c-section, the birth itself (of course!),
and a postpartum visit for breastfeeding support.
Depending on the need, I have made postpartum
visits months after the birth when mom got a breast infection. I have also slept over with a few clients during
the first week when they really needed some extra support to keep breastfeeding
(depends on my availability, of course, and we'll have to work out some fee to compensate me for my time). Anything you need we can discuss and if it is above my normal commitment we can figure out a reasonable payment for the extra time.
I can
only take so many clients per month or I might miss your birth, which goes into
my fee structure, naturally. To put my fees into perspective, think about how much you pay for an hourly massage. Now try to get that massage therapist to be on call for you for a month, ready to come to your home in the middle of the night, and stay with you for 12-24 hours! That's about what you're asking me to do!
Contact me for my most recent prices and packages. I offer discounts for local moms, and package deals if you have me encapsulate your placenta, because I really believe in the power of the placenta to ward off two things that are so prevalent right now: mild postpartum depression and low milk supply. I know it sounds crazy, but if you are prone to depression we should really discuss this.
How does hiring me work?
Ideally, we should schedule a short Skype chat first, and if that goes well, schedule an in-home interview. Once you both decide to hire me, call me to let me know and then fill out my contract and send it to me with a deposit for half of my fee. If you need alternate payment arrangements, let me know. I'm happy to accommodate you.
Once we know we are working together, we will schedule 2 meetings to go over your birth wishes and be sure you are ready for birth and breastfeeding. You will fill out some questionnaires for me to help me get to know you better, and we will stay in touch during your pregnancy. I ask you to call me after doctor/midwife appointments and let me know how things are going. Once we are in your due window (two weeks before and two weeks after your due date), I'll promise to stay nearby in case you need me. Once you think you are in labor, you decide when you need me to come to your side. (Hint: if you go into labor in the middle of the night, you can wait until morning to call me unless you have a question or want me to join you in the night. If you just wanted to let me know you are in labor, you can email me as that is the first thing I check every morning before I even get out of bed!).
What is placenta encapsulation?
I offer placenta encapsulation as an additional service for both my own clients and other mamas who contact me in advance to get on my calendar. All hospitals will dispose of your placenta immediately after your birth, so if you are planning to have this done you MUST tell me before I leave your birth so I can arrange with the staff to have you sign a form to release your placenta to me.
Encapsulation is basically dehydrating and then crushing your placenta, and placing the resulting fine powder into medical grade capsules, which can be taken during your postpartum recovery period to aid in mood stabilization and milk supply.
Of course there is research available on the benefits of encapsulation, but almost all of it was done on animal subjects... I'm most impressed with the stories of women giving birth a second time, who decided to try placenta encapsulation to see if they could have a better postpartum experience. Those moms have told me they felt much better, and wish they had known about encapsulation the first time!
Many moms tell me their own mothers remember their mothers did something special with their placentas, "back in the day!" I think it's wonderful this option exists for women who are interested, and I'm pleased to be able to provide it. I use flavored, colored capsules so you neither SEE nor TASTE anything unpleasant. :) Check out my page dedicated to encapsulation.
