Services Provided:

Two or three prenatal visits

We will meet two or three times, depending on your preference, to discuss your expectations and hopes for your birth. This will include the role you want me to play as your doula, the presence and role of any support people at your birth, whether you wish to use or avoid medical interventions, and any techniques you plan to use for relaxation during labor. I will introduce techniques I plan to use during your labor and delivery so you are comfortable with them before the big day. I will also show you techniques you can use to manage common discomforts during your pregnancy.

Unlimited support via phone and e-mail

When you hire me as your birth doula, I will be available to you for emotional support or to answer questions anytime throughout your pregnancy. Although a doula is not qualified to provide medical advice, it is helpful to have a knowledgeable person on call to be able to tell you if a symptom you are experiencing is normal, how you can manage it, or if you should call your doctor or midwife. Whether you need a suggestion about how to rearrange your pillows for optimal sleeping comfort, or someone to talk to about a specific anxiety or aggravation you are experiencing, I am just a phone call or email away!

Assistance in writing a birth plan

As your doula, I will be available to discuss typical birthing options and help you identify what is important to your birthing experience. I can help you write a birth plan to share with your doctor or midwife and nurses to help ensure that your expectations are met.

Access to my lending library

You will be able to borrow from my growing library of books about pre-conception, pregnancy, nutrition and fitness, birth, breastfeeding, and newborn care. You will also have access to my library of pregnancy fitness DVDs.

On call support starting at 38 weeks

Although it is likely that I or a backup doula will be available to attend your birth if you begin laboring before 38 weeks, I will forgo making any other commitments from your 38th week of pregnancy until you give birth.

Continuous emotional, physical, and informational support throughout your entire labor and early postpartum period

As your doula, I will join you at your home as early in your labor as you’d like. I will travel with you to your birthplace and stay with you until after you deliver your baby. For more information on the emotional, physical, and informational a doula provides, please see “What does a doula do?” I will stay with you in the early postpartum period until you and the baby are settled and comfortable. I can also help establish breastfeeding if desired.

Postpartum visit

I will visit you about a week after the birth of your baby to discuss the birthing experience and to answer any questions you may have. Most women have questions or would like to have more clarity about what happened during certain parts of their births. Whether you want to relive your happiness and excitement, or discuss and process a disappointment, the postpartum visit gives you the opportunity to discuss the events of your birth and your feelings about them. If you are having any postpartum concerns, I will be able to address them or provide you with resources in your community that can help you.

(Please note that I firmly believe that every woman who is interested in having a doula present at her birth should have access to a doula. If you can not afford my standard fee, please know that I can offer a sliding scale or a payment plan. Please contact me for more information.)

Please see my website for other available birth services.

Personal Statement:

I have always been interested in women's bodies and feminist issues. It is a passion that has guided me through my academic and professional careers. Although I had always been interested in pregnancy and birth, experiencing them myself was transformative. I was moved by the connection I felt with other women, especially mothers, and by the instinctual knowledge I felt within my body and myself. I became a doula to help support other women through their own pregnancies and help them to fulfill their own definitions of empowering births.  I believe that having continuous support throughout labor and delivery can help a mother have a positive birth experience which can give her confidence in herself and her ability to mother.  I believe that every woman who wants a doula should have access to a doula, regardless of their financial situation.  I completed my DONA birth doula training in July, 2011 and I am currently working on my DONA birth doula certification.