Now booking doula births for March 2010 and beyond.  Please call early for availability.

What is a DOULA?

Doula pricing information

 

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Bellabirthing Doula Care:
  • Recognizes birth as a significant life experience.
  • Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a laboring woman.
  • Provides continuous support, practical comfort measures, and an objective viewpoint to aid in decision-making.
  • Complements the care provided by the woman’s partner and birth attendants.
  • Protects and nurtures the memory of the birth experience.
Who relies on a doula?
Childbearing women and couples, midwives, physicians, and labor and delivery nurses appreciate the resources, techniques, knowledge and continuous empathetic support a doula provides.Recent studies indicate the use of a doula:

  • Decreases labor length by 25 percent.
  • Decreases oxytocin use by 25 percent.
  • Decreases mother’s request for pain medication by 30 percent.
  • Decreases cesareans by 50 percent.
  • Increases father’s participation level. (Mothering the Mother, Klaus, Kennell, Klaus, 1993)

 

Bellabirthing Doula Care includes:

  • A free interview to determine whether I am the right doula for you. Please consider interviewing several doulas with your partner present. Birth is very important and intimate and you want the person who best fits you both. My former clients are happy to provide a reference for me upon request.
  • An experienced doula who is also a Bradley Method trained educator, with over 6 years experience helping women achieve the beautiful they desire. I have attended home births, Bozeman Deaconess and Livingston Hospital births, water birth, all natural births, pain free births, c-sections, epidurals, inductions, squatting births, vacuum assisted births, long births and very short births, twins, births with zero complications and births with life-threatening complications. In short, I have a broad range of experiences and feel confident that I can support you in your unique birth experience.
  • Once hired, several meetings (2-3) to get to know one another, go over your birth plan (or help write it) and wishes, practice pain coping techniques and any other support you need at that time, such as referrals or resources. I have a lending library and birth films to lend as well.
  • 24/7 phone availability, for questions, concerns, or to share news.
  • Availability for your due date. I will not book another birth around the time of your birth.
  • Back-up doula care with Montana Childbirth Collective Doulas. You may choose to meet one or more back-up doulas. I would use a back-up only if I were ill, had a family emergency or another birth overlap (you go into labor 4 weeks early, another couple is 2 weeks late, for example - this would be rare!). My children are older and I have great support, so it is relatively easy for me to devote my attention to a birth when needed.
  • Continuous birth doula care from the time you request it. I will stay after the birth for several hours to help you begin breastfeeding, recover from your birth and settle into mothering. I do not charge extra for long births (I have stayed 40+ hours before). You may expect a shorter and less painful labor with a doula present (according to research).
  • Relaxation support, pain management techniques, positioning suggestions, massage, aromatherapy, emotional support, information about medical procedures, and education about the birth process are all provided during your labor. I will support both mom and her partner so that they can achieve the birth they desire and feel positive about their experience.
  • Support no matter what happens in your birth. If you need medical intervention or a c-section, I will be there to help you cope and recover. My support can alleviate fears and help you find the positive in a birth that has not gone the way you planned. Moms and partners who have a c-section with a doula by their side, say they would never want to do it without one.
  • A written birth story documenting your baby’s birth.
  • Photography if you desire.
  • Referrals for postpartum support.
  • 1-2 postpartum visits to admire your baby, assess your well-being, help with nursing, review your birth and evaluate my role.
  • Follow-up care over the next few months. I call or email frequently to check-in. My 24/7 phone help never expires.

Class information

About me

About Bellabirthing

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