Birth/Labor Support  

As an experienced non-medical assistant, I provide mother, partner and baby with emotional, physical and informational support. This includes throughout pregnancy, during your hospital stay, and over the six weeks postpartum. We will create your unique birth plan to educate you in making informed decisions in collaboration with your OB/Midwifery team. I will advocate for you when appropriate–more importantly, I will coach you to find your voice to advocate for yourselves and your newborn baby. During early labor, whether at home or in the hospital, I will guide you in creating a harmonious birth environment and offer clear, continuous communication and reassurance. As a prenatal yoga specialist, I impart a holistic and intuitive understanding of breathwork and creative movement for pregnancy and labor, and I will teach you effective comfort techniques–including active rest positions and therapeutic touch to apply throughout. During the golden hour after birth, I provide practiced breastfeeding support, including hand expression of nutrient-dense colostrum (first milk), if needed. Additionally I offer referrals to other birth professionals such as prenatal massage therapists, pelvic floor specialists, acupuncturists and lactation consultants. I believe that all women deserve continuity of care throughout labor and birth as well as during the tender recovery time at home. As a doula, I assure deep experiential knowledge combined with nurturing, judgment free support.

My service includes:

• Two 90-minute prenatal meetings The first is to get to know you, and to discuss your specific birth preferences and create your birth plan, and the second to go over how to stay home as long as possible, and when and how to time contractions and assess when to leave for the hospital, along with comfort measures and active-birth positions to use as you move through your labor and birth

• Unlimited text/phone support

• 24-7 on-call from 38 to 42 weeks based on your expected due date

• Labor support –phone/text + in-person support throughout labor and birth

• An experienced back-up Doula

• One Postpartum visit

• On-call text/phone support for up to 6 weeks following your birth

  During early labor I will provide support for you via text/phone, then either at your home or birth site once your labor has progressed and requires my in-person assistance. In the event of a scheduled induction, I will support you via text and phone, then join you at the hospital at an agreed upon time to provide calming reassurance, physical support and advocacy throughout active labor and birth.

Postpartum Doula

For up to 2 weeks postpartum I provide text/phone + in-person support and reassurance for Mother, Partner and Baby during the delicate transition to familyhood.

Three 2-hour postpartum visits ARE BASED ON INDIVIDUAL NEEDS & PREFERENCES, AND CAN iNCLUDE:

• Basic Breastfeeding Support – Breastfeeding is natural, but there is a learning curve, and a little guidance makes all the difference. If after we’ve covered breastfeeding basics, if a referral to an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant seems like a good idea, I’ll set you up with an experienced IBCLC who offers in-person or virtual consultation.

• Basic Newborn Care – Hands-on guidance with all things Newborn, including Baby-Wearing and Infant Massage. I’ll help you keep it simple, because when it comes to babies and the stuff they really need, Less is More.

• Nutrition Consult – Advice on the best seasonal foods to boost Mama’s milk supply and keep the whole family nourished.

• Referrals to Relevant Postpartum Practitioners – From massage therapists and IBCLCs to pelvic floor specialists, there are excellent local practitioners I can recommend who offer in-home or virtual support.