Birth doula services~ My role in your labor and birth is to come alongside you and your partner as a knowledgable, sensitive, and active companion to help you in many ways to have the kind of birth you have envisioned for your baby. Having completed the DONA birth doula training, garnering many years of first-hand experience with birth, babies and breastfeeding, as well as being a student midwife, I have alot of experience in understanding ways to support women in labor, birth, and those early weeks after baby arrives. During your labor, some of the methods I may use include massage, essential oils, verbal encouragement and affirmation, suggestions for positions to ease pain and facilitate progress, counter-pressure on key points during intense contractions, helping your partner to know ways of supporting you, and making sure you are comfortable with decisions you make regarding your care. Sometimes labor unfolds differently than we expect, and there are options presented to a woman that weren't a part of her original plan. An important part of my work as your birth doula is pointing you toward helpful resources for education before the day of baby's birth is here. This greatly empowers you to make truly informed decisions about the care you and your baby will receive.
As your doula, I am there for you, to help make the experience of the day you give birth to your baby one of love and joy. A day that lives in your memory as one in which you felt strong, safe and confident as you labored to bring your baby into your arms.
My services include:
1-2 prenatal visits where I can help you with a birth plan, if you don't have one. We will talk about your hopes and expectations for the birth of your baby, as well as any questions and concerns you have regarding labor and birth. I can direct you to information that will be helpful as you prepare for birth, and will find out your preferred ways of dealing with pain and fatigue.
During this time we get to know each other!
I will be on call 24 hrs. a day for three weeks before your due date until your baby is born. You can call me anytime with questions and concerns.
When your labor starts I will come to be with you as soon as you want me to be there, providing emotional, physical and knowledgable support to you as your labor progresses. I will employ non-medical techniques for reducing pain as you desire, and help you to remain focused on why you are there; to give birth to your baby! My role as advocate is to make sure you understand different procedures and interventions offered to you as you labor, and to ensure you have time and space to consider them.
After your baby is born I will stay with you for 1-2 hrs. to make sure you are comfortable, and help with establishing breastfeeding, if needed.
I come to your home to visit you within the first two weeks after the birth of your baby. If you chose to have me take photos during your labor and after the birth I like to bring these with me to give to you then. This visit is a great time to talk over the events and the way things happened. It's often surprising to many women how much they enjoy doing this with those who were with them during labor and birth, and how many questions they have about why certain things happened or were done.This is a great time to process. If you need more information or resources on your baby's care I am available to help with that too.
I have a package available that includes extra visits for those who want more time prenatally to work on techniques, positions for laboring and methods for pain management.
If you choose to hire me for both birth doula and postpartum doula services I can offer you a discount.
Postpartum doula services~ I come to your home in the early post-partum weeks to help you by taking care of your other young children, cooking meals, light cleaning, running errands for you, helping with newborn care and questions,etc..anything that will help you get the rest and healing you need after birth, so you can enjoy and relax in your baby-moon. Let your friends, your mom, or mom-in-law know a wonderful shower/new baby gift would be hiring a post-partum doula!
I'm happy to provide references.
Blessings,
Marie
Home~253-838-0474
Cell~206-375-4151