A Doula is a specially trained woman who accompanies a woman and/or couple during labor to provide educational, emotional and physical support. Our continuous, knowledgeable, and reassuring presence makes a dramatic difference on how confident and comfortable a woman feels during labor and birth.

The word "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; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.

Studies have shown that when Doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.

What Does A Doula Do?

• A Doula does not interfere with, or replace the support person, but instead works with him/her to create a strong and supportive team.
• A Doula does not leave Mom, giving consistent support. The support person can take a break, get something to eat, make calls, etc, without worrying about mom being left alone.
• A Doula helps keep Mom calm with relaxation, massage, acupressure, and emotional support. Educational support is also a major factor in keeping the laboring couples calm and informed.
• If the support person forgets the technique, the Doula refreshes the support person's memory to enable him/her to be effective for mom.
• The Doula can be contracted to help moms who may not have a support person available.
• If mom desires an un-medicated birth, the help of a Doula greatly increases the chances of her success
• The success of a VBAC (Vaginal Birth after Cesarean) is higher.
  The Doula helps in significant ways, protecting your experience. Acting as your advocate and providing support for mom, the support person, and family members.
• If you decide to use medications, the Doula will fully inform you of all the options so you can make the best decision for your personal needs

How Does A Doula Service Work?

Mom/couple set up a meeting with the Doula to become acquainted and discuss your priorities and desires. We will review any childbirth education and design a personal birth plan. Once contracted, the Doula will be on call as your due date approaches. Constant phone support is available. There will always be a backup Doula on call as well. Because we are a team of Doulas, we can guarantee that you will not be alone.

Once mom is in labor, we are by your side until after the baby's birth. We stay 1-2 hours after the birth or until mom is comfortable with our leaving. A follow up visit, as well as phone support when needed, completes the service.

We recommend that you interview a few of the Doulas. You want to find the right Doula for you, and our Doulas are very diverse in their backgrounds, life experiences and personalities.

Please email or call an assortment of Doulas. You can make that first contact by email or phone, set up a 'meet and greet' and decide who is the right Doula for you! Once you've made your decision, you can do a fuller pre-meeting and the personalization of your birth will start at that point.

What is a Labor 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 the labor
• Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decision
• Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care 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

We believe that every woman should have the best possible birth experience, one in which she feels empowered and respected. We are committed to advocating for your desires and helping you turn your dreams of a beautiful birth into a reality! Our goal is leave every family we support feeling served, respected and appreciated.

Nurses, Doctors and Midwives offer incredible medical care but cannot always give a pregnant or laboring woman the amount of time, education and emotional support she needs. Often, women feel like "another uterus on the assembly line." We offer the empathetic, compassionate and educational support that is currently lacking in obstetrics.

We believe in limiting unnecessary medical interventions but, represent an educated voice when interventions are necessary to ensure the safety of you and your baby! We believe in helping couples enter in to parenthood with confidence by helping to create the most empowering birth environment possible through education and encouragement.

Benefits Of Having A Trained Labor Doula:

• Shorter length of labor
• Less use or request for pain medications
• Less inductions and augmentations of labor
• Fewer assisted deliveries
• Lower Cesarean rate
• Increase in successful VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)
• Doula support has been linked to better parenting and higher satisfaction with outcome of the birth in general

Studies have proven the benefits of labor support:

Research from The Journal of the American Medical Association has shown that the presence of female labor support includes the following obstetrical outcomes:

• Cesarean Sections: Down 50%
• Length of Labor: Down 25%
  
• Oxytocin Use: Down 40%
  
• Forceps: Down 30%
  
• Epidurals: Down 60%

What is a Postpartum Doula?

A Postpartum Doula is a woman trained to give in-home care to parents with newborn babies.  Many new mothers find that the challenges of having a newborn are more than they anticipated and they appreciate some extra help. While a Postpartum Doula specializes in newborn care, her ultimate goal is not only to care for the baby, but to help the new mother care for her baby more effectively.

A Postpartum Doula will usually come in right after the return home from the hospital stay and provide care for the mother, baby and household during the “settling in” time.  Sometimes a Postpartum Doula will come after the new father returns to work and the mother is left alone with her baby for the first few weeks. Ultimately it is the needs of the new mother that will determine what type of postpartum assistance is needed and for how long.

What is an Antepartum Doula?

If you want support during childbirth, you can get a Labor Doula. Want help after the baby’s here? Then a postpartum Doula is for you. But what if you need help before the baby’s arrived, during pregnancy? What if you’re on bed rest, or you’re experiencing a difficult pregnancy and need extra support? Then, you want an Antepartum Doula.

Antepartum Doulas are a newer kind of Doula, specializing in supporting women going through a high-risk or difficult pregnancy. They support their clients in a number of ways. If a woman is on bed rest, an Antepartum Doula can help much like a Postpartum Doula helps a new mother – cooking meals, light housework, helping the mother organize things for the new baby, and, most importantly, providing emotional and informational support.

Who Needs an Antepartum Doula?

An Antepartum Doula can help to gather information about support groups for a high risk pregnancy and/or bedresting women, giving her the comfort that she is not alone.  An Antepartum Doula can act as a ‘sounding board’ for concerns and fears about the pregnancy.

Many times, an Antepartum Doula is someone who has faced a difficult pregnancy herself, and that in and of itself can be very comforting to the woman who is facing similar circumstances and is uncertain about what to expect.

Antepartum Doulas aren’t just for women on bed rest, however. Teenage mother’s may want an Antepartum Doula to help support them through the difficult emotional challenges. Women who  need extra support may hire an antepartum Doula, as may a mother who experiences severe morning sickness.

If an expecting mother wants more support during the pregnancy, whether it’s help at home or having someone to come with her to doctor appointments, an Antepartum Doula can help fill that need.