What is a doula and how do they help you and your partner?
As your Birthready doula:
• I recognise childbirth as a pivotal life experience for you (and your family). I aim to nurture, encourage, offer knowledge, physical, mental and emotional support, resources and advocacy for you through your pregnancy and into parenthood.
• I build a deepening relationship with you through the continuity of care offered by pre-natal visits, antenatal classes, attendance at the birth, post natal debrief and any ongoing coaching/mentoring.
• I believe in the importance of optimising normal physiological birth, trusting in your intuition, abilities and knowledge you have from within and reduce the need for unnecessary interventions.
• I offer comfort and pain relief techniques to help, among other wonderful non invasive ways to help, if need be.
• I support the process of informed decision making, empowering consent and woman centred care. I help you discuss options and gather information, particularly if there is a deviation from the natural process.
• I facilitate respectful communication, understanding and team work between you, your health care providers and your support people.
• I offer emotional support, encouragement, options and personal reflection when things don’t go according to plan.
• I assist you through the challenges and choices of preparing for and carrying out your wishes for birth and in early parenting.
• I give post natal doula home help and support the family’s adjustment to life as parents.
• I support and enable healthy partner/parent relationships ongoing.
Your doula back up team
I work with an awesome who enable professional back up doula support for the rare occasions I am unable to attend your birth.
We are woman who have personally experienced birth and have a variety of complimentary skills to support your transition into life as a parent be a richly rewarding one.
A Birthready doula will not:
• Perform clinical tasks, such as blood pressure, foetal heart checks, vaginal exams, give medical advice.
• Carry medical equipment
• Make decisions for the woman and/or the birth team.
• Bring her preconceived ideas of what your birth ‘should be’ to you.
Erika – heartfelt thanks to you from myself, Jason and baby Struan. I can’t tell you how invaluable you were to me during our birth experience. Without you being with us at home I am sure that we would have gone to hospital much sooner and that I would caved and gone for the pain relief. I couldn’t believe it when we got there and the midwife said I was 8 cm dilated! You then helped me through the hardest part, that last 2cm, and when I thought I really couldn’t do it any more (and we both know that’s what I was thinking!) you helped me cope just one contraction at a time, encouraging me to try different positions and telling me how strong I was and how close I was to holding my baby boy. I know I was a challenge for you – I fought you and the process almost every step of the way – but you stuck with me, stayed strong and didn’t take any of my bull****!!! The result was a natural birth, and a beautiful, healthy and happy baby boy.
Your dedication to helping women have a safe, natural and amazing birth experience is truly apparent in everything you do Erika, and your commitment to that is only to be admired. Thank you once again – Jason and I would recommend you to anyone seeking a birthing partner who will help make the experience a joyful one!
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