Some questions you might have...
These are common questions I have been asked. Do not hesitate to call me or email with specific needs or concerns. Our personal consultation is another great opportunity to discuss your goals and answer more questions. If you have any specific questions, I encourage you to email me directly, or call!
Q. What are the benefits of having a doula at my birth?
A. There are so many benefits! Shorter labors and less interventions, to reduced use/need for pain medication, and better mother/baby outcomes are just a few! Doulas are there to provide support in many areas of pregnancy & childbirth. Doulas are your constant support, aside from your partner. I help you in your pregnancy to prepare for your birth with education & preparation at our antenatal meetings, and offer suggestions for setting up postpartum support. I will remain with you throughout labor & birth; offering support that midwives, doctors and nurses can't necessarily offer.
Having a doula benefits everyone!
Q. Is a doula like a midwife?
A. No, a doula is a doula. Midwives have the ability to catch babies, just as an OBGYN does. Doulas are professional childbirth & postpartum support people - specifically trained and certified in many areas of childbirth and postpartum care. Doulas do not give vaginal exams, diagnose, or do any medical interventions on you. We are there to give physical, emotional & educational support from the minute you hire, till after you are home and enjoying your newborn.
Q. Is a doula there to replace the partner?
A. No. Doulas are there to help the mom and her partner have an active role in their birth process together. They are there to support your birth choices and facilitate your wishes. The pregnant woman, partner and doula work as a team. Sometimes partners need a break; to step out to get a bite to eat, make a phone call, or to just walk around and get some fresh air. It can be an anxious time for the partner and knowing that someone is there, to attend to mom, helps to ease the partner's stress. A doula can guide partners through the experience of birth, by showing them how to help the laboring mother in a hands on way. Imagine you are hiking Mt. Everest. You have prepared for the hike by eating well, training well, mapped out the course, etc. Now it's time to climb. You hire your sherpa for the trek. You know you understand the process of hiking, but are unsure of the trails. You haven't been to this land before, but you know that the journey ahead might be long & tiring. The sherpa guides you, directs you, motivates you....to keep going, even when you're doubtful. Doulas are sherpas for birth! With a positive presence, knowledge of the process, and expert experience, doulas can help reassure both mom & partner about the many things that can happen during labor, birth & the postpartum experience.
Q. What hospitals will you go to?
A. I currently only work out of Manchester Hospital. Please inquire about my services at any other hospitals in CT/MA.
Q. Do you have a back-up doula?
A. Yes. I have many back-up doula's that I network with on a constant basis. If I were to secure a back up doula for your birth, you can trust that she will echo all that I offer and do for you and your partner. Upon your request, you would be able to meet the back up doula prior to birth.
Q. How many births do you take per month?
A. I try take no more than 4 births a month. On average, there are about 2-3 births each month. I am blessed that I am able to work from home so that allows me to leave at the drop of a call should my client need me. I do my best to space out my clients and allow for each one to have individualized care by me. Please call me for availability. I fill my calendar very quickly!
Q. Will my medical Insurance cover the cost of a doula?
A. Currently, some health insurance companies are looking into covering the cost of a doula. I encourage you to inquire with your health insurance company. If you have and FSA or HSA, some plans are reimbursing the cost of doulas. I can provide receipts upon request for reimbursement from FSA's.
Q. What training or certification do you have?
A. I started attending many births in 2004. I fell in love with this work so I started the long process of being trained as a birth doula and got officially certified. I certified with ALACE (now called; toLabor).
I chose that organization based on the sole fact that they train in the midwifery school of thought; believing that having trust in the body is just as important as taking care of yourself. Trusting in birth and in the body was a strong value that I came away with in this education process. I have also trained with DONA (Doulas of North America), Childbirth Professionals (for birth & postpartum certification), and several other certifying organizations to enhance my knowledge and expertise.
With doula certification under my belt, I then proceeded to further my education and become a Certified Childbirth Educator. I am currently in my 14th year of teaching - certified as a Childbirth Educator with Childbirth Professionals International. Each year, I continue to further my education with workshops & training sessions on topics such as; rebozo, belly dancing in labor, spinningbabies, herbs & essential oils in pregnancy, doulas & nurses working collaboratively together, Body Ready Method training, and many, many more. I am constantly learning, educating & strengthening my skills as a doula.
Q. How will you help a birthing person through pregnancy, labor and birth process?
A. Throughout the pregnancy I will maintain contact with the birthing person every month. We meet twice in the pregnancy to go over concerns, birth wishes, and labor preperations. Once birth draws near, I will be expecting my clients to keep in contact with me more frequently. I offer suggestions to get the body ready for birth, and encourage setting up appointments with other professionals if needed. Once we enter the "on call" period, (38-42 weeks) we will remain in contact weekly/every couple of days. Once in labor, there are a variety of position changes, breathing patterns, tools, massages, acupressure and visual techniques that I will offer. All of these components together will help facilitate the birth outcome as being a natural process. Most importantly, having that constant support person with you and your partner will help to make you feel more engaged and supported in the process.
Q. Why did you become a doula?
A. It was 1987 and I distinctly remember being on a field trip as an 8th grader at a local hospital with my class. We were touring the whole hospital that day for "career day." When we arrived at the maternity wing of that hospital, I remember feeling like I could have spent the entire day there! Just knowing that there were women, REAL WOMEN, giving birth beyond those doors intrigued me beyond belief! I knew in that moment that pregnancy & birth fascinated me! After helping my sister with the birth of her child in 2004, I knew that I had found my calling! I pursued certification as a doula and it only got better from there. I then decided to add to my profession and was certified as a Childbirth Educator in 2010. I myself LOVED being pregnant, and I love being a mother even more! I have a passion for helping people and I am confident that I can contribute to your birth process. I have truly found my gift in being a doula, and I welcome you to my passion!
Q. What are the next steps?
A. Contacting me via phone or email and setting up a free consultation on the phone or Zoom. From there, we discuss all that I can offer you and your partner. We will go over my birth package, ask questions, and get to know a little bit about each other. I look forward to hearing from you!
Q. What are the benefits of having a doula at my birth?
A. There are so many benefits! Shorter labors and less interventions, to reduced use/need for pain medication, and better mother/baby outcomes are just a few! Doulas are there to provide support in many areas of pregnancy & childbirth. Doulas are your constant support, aside from your partner. I help you in your pregnancy to prepare for your birth with education & preparation at our antenatal meetings, and offer suggestions for setting up postpartum support. I will remain with you throughout labor & birth; offering support that midwives, doctors and nurses can't necessarily offer.
Having a doula benefits everyone!
Q. Is a doula like a midwife?
A. No, a doula is a doula. Midwives have the ability to catch babies, just as an OBGYN does. Doulas are professional childbirth & postpartum support people - specifically trained and certified in many areas of childbirth and postpartum care. Doulas do not give vaginal exams, diagnose, or do any medical interventions on you. We are there to give physical, emotional & educational support from the minute you hire, till after you are home and enjoying your newborn.
Q. Is a doula there to replace the partner?
A. No. Doulas are there to help the mom and her partner have an active role in their birth process together. They are there to support your birth choices and facilitate your wishes. The pregnant woman, partner and doula work as a team. Sometimes partners need a break; to step out to get a bite to eat, make a phone call, or to just walk around and get some fresh air. It can be an anxious time for the partner and knowing that someone is there, to attend to mom, helps to ease the partner's stress. A doula can guide partners through the experience of birth, by showing them how to help the laboring mother in a hands on way. Imagine you are hiking Mt. Everest. You have prepared for the hike by eating well, training well, mapped out the course, etc. Now it's time to climb. You hire your sherpa for the trek. You know you understand the process of hiking, but are unsure of the trails. You haven't been to this land before, but you know that the journey ahead might be long & tiring. The sherpa guides you, directs you, motivates you....to keep going, even when you're doubtful. Doulas are sherpas for birth! With a positive presence, knowledge of the process, and expert experience, doulas can help reassure both mom & partner about the many things that can happen during labor, birth & the postpartum experience.
Q. What hospitals will you go to?
A. I currently only work out of Manchester Hospital. Please inquire about my services at any other hospitals in CT/MA.
Q. Do you have a back-up doula?
A. Yes. I have many back-up doula's that I network with on a constant basis. If I were to secure a back up doula for your birth, you can trust that she will echo all that I offer and do for you and your partner. Upon your request, you would be able to meet the back up doula prior to birth.
Q. How many births do you take per month?
A. I try take no more than 4 births a month. On average, there are about 2-3 births each month. I am blessed that I am able to work from home so that allows me to leave at the drop of a call should my client need me. I do my best to space out my clients and allow for each one to have individualized care by me. Please call me for availability. I fill my calendar very quickly!
Q. Will my medical Insurance cover the cost of a doula?
A. Currently, some health insurance companies are looking into covering the cost of a doula. I encourage you to inquire with your health insurance company. If you have and FSA or HSA, some plans are reimbursing the cost of doulas. I can provide receipts upon request for reimbursement from FSA's.
Q. What training or certification do you have?
A. I started attending many births in 2004. I fell in love with this work so I started the long process of being trained as a birth doula and got officially certified. I certified with ALACE (now called; toLabor).
I chose that organization based on the sole fact that they train in the midwifery school of thought; believing that having trust in the body is just as important as taking care of yourself. Trusting in birth and in the body was a strong value that I came away with in this education process. I have also trained with DONA (Doulas of North America), Childbirth Professionals (for birth & postpartum certification), and several other certifying organizations to enhance my knowledge and expertise.
With doula certification under my belt, I then proceeded to further my education and become a Certified Childbirth Educator. I am currently in my 14th year of teaching - certified as a Childbirth Educator with Childbirth Professionals International. Each year, I continue to further my education with workshops & training sessions on topics such as; rebozo, belly dancing in labor, spinningbabies, herbs & essential oils in pregnancy, doulas & nurses working collaboratively together, Body Ready Method training, and many, many more. I am constantly learning, educating & strengthening my skills as a doula.
Q. How will you help a birthing person through pregnancy, labor and birth process?
A. Throughout the pregnancy I will maintain contact with the birthing person every month. We meet twice in the pregnancy to go over concerns, birth wishes, and labor preperations. Once birth draws near, I will be expecting my clients to keep in contact with me more frequently. I offer suggestions to get the body ready for birth, and encourage setting up appointments with other professionals if needed. Once we enter the "on call" period, (38-42 weeks) we will remain in contact weekly/every couple of days. Once in labor, there are a variety of position changes, breathing patterns, tools, massages, acupressure and visual techniques that I will offer. All of these components together will help facilitate the birth outcome as being a natural process. Most importantly, having that constant support person with you and your partner will help to make you feel more engaged and supported in the process.
Q. Why did you become a doula?
A. It was 1987 and I distinctly remember being on a field trip as an 8th grader at a local hospital with my class. We were touring the whole hospital that day for "career day." When we arrived at the maternity wing of that hospital, I remember feeling like I could have spent the entire day there! Just knowing that there were women, REAL WOMEN, giving birth beyond those doors intrigued me beyond belief! I knew in that moment that pregnancy & birth fascinated me! After helping my sister with the birth of her child in 2004, I knew that I had found my calling! I pursued certification as a doula and it only got better from there. I then decided to add to my profession and was certified as a Childbirth Educator in 2010. I myself LOVED being pregnant, and I love being a mother even more! I have a passion for helping people and I am confident that I can contribute to your birth process. I have truly found my gift in being a doula, and I welcome you to my passion!
Q. What are the next steps?
A. Contacting me via phone or email and setting up a free consultation on the phone or Zoom. From there, we discuss all that I can offer you and your partner. We will go over my birth package, ask questions, and get to know a little bit about each other. I look forward to hearing from you!