Labor Doula

The word doula is an Ancient Greek word, meaning slave. The modern day version is "handmaiden" or "mother's helper". I basically like to think that my job is to mother the mother.

A labor doula will come to you during labor and stay with you until around an hour or so after the birth of your child it can be a birth in hospital, birthing center or at home. She is there to assist you during this time, helping with positions, comfort techniques, massage, mediating and general emotional support.

Research shows that mothers using doulas, have shorter births and there is less need for medical interventions. For further information on doulas in general and why a doula might be the choice for you, check out this page on the DONA International website.

I provide

• Pre-natal visits.
• Ongoing telephone communication
• Help with writing birth plans.
• Childbirth Preparation classes (at an extra, reduced fee)
• Handouts and information, including the use of my lending library for our time together.
• On call time for up to 2 weeks prior and 2 weeks after your due date.
• Attendance at your labor and birth.
• Assistance with positions, massage, comfort techniques and more. 
• Indian Head massage during labor - a great comfort and relaxation method as the nerves in the head are very succeptible to stimulus. 
• Use of the Rebozo - this is a technique I learned from Mexican midwives for helping with comfort and in particular back labor.
• Photos should you want them.
• A written up birth-day diary.
• A postpartum visit.

I trained with DONA International to become a labor doula.

Here are a few testimonials from recent clients:

“thank u so much for coming the other day!! everything that u have done for us is just so very much more than i could have hoped for!!! u truely r a wonderful person rachel and u have such a gift for what u do!!!!!! i will never b able to thank you properly!!! i really hope we can stay in touch as friends!!”

                                                                   Baby girl          12/15/05

via e-mail

“You were wonderful, a big help to the family”

                                                          Nurse at Yale Hospital, New Haven

“We can't thank you enough for the help and confidence you have given us throughout the birth of E.”

                                                                   Baby girl            1/9/06

"Again, thank you. You are a gem in the world of birthing"

 Mom attending labor comfort measures workshop

"Choosing to work with you was one of the best things I did throughout my pregnancy."

                                                                    Baby boy           7/8/06

"It was great to meet you all last weekend and thank you so much, Rachel, for leading us through the minefield of childbirth in such a short space of time" 

                                                                      Group class       June 2006

"I can't thank you enough for taking me on such short notice and teaching me exactly what I needed to know to make the right decisions and push that baby out!" 

                                                                     Baby girl            1/2/07

!!NEW!!

Postnatal peer support.

This service is a new one that I am offering in response to demand.

For women and their partners that feel they need someone to chat to or some help with breastfeeding or other postnatal and newborn care issues then I am able to come to your home either as a one off, or on a more regular basis to help you. This is not the same service as a postnatal doula as I am purely offering support in the form of listening, observing and aiding with specific issues. There is no time frame as to when you feel you may need this help, it might be in the first year or later on.

Areas you may want help with are:

• breastfeeding
• weaning and nutrition
• sleeping
• debriefing your birth
• subsequent pregnancy and issues that arise
• toddlers
• positive discipline etc the list is endless

The time can be as little as an hour a week to two or three hours during a week and these hours are generally scheduled during the morning.

This service is not to be used as an alternative to a health professional and I will always recommend you seek the relevant person should I feel there be a need.

As an alternative to this, I also run workshops throughout the year on a variety of subjects one of which may cover the areas you require. See the "upcoming events page"

As a doula I serve Fairfield county, CT and parts of Westchester County NY. For further information on either of these services and what I can offer for you, please contact me via telephone or e-mail.