Explanation of Doula Services
Prenatal Visit:
- One ‘prenatal’ home visit with your primary doula to discuss your wishes, needs & options for your birth experience
- If time allows regarding your schedule and depending on how much time there is between signing the agreement and the birth.
- This session includes, but is not limited to:
- Exploring and discussing your priorities and any fears or concerns you may have
- Explanation of the birth process and medical procedures
- Sharing what kind of comfort measures I can provide and help you with
- Creating and/or review of your birth preferences (aka birth plan); I will support your decisions 100%
- Working with your partner to understand & better support your relationship during the labor & birth
- Referrals to community resources for pregnancy, breastfeeding or other family services
- This meeting may last an average of 1-2 hours and will be arranged according to my mutual schedules but may be subject to cancellation and rescheduling due to other clients’ births
Labor and Birth Support:
- Being on call for you 24 hours a day 2 weeks before your due date and 2 weeks after your delivery (except for unforeseen circumstances including but not limited to attending another birth and personal family illness or tragedy)
- Your secondary doula will also be on call during this time
- Continual attendance and labor support during your labor;
- In the event of a marathon labor (lasting more than 20 hours) I reserve the right to call in my back up labor assistant for temporary relief if needed at an additional cost of $30.00/hr, payable directly to the alternate doula).
- After a short rest, I will resume my primary role as your labor assistant. This is for your safety and mine so that I can perform at my optimum for the birth.
- Provide reassurance and perspective to you and your partner; make suggestions for labor progress, and assistance with pain-coping techniques such as relaxation, massage, acupressure, positioning, visualization, music, etc.
- Explaining suggested procedures with pros and cons for each
- Remaining with you 1 hour post-partum to maintain continuous mother focused support during the delivery of the placenta, non-critical measures for your baby, and help getting started with breastfeeding
- In the event of an unexpected or surprise delivery of the baby (for example delivering at home when initial arrangements have been made for a hospital birth) I will call 911 for assistance in order to secure a safe and healthy delivery for the mom and baby.
Postpartum Visit:
- One home visit to see how you and baby are doing, review your birth, answer questions, and aid in breastfeeding
- Postpartum comfort measures
- Explanation of newborn characteristics and newborn care
- Patience and a listening ear
- Complimentary photo session taken of the baby and/or family after birth
- These photos are professionally taken and edited using photoshop, printed on archival paper and mailed back to the family
As your Doula, I am committed to providing non-medical support and advocacy before, during, and after your birth. I strive to provide the humanistic, personal care that most women desire during your whole birth experience. Having said that, it is important that my clients understand what
I DO NOT do as a Doula:
- Perform clinical tasks such as blood pressure, fetal heart checks, or vaginal exams. I am there to provide only physical comfort, emotional support, and evidence based information (not opinions).
- Make decisions for you. I will help you get the information necessary to make an informed decision and will remind you if there is a departure from your birth preferences.
- Communicate to the clinical staff directly on your behalf regarding matters where decisions are being made. I will discuss your concerns with you & inform you of options, but it is your responsibility to notify staff of your decisions.
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