Welcome to Intimate Birth!!!
Empowering Birth, One Mother at a Time
Those who believe that it cannot be done,
should not interrupt the person doing it~
What is a Labor Doula?
The word "doula" comes from the Greek, meaning "in service of".
"A labor doula is dedicated in providing emotional, physical and informational support for expectant mothers".
In my own words, a doula is a "birth coach" present at birth. All of the information taught at a child birth class is carried out and available through a doula-relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, birthing positions; communication between the doctor and patient and/or family-a doula is a hand to hold (or squeeze!) throughout labor and the extra support that a birthing mom may need.
I believe birth to be an intimate experience shared between the Mother and Father. Giving birth to a baby is so much more than just a physical motion; it engages the couple in a transformational experience. It is a key life event that is full of meaning and emotion. As a labor doula, I am dedicated to providing the best experience possible for mothers and their families during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Labor doulas are essential to the birthing process, as they strive to make the experience memorable for the mother and father, and ensure that the desired birth plan is executed as accurately as possible. As a labor doula, it is my desire and responsibility to approach birth as a natural experience. I hold firm to the belief that a woman's body is designed to birth her baby, and that her and only her knows what she needs during labor. Birth is not about time, it's about a woman's body. Each woman is going to birth at her body's pace, and birth should happen on its own time; and not be forced or hurried.
The skills of a labor doula are combined with the expertise of physicians, midwives, and nurses thus improving perinatal outcomes for both mothers and their infants. Below is a brief description of the role of a doula:
- stay with the laboring woman continuously
- believe that women are strong and capable
- are aware that births are significant life events
- are aware that labor and delivery are normal physiological processes as well as an emotional, social, sexual, and spiritual life events
- understands the emotional needs of a laboring woman
- are knowledgeable about anatomy and physiology of labor and birth
- have expertise in comfort measures and coping skills necessary during the birth process
- provide an objective viewpoint
- can act as a liaison and facilitate communication with other health care professionals
- believe that pregnant couples should have trust in their caregivers
- help strengthen the relationship between the mother and her partner
- believe that decisions about pregnancy, labor and birth should be made by the pregnant couple with input from health care professionals
- understand that birth is a life altering event for the woman
- support the decisions of the mother and her partner
- respect the mother's individuality and uniqueness
- trust mothers and their partners to have the ability to make the best decisions for themselves and their babies
- help create positive birth memories
Labor and Birth Doulas are highly trained in the psychology and the physiology of birth. The doctor or midwife is responsible for the aspects of the baby's birth. The Labor and Birth Doula's complete focus is on the mother and her baby. She will remain by her side through the entire birth experience, maintaining a continuity of care that is seldom achieved otherwise.
~Check out the article below for a perspective of a woman who used a doula at her
birth and why she thinks that every woman needs a doula at her birth:
What I believe and respect about Medication and Childbirth:
Many people in our country, in our culture, view birth as a medical emergency, an event that women must be "saved from". Many women begin their pregnancies with painful images of labor in the back of their minds. If they have friends who have given birth, they will likely relate tales of medical interventions, anesthesia, all of which will further validate their beliefs that birth is a difficult and painful affair. I believe in natural, non intervened childbirth, as well as in women's biology. Every woman's body was made to birth her baby. However, I am also aware that not all women are attracted to the idea of a natural childbirth and I absolutely respect a woman's decision to have medication for pain management.
As a labor doula, I take into consideration the emotions and fears that a woman in labor might be feeling at the moment of an unexpected or unplanned intervention. My role during is to make sure that the woman knows her options and what exactly is happening; my priority is to keep the woman calm, and focused. Even if birth happens in a way that it is unplanned, it is still the birth of a baby, and I strive to make sure that the mother knows how important her hard work during labor has been to the delivery of her baby. I respect whatever decision a woman makes regarding her birth, whether she desires a complete natural birth, or a birth with medication. It is her birth, and I believe that it should be however she wants it to be. Each woman has the right to make the right choice for her and her baby.
I do not perform any medical services.
