PRENATAL SUPPORT

We will meet for a consultation to become acquainted and discuss intentions for your birth and take the time to get to know each other to build trust. Our visits are an open space to explore your options, curating your birth progressively. I will be side by side with you as a sound board and an ear for your story telling. Confidentially, I will dive with you as far as you’d like into your story, because I care about you and believe your true self will show up for your birth.

BIRTH SUPPORT

You will contact me when you believe you are in labor, even if you do not need me yet. I will answer questions and share ideas over the phone. Remember, you know whats going on and I am here to review with you and your support team. The longer you hang out at home, evidence suggests the better for you and baby. Less interventions, a greater sense of comfort meaning more Oxytocin opening up your cervix. Yet we leave room for baby and mom to make any instinctual decision such as leaving for the hospital or other medical care when desired.

I will come when you are in active labor (6 cm dilation) and remain with you for your birth.

If I am unavailable for a short period of time, I have a back up doula. Sometimes she may come to provide you support while I take a break in the case for very long labors or need to tend to my children.

When its go time, I will support you and your support team with at the moment information, steadiness, snack gathering and sleeping. You and yours may eat and rest with reassurance to continue standing your beautiful birthing ground.

Comfort measures are important and I look forward to sharing a wide variety of tools and techniques. During our prenatal visits we will discuss comfort measures and stress responses. Discussing these topics help to highlight what you can expect of yourself during labor, and share with me your true preferences so I can best support you.

Massaging of hands and feet and body, Rebozo hip wrapping, hip squeezes, bath/ shower preparation, and aromatherapy are just some of the support techniques you have available to you.

I stay with you for 1-2 hours post birth to ensure your care team is comforting to you and baby, ensure baby has eaten or attempted to eat, and that you have a hot delicious meal in front of you from wherever you chose in the vicinity. I am so happy to make you most comfortable at this precious time in your life!

POSTPARTUM SUPPORT

Within two days, I will check up on you and baby in person, unless you desire a visit earlier. You will have the opportunity to debrief your birth, sharing your incredible passage into motherhood. You will become anew. We will bask in your glory. Feeding support is essential and as your lactation counselor, I will support you in the days after birth while your milk matures and comes down or your facilitating baby’s first bottle feedings. My phone is fully open!

Understanding how important your personal space is to you, I am here to help tidy up and do light cleaning during our meetings if you desire. The reality is you want to rest, so I can mow the lawn, place food in the oven for you and wipe down surfaces. Former clients of mine used our time to sometimes take a shower but also just chat and have an adult by their side to have conversation.

My phone will always be open to you. I can and will run over to check up on you if you call me and ask for that. I am a professional who understands whats going on in your new world so I am here for you in a way others might not be able to be or know how to be. You will make me a very happy Doula if you call me asking a question or sharing some insight far after our contract ends. With pleasure we will be in touch.

Lactation & Feeding Counseling

I am here to support your preference of feeding with evidence based knowledge on what you and baby are capable of while dismantling some of our cultural preconceptions of birth and breastfeeding. I will celebrate your accomplishments, since all of them are tremendous.

Skin-to-skin immediately after birth and for the first two hours of birth shows a fantastic outcome for breastfeeding mothers in milk production as well as decreasing postpartum difficulties. Please have patience when I say that our babies are “carriers” and not “nesters”. Our milk is mostly water meaning babies will feed often throughout the day, and therefore desire to be close to you. I know you’ll be exhausted, and I know how we can make this easier so that we increase your sleep time and your babies by feeding on cue and keeping you both close together. We will also contextualize feeding to fit into your lifestyle even if its going back to work, or working from home, or juggling a family of now four! As a Certified Lactation Counselor, I have tricks up my sleeves grounded in evidence. This will feel right for you!

Any questions you have about medical conditions, medicines your taking or might begin taking, physiologic difficulties and the like, I am here to support you. I do not diagnose, nor provide medical advice, however I am a counselor for feeding and will support you in the more intimate ways you need. This includes breast issues such as inflammation, yeast, herpes, and other challenges. I am learned on these topics and am here to support you. I fully understand that life is tough and their might be obstacles you and baby face and things can get frustrating, almost impossible. I believe in you, and I believe in your body and baby. I will provide the space for you to practice and be you.