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Labor and Love Birth Doula Services Lara Mattson Radle, M.A.
Home Birth Doula Services Postpartum Doula Services Services Contact Me |
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What is a Birth Doula? |
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"Doula" is a Greek word referring to an experienced woman who helps other women. A birth doula provides non-medical continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth, which compliments the care and support provided by the woman's partner and birth attendants. A doula who accompanies a woman in labor mothers the mother, taking care of her emotional needs throughout childbirth. A doula also provides support and suggestions for partners that can enhance their experiences of birth. Doulas are educated and knowledgeable about childbirth and the postpartum experience. They are advocates and a listening ear for birthing mothers, as well as facilitators to her partner. Doulas are educated to work within evidence-based standards of practice. The skills that they develop are medically proven to make a true difference in the experience of birth. A doula’s presence at birth improves outcomes for mother and baby. Women report greater satisfaction with their birth experience, make more positive assessments of their babies, have fewer cesareans and requests for medical intervention, and less postpartum depression. Studies have shown that babies born with doulas present tend to have shorter hospital stays with fewer admissions to special care nurseries, breastfeed more easily and have more affectionate mothers in the postpartum period. Doulas do not replace nurses or other medical staff. Doulas do not perform clinical or medical tasks such as taking blood pressure or temperature, monitoring fetal heart rate, doing vaginal examinations or providing postpartum clinical care. They are there to comfort and support the mother and to enhance communication between the mother and medical professionals. A doula does not make decisions for clients or intervene in their clinical care. She provides informational and emotional support, while respecting a woman’s decisions. Doula so not replace the mother’s partner, instead, a doula is supportive to both the mother and her partner, and plays a crucial role in helping a partner become involved in the birth to the extent he/she feels comfortable.
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| Birth Doula Services |
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As your
DONA trained Birth
Doula I will provide two to three customized pre-natal visits where we will
cover topics such as birth plan preparation, relaxation and comfort measures
in labor, emotional preparation and post-partum planning. I will be on
24-hour call beginning two weeks prior to your estimated due date and, once
you are in labor, will provide continuous labor, birth and immediate
post-partum support. I will provide 1-2 post-partum visits, depending upon
your needs as well as unlimited phone support up to two weeks post-partum
and full access to my lending library.
Fees: My fee for Birth Doula
services is $500, with $200 due when you retain my services. This will hold
your due date in my calendar as I limit the number of clients I take on each
month. The additional $300 is due at least two weeks prior to your
estimated due date. Additional/Optional Services: If desired, I can provide custom, one-on-one Childbirth Education in your home for a nominal fee. I am also available to attend pre-natal visits with your provider and or childbirth education classes as needed.
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