Doula Services

Thanks for looking into doula services!  If you're interested in using me as a doula, the first thing I need to know is the due date of the mother so I can see if I’m available, since I don't usually take more than one or two clients per month. I work with mothers planning to have their baby in any surrounding: hospital, home and birth centers. I frequently get asked if I work with women that are planning on using pain medication or inducing. The answer is: "absolutely!" In fact, these women can benefit significantly from a doula because it takes time before an epidural can be placed, and quite often they are not complete in relieving the pain, or there are complications with them. Women planning a birth center or homebirth love the support of a doula as an extra pair of hands, supporting not only the mother but the partner,offering additional ideas for comfort measures, and helping other family members be included at the mother's request. Especially in the event of a transfer or complications, having a doula helps you navigate a system that as a birthing mother, you may not be expecting, and helps the family sort through their feelings and memories after the birth. 

Women utilizing medication still need support as they continue laboring, and guidance in birthing their babies. Those planning a non-medicated birth love the continuous emotional, physical, and spiritual support a doula provides for both her and her other labor support people. In any situation, doulas are a wealth of knowledge about what's normal, can offer information on options that may not realize you have choices in, as well as helping to clarify information from the healthcare provider to you.

As a birth doula, my package includes:

• 2 in-depth prenatal visits, discussing topics of your choosing
• timely email and phone communication throughout pregnancy to help you with education and resources for you to feel more prepared in labor
• a personal "loaner library" of books and videos to help educate yourself on birth-related subjects
• 24 hour on-call availability two weeks before and after your due date
• the entire labor and birth, meeting at your home or birth place and following you to your birth place
• 2-3 hours postpartum care (which includes helping you get started breastfeeding if you plan to)
• a postpartum visit in your home
• a detailed birth story of your labor, which women tend to love because time gets a little foggy in labor!
• photos (if desired), with all rights transferred to you to use as you like

My fee for birth doula services is $900. I offer discounts for families that have used me before as well as discounts for active duty military members and those in special circumstances. Some women will ask for doula services for their baby shower group gift, and I also work with payment plans. If money is the only hardship, please contact me anyway to see what we can work out. Since I limit the amount of clients I take per month, I book a spot in my calendar for you only when a contract is signed AND the deposit is received. You can see my current calendar on my profile on DoulaMatch.com.

Although many women wait until their last trimester to seek out a doula, finding and hiring the right one as early as possible allows you to ask questions throughout the pregnancy.  Many times, your ideal birth is decided months ahead of time by the choices you make with your prenatal care options.  Having a doula as a resource early on will help you to make the best choices for the birth you have in mind, as well as making sure you are able to hire the doula that works best for you. The trust you build with a doula can't be underestimated; having more time (rather than less) to establish that bond between you, your partner, and your doula is a huge advantage.

I have attended over 120 births, and have formal training recognized by DONA in the Rebozo technique (http://www.birthingnaturally.net/cn/tool/rebozo.html and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p2cd2P63Q4), TENS usage in labor, and acupressure for comfort and natural methods for improving birthing outcomes, and have successfully completed the Spinning Babies workshop (to promote optimal fetal positioning in labor); I have attended a continuing education course in breastfeeding from an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. I am also Neonatal Resuscitation Program and CPR certified. I have experience with waterbirth, VBAC, uterine growth restriction, inductions, stillbirth, cesarean sections, and difficult births; as well, I have worked with teen mothers or those with unplanned pregnancies.  In addition to these higher risk births, I have also helped dozens of women achieve their ideal unmedicated, low intervention labor and birth, both in the hospital and out of the hospital. My community outreach includes free one-day classes for New Beginnings Crisis Pregnancy Ministries (www.newbeginningspfa.com) and local events to help educate the public about doulas and labor choices. I have worked in and am familiar with the majority of the west and north Phoenix hospitals, as well as the 3 birth centers in Phoenix/Glendale, and am available for midwife-assisted homebirths. As a Licensed Midwife in Arizona and a Certified Professional Midwife, I would love to speak with anyone interested in safe, satisfying birth at home.

If you are interested in my services, please contact me to set up a complimentary meeting so that you can get to know me better, look over the information, and ask questions.  I look forward to hearing from you. Blessings!