Support Services
“Women never forget giving birth.
And how a woman is treated during this trans-formative experience, whether she feels cared for, nurtured and empowered during birth or directed, coerced and ignored, matters more than whether a mother labors with drugs or without, or whether her baby comes out vaginally or by Cesarean-section.”
~ Penny Simkin ~
Physical, Emotional, and Informational Support throughout pregnancy, during labor, and into the postpartum period.
Midwife & Doula?
The role of the homebirth midwife runs parallel to the role of an OBGYN if you were planning a birth in a hospital setting. While the philosphies and approaches can be vastly different between midwifery care and that of western medicine, their job responsibilities are the same. The care provider oversees the medical safety of the pregnancy, labor & birth, and immediate postpartum period for both the mother and the baby.
The role of the doula is non-medical in any capacity. If trained well, and having sufficient experience under their wings, a doula can change everything about the energy and rhythm that the mother and her partner will expereince throughout their journey to meet their baby. A Doula takes gentle care in addressing the needs that can present on an mental, emotional, physical, and even spiritual level during a time of great vulnerability for the mother and those closest to her.
A Doula helps you consider things you may not have realized you needed to know, comes earlier in labor than your provider, stays longer after the birth, and provides hands on support to meet the emotional and physical needs of labor, whereas the Midwife is tending to the care and safety of the process for mother and baby. Having both the care of a Midwife and the support of a Doula, sets things in motion for the most positive and successful birth experience that you desire. Many OBGYN’s/Family Physicians are also discovering the great number of benefits in having a Doula attend to their clients during the labor process.
- 25% Shorter Labors with fewer complications
- Reduction in Cesarean Births by as much as 50%
- Reduces mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals by 60%
- Reduced need for Pitocin (a labor-inducing drug) by 40%, as well as interventions such as forceps, vacuum extraction and cesareans
- 40% Reduction in Forceps or Vacuum Extraction Deliveries
- Decrease in the incidences of postpartum depression
- Reduction in the number of days newborns spend in the NICU
- Decrease in the number of septic workups performed on newborns
- Higher maternal assessments of baby when compared to the “standard baby”
- Birth progressing naturally due to feeling secure and cared for
- Encouraged support and involvement for birthing dad/partner
- Greater self-confidence
- Better understanding of the options available before, during and after the birth
- Increase in maternal confidence and endurance
- Promotion of skin-to-skin contact directly after birth
- Better maternal/paternal – infant interaction
- Greater satisfaction with ones birth experience
- More positive success in adapting to the new family dynamic
- Increase in the number of mothers who choose to breastfeed
- Greater success with breastfeeding and an increase in the length of time that a mother and baby will breastfeed
- Empowerment through nonclinical birthing advocacy
A free initial consultation to discuss your hopes and desires for your birth and to get to know one another better.
Two additional prenatal visits together to discuss comfort measures, birth preparation, and answer questions you have along the way. Visits are typically scheduled around 28-30 weeks and again around 35-37 weeks. One in-home postnatal visit between 5-7 days after birth.
Email, text, and phone support are available, depending on need, throughout pregnancy and into the first 4 weeks postpartum.
Birth plan preparation and guidance is available to you.
A multitude of classes are available to client families surrounding optimal health & wellness, natural childbirth, options and decisions in pregnancy and birth, breastfeeding, newborn care, and educational information surrounding more complex options so families are able to make an informed decision that is best for their baby.
Individualized care that supports the ideal vision for your birth.
Massage, aromatherapy, affirmations, guidance, nurturing, encouragement, prayer, back labor relief, hip comfort, pressure points, rebozo comfort measures & more.
Resources, referrals and connections will be given for a variety of local birth connections, as the need arises.
- Preparation within the home for the arrival of baby. Nursery set up and/or assisting in “greening” the home for baby.
- Postpartum birth experience counseling is available. Regardless of your birth experience, having the opportunity to share it in a safe place with someone who cares is vitally important.
- Breastfeeding education, support and guidance from day one until the day baby weans.
- Cesarean support and recovery.
- Postpartum depression prevention.
- Light housekeeping will be provided (Dishes, laundry, sweeping, changing linens).
- Planning and preparation of nutritious meals.
- Overnight Care, also known as baby/sleep nurses, available in 8 hour night time shifts. Additional hour(s) can be added at the beginning or end of shifts.
~ The above is a generalized listing of the most common care services that are often provided ~
Daytime Doula Care
$30.00 / Hr. 7am – 7pm
Minimum 5 Hr. Shift
Nightime Doula Care
$35.00 / Hr. 7pm – 7am
Overnight Doula Care
$275.00 / Night 10pm – 6am -or- 9pm – 5am
Immediate Postpartum Doula Care
$275.00 Package / Support in hospital after birth and help leaving birth location and settling in at home
Location fees may apply, depending on distance & location from New Braunfels
Many doulas have extensive training in the realm of breastfeeding counseling and are well equipped to provide guidance in the following areas:
- Breast and nipple care
- Feeding and pumping schedules
- Milk production increase or decrease
- Nutritional needs while breastfeeding
- Teething support
- Weaning
- and More…
* Please note, that a Breastfeeding Counselor is not the same as an IBCLC (lactation consultant) and the scopes of practice are different from a medical standpoint. Breastfeeding counselors will refer clients to IBCLC’s when necessary.
There are many reasons that you and your care provider may decide it medically necessary for you to have a scheduled cesarean. It is in this circumstance that having a Doula at your side becomes so very essential. Your Doula brings in another set of eyes, ears and hands, provides answers to your questions, helps you formulate a birth plan and even offer an educational class on cesarean sections to help you better prepare for your upcoming surgical birth.
During the pre-operative period, your Doula will help by explaining procedures to you as they come and assist in helping you manage procedures that might be a bit painful, such as the administration of an IV and the placement of epidural anesthesia prior to your surgery.
During your surgery, your surgeon and nurses will be busy and focused on all safety measures and procedures of your surgery as well as setting up and preparing to care for your baby immediately after birth. Dad or your partner will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of your baby and may also find themselves in need of some support and reassurance. It is during this time that your Doula will be taking great care in communicating with you and your partner as many details as you would like to know along the way, and possibly even helping to document the journey for you by photographing the birth of your baby, if you so desire, particularly after the baby is born. Your Doula will remind staff of any special requests that you may have in your birth plan.
It is important to remember that during a cesarean your baby is born within just a few short minutes and the remainder of the hour long procedure is the closing and repair. Should your baby need to go to the nursery or NICU, your partner will be able to accompany baby and your Doula will remain right at your side for the remainder of your surgery. This way, baby is never alone, and neither are you. Your Doula will also act as a liaison between staff, your partner, and you, to keep you up to date on your baby while you are separated. Should baby be able to stay present with you and your partner, then your Doula can assist in the bonding process, as well as immediate skin-to-skin contact with you and even help in the beginning of your nursing journey all while your surgery is being completed. Once into the postpartum period, your Doula will provide post-operative support and comfort measures, give guidance with breastfeeding and answer any questions you may have.
- 1 prenatal visit prior to your cesarean
- 1 postnatal visit 5 – 10 days after your cesarean
- Breastfeeding support
- 24 hour on-call period for the first 2 weeks after your surgery (contact via phone, text or email)
Unscheduled Emergency or Non-Emergency Surgical Birth
Care in this circumstance includes the same level of service as explained above. The only exception is that in the event of an emergency situation, your Doula’s role may be extremely limited during the actual surgical procedure. Her full care services are once again available to you during the postpartum period.
Family Centered Cesarean
Families have began to demand change in the surgical room during a cesarean where no immediate health emergencies are present. Your Doula can help you create a birth plan that would include important details about your cesarean birth and your desires for how your new little one is introduced into your lives and make it the most sacred experience as possible.
Just a few examples:
- Given only non-drowsy, anti-nausea medications and anesthesia
- No sedatives after the birth so that you can stay awake and have a memory of your baby’s first moments
- Lowering the screen just before baby is born
- Allowing baby to be born slowly and delaying the clamping of the cord
- Allowing dad or partner to announce the gender of the baby
- Allowing dad or partner to cut the cord
- Delaying baby’s bath until the next day ( or not at all)
- Keeping the room quiet or playing music of your choice
- Immediate skin-to-skin contact
- All baby checks required be done while in mom or dads arms, rather than taken away or placed on a warming bed
- Time alone after surgery to nurse with absolute minimal interruption
- Not allowing guests into room without permission
More options are discussed during prenatal visits, so you can build a cesarean birth plan that meets all of your desires as you welcome your baby.
Preparing for childbirth is much like preparing for a voyage around the world by sea.
If you have never taken a voyage by sea, and have no experience sailing, it would be nearly impossible to set out without an experienced guide and know that you are going to have a smooth voyage from beginning to end, that you are going to arrive at you intended destination point having met all of your goals for the planned journey.
A doula is your guide to understanding the birth process, knowing where you are in each moment, what to expect around the next corner, how to handle each wave as it comes crashing your way, how to be supportive, how to meet the changing needs of the laboring mother as the weather out to sea changes and intensifies.
A doula is the voyage guide … the lighthouse on the shore … the whisper through the winds of change
Mom + Baby + Dad = “The Birth Team”
A Doula = “The Nurturer of the Birthing Process”
Giving “The Birth Team” the physical, emotional and informational support needed along the way.
A Doula is not only support for the birthing mother, she is also support for the birthing father.
This is a journey that mom and dad are taking together with their baby.
A Doula’s role is to facilitate that journey and protect the bond between “The Birth Team” as they work together.
A Doula is not a replacement for a dad’s role in the birth process. Quite the opposite in fact.
