Here are some frequently asked questions...
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.
Q. What are the benefits to having a Doula at my birth?
A. There are so many benefits. From shorter labors and less interventions, to reduced use/need for pain medication. Doulas are there to provide support in many areas of pregnancy & childbirth. We are your constant support, aside from your partner. We remain with you throughout your entire labor & birth. Having a Doula there, to stay by Mom's side, benefits everyone!
Q. Are there any exercises that I can do while pregnant to help prepare my body for birth?
A. Absolutely! Walking throughout pregnancy will not only benefit the Mom’s health, but your baby’s too! Practice squatting and lunging daily. This will help to get your body prepared for the marathon of labor. Doing Kegels every day will help to maintain your muscle tone as well. I highly recommend doing a perineal massage daily from 36 weeks gestation and on. This will encourage natural stretching and elasticity. Correct posture daily will increase the chances of your baby getting into an optimal fetal position! Eating a well balanced diet, and as your due date nears, upping your protein and carbohydrate intake will help your body prepare for the endurance of labor. Daily exercise and relaxation techniques will all assist in your labor/birth process. Visualizing your birth experience going well, as it approaches, will also help condition your mind and prepare your body.
Q. Is a Doula there to replace the Dad/Partner?
A. No. Doulas are there to help the Mom and her partner have an active role in their birth process. They are there to support your birth choices and facilitate your wishes. The pregnant woman, partner and Doula work as a team. Sometimes Dad's need a break. Whether it be to step out to get a bite to eat, make a phone call, or to just walk around and get some fresh air. A Doula can guide birth partners, through the experience of birth, by showing them how to help the laboring mother in a hands on way. Doulas can also reassure both Mom & Dad about the many, scary, normal things, that can happen during a labor and birth. A Doula can enhance the birth process by bringing her knowledge and expertise to the entire birthing family. Having a Doula there, by Mom, (and Dad's) side, is one of the many reasons you would benefit from a Doula!
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. Here, in the state of CT, Blue Cross and Connecticare are offering some kind of coverage based on what plan you have. I encourage you to inquire with your health insurance company. The more you inquire, the more they look into what a Doula is and does! Call them!
Q. How will you help a pregnant woman through her pregnancy, labor and birth process?
A. Throughout the pregnancy I will maintain contact with the Mom every month. Once birth draws near, I will be contacting her more frequently. Then, once we enter the "on call" period, which is two weeks before, up to two weeks after your due date, we will remain in contact a couple of times a week. Once Mom is in labor, there are a variety of position changes, breathing patterns, massages, and visual techniques that I will offer you. All of these components together, will help facilitate the birth outcome as being a natural process. Most importantly, having that "constant" person there, with you and your partner, will help to make you feel more active, safe and pleased in your birth experience.
Q. Why did you become a Doula?
A. It was 1988 and I distinctly remember being on a field trip at a local hospital with my 8th grade 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 just recently certified as a Childbirth Educator as well. 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. Pregnancy and birth are amazing feats that a woman’s body are built for, and I love helping each woman achieve her birth goals. I have truly found my gift in being a Doula, and I welcome you to my passion!
Here are some wonderful resources for you!
My picks for a great read!
I highly recommend reading these books while pregnant or prior to getting pregnant. They offer a wonderful assortment of choices, options and information for an expectant couple. Throughout your pregnancy, I will gladly loan you any of the books listed below and many more that are not listed. Just ask!
The Birth Partner
by Penny Simkin
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
by Ina May Gaskin
The VBAC Companion
by Diana Korte
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth
by Henci Goer
The Nursing Mother's Companion
by Kathleen Huggins
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn - The Complete Guide
by Simkin, Whalley, Keppler
Born In The USA
by Marsden Wagner, M.D., M.S.
Pushed
by Jennifer Block
Spiritual Midwifery
by Penny Simkin
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
Gwen Gotsch & Judy Torqus
Visit the following websites for ever changing, current information!
ALACE (to Labor)
International Birth and Wellness Project
Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators, member since 2006
Doula World
Spinning Babies
Easier childbirth through fetal positioning.
VBAC
A woman-centered, evidence-based resource.
ICAN-ONLINE
International Cesarean Awareness Network
Epidural Information
Lamaze
Lamaze promotes a natural, healthy and safe approach to pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting.
KellyMom: Breastfeeding and Parenting
Q. What are the benefits to having a Doula at my birth?
A. There are so many benefits. From shorter labors and less interventions, to reduced use/need for pain medication. Doulas are there to provide support in many areas of pregnancy & childbirth. We are your constant support, aside from your partner. We remain with you throughout your entire labor & birth. Having a Doula there, to stay by Mom's side, benefits everyone!
Q. Are there any exercises that I can do while pregnant to help prepare my body for birth?
A. Absolutely! Walking throughout pregnancy will not only benefit the Mom’s health, but your baby’s too! Practice squatting and lunging daily. This will help to get your body prepared for the marathon of labor. Doing Kegels every day will help to maintain your muscle tone as well. I highly recommend doing a perineal massage daily from 36 weeks gestation and on. This will encourage natural stretching and elasticity. Correct posture daily will increase the chances of your baby getting into an optimal fetal position! Eating a well balanced diet, and as your due date nears, upping your protein and carbohydrate intake will help your body prepare for the endurance of labor. Daily exercise and relaxation techniques will all assist in your labor/birth process. Visualizing your birth experience going well, as it approaches, will also help condition your mind and prepare your body.
Q. Is a Doula there to replace the Dad/Partner?
A. No. Doulas are there to help the Mom and her partner have an active role in their birth process. They are there to support your birth choices and facilitate your wishes. The pregnant woman, partner and Doula work as a team. Sometimes Dad's need a break. Whether it be to step out to get a bite to eat, make a phone call, or to just walk around and get some fresh air. A Doula can guide birth partners, through the experience of birth, by showing them how to help the laboring mother in a hands on way. Doulas can also reassure both Mom & Dad about the many, scary, normal things, that can happen during a labor and birth. A Doula can enhance the birth process by bringing her knowledge and expertise to the entire birthing family. Having a Doula there, by Mom, (and Dad's) side, is one of the many reasons you would benefit from a Doula!
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. Here, in the state of CT, Blue Cross and Connecticare are offering some kind of coverage based on what plan you have. I encourage you to inquire with your health insurance company. The more you inquire, the more they look into what a Doula is and does! Call them!
Q. How will you help a pregnant woman through her pregnancy, labor and birth process?
A. Throughout the pregnancy I will maintain contact with the Mom every month. Once birth draws near, I will be contacting her more frequently. Then, once we enter the "on call" period, which is two weeks before, up to two weeks after your due date, we will remain in contact a couple of times a week. Once Mom is in labor, there are a variety of position changes, breathing patterns, massages, and visual techniques that I will offer you. All of these components together, will help facilitate the birth outcome as being a natural process. Most importantly, having that "constant" person there, with you and your partner, will help to make you feel more active, safe and pleased in your birth experience.
Q. Why did you become a Doula?
A. It was 1988 and I distinctly remember being on a field trip at a local hospital with my 8th grade 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 just recently certified as a Childbirth Educator as well. 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. Pregnancy and birth are amazing feats that a woman’s body are built for, and I love helping each woman achieve her birth goals. I have truly found my gift in being a Doula, and I welcome you to my passion!
Here are some wonderful resources for you!
My picks for a great read!
I highly recommend reading these books while pregnant or prior to getting pregnant. They offer a wonderful assortment of choices, options and information for an expectant couple. Throughout your pregnancy, I will gladly loan you any of the books listed below and many more that are not listed. Just ask!
The Birth Partner
by Penny Simkin
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
by Ina May Gaskin
The VBAC Companion
by Diana Korte
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth
by Henci Goer
The Nursing Mother's Companion
by Kathleen Huggins
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn - The Complete Guide
by Simkin, Whalley, Keppler
Born In The USA
by Marsden Wagner, M.D., M.S.
Pushed
by Jennifer Block
Spiritual Midwifery
by Penny Simkin
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
Gwen Gotsch & Judy Torqus
Visit the following websites for ever changing, current information!
ALACE (to Labor)
International Birth and Wellness Project
Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators, member since 2006
Doula World
Spinning Babies
Easier childbirth through fetal positioning.
VBAC
A woman-centered, evidence-based resource.
ICAN-ONLINE
International Cesarean Awareness Network
Epidural Information
Lamaze
Lamaze promotes a natural, healthy and safe approach to pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting.
KellyMom: Breastfeeding and Parenting