Pregnancy is a beautiful time - but whether it’s your first pregnancy or tenth, you probably have thousands of questions running through your head every day.
You can think of a doula as the person who walks you through these questions and more. Through your birth and postpartum period, in addition to providing physical and emotional support, a doula makes sure you are armed with the information needed to make empowered decisions, no matter what your birth and postpartum experience look like.
Let's chat about how adding a doula to your birth team can help you experience a positive birthing journey!
I am mother of three grown children and grandmother to one amazing grandchild. Birth has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I have been and remain today awed by the intensity and raw power of the birthing process.
As a DONA Certified Birth Doula, I bring to the table personal experience with birth and it's ups and downs, as well as many years experience assisting others on their birthing journey. Offering support (physical, emotional, and informational) to birthing parents, helping them to find focus and control, trusting their ability to birth their baby, and BELIEVING they can do it... that is the advantage of having a doula on a birthing team!
Childbirth Education is another passion! The phrase "knowledge is power" holds true in the pregnancy and childbirth. Teaching parents the anatomy of childbirth, offering comfort measures, and most importantly, providing key information on options/alternatives in childbirth enables birthing parents to make informed choices that work for them.
Simply put, as a Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Certified Lactation Counselor, I help birthing parents navigate the the ins and outs of pregnancy, labor, delivery, and beyond , allowing them to achieve a positive, informed, focused, and enlightened journey into parenthood.
This was my first pregnancy, labor and delivery and working with Carla was the best decision!
She came to our home at around 32 weeks pregnant and spent around 2 hours one on one with us to prepare, educate us and review our birth plan.
She was available via text or call throughout the entire process.
I was induced at the hospital at 41 weeks and those contractions were the worst! I was calling her in the middle of the night from the hospital and she encouraged me and came right when I needed her! Thankfully, my body kicked into gear and I was able to go into natural labor after a few hours.
She was vital in helping me get into the right positions, applying natural pain management techniques that we had reviewed in my birth plan, and ultimately gave me the comfort and support I needed. She is so incredibly knowledgable, she knew what positions and hand placements were needed for my relief and progress during labor. With Carla, I was able to naturally give birth to our almost 10 pound baby without any pain medications! My midwife said, had I opted for medication, I would have likely needed a c-section because getting into all those positions was vital for making progress in my labor.
She coached my husband in what to do so he was able to actively participate and feel confident in what he was doing was helping me.
Additionally, she is available postpartum, which is really so important because as a first time mom I had so many questions and her knowledge gave us confidence in taking care of our new little one.
I'm so glad to share this special journey with someone who is so sweet, knowledgable, and someone you can just tell this is just something she loves doing and is passionate about. That's a special thing to find!
My labor was 5 days long - and I couldn’t have done it without Carla. When I couldn’t labor at home by myself anymore, I called her at 2 am and she was there by 3. She helped me labor for the next two days and never left my side. She helped me feel empowered every step of the way. Although I didn’t achieve the completely natural birth I was hoping for, I got super close - and wouldn’t have been able to go 5 days in labor with no epidural without Carla. Carla is not only knowledgeable, experienced and reliable, but she is a kind soul and wonderful person. She made me feel safe during one of the most difficult and vulnerable moments of my life. Since Carla was so integral in helping to bring our baby girl into the world, my husband and I consider Carla a dear friend and forever part of our family❤️ Please hire her for your birth - you will NOT be disappointed!!!
Carla was so attentive, kept me focused and most importantly made me feel safe and confident in my ability to push this baby out! This time around was really quick and we almost didn't make it to the hospital. Carla kept me calm on the trip over to the hospital and with her help, I delivered naturally with only a few pushes within a half an hour of arriving. Her calm and grounding presence in the room allowed me to surrender to the process, something that was so hard for me the first time around. I highly recommend Carla! I could not have done this without her!
Working with Carla was, without a doubt, the best decision we made as new parents-to-be. We hired Carla as a birth doula as well as taking her class.
Having Carla with us for the birth of our son was amazing. She checked in regularly leading up to the due date. Since he got here a few days late, she was very calming and reassuring to my wife and helped her deal with the anxiety of a later arrival.
When it was go-time, Carla came the house and the stress level was reduced immediately. My wife used what she learned from Carla to labor calmly at home for as long as she could....She was a calming presence who could speak to the staff and translate some of the more confusing questions or language.
In the room, Carla helped set the tone for calm and relaxation. I took cues from her to help my wife through her breathing. Carla was so reassuring and encouraging. She helped relay my wife's plan to the medical staff, allowing my wife to labor in a way that was best for her. We both agree that it would not have been the overall positive experience without Carla with us.
Carla is amazing. First time we met her, we immediately knew she was right for us. It's really like having a very smart, very encouraging member of the family with you through the process. Carla will be with us for any future children!!! She is a true blessing and feels like a member of the family.
For my last I was 42 and very nervous because of my age. She was a pillar of support and guidance through my whole pregnancy. Maybe it was because there were so many years between my 2nd and my third, but I felt like a first time mom almost. She was there when I needed her and was my advocate during my daughter's birth. I was glad my husband was there with me but in the end Carla was the most helpful to me because she knew exactly what I was experiencing. She was helpful, compassionate, empathetic but most of all a rock of support from pregnancy through birth. I would highly recommend her to any expecting mother.
You provided us with so much love, support, and knowledge that was incredible to have during this unknown and at times scary process. It was not an easy road for any of us and you made us feel empowered! We felt completely cared for and listened to about our fears, concerns, and wishes. We feel you truly went above and beyond. We are forever grateful to you and thankful you were a part of this magical journey!
... This was my first birth, and from the prenatal meetings to all the classes, I truly went into the experience feeling empowered to have a natural birth and confident in my decision to have a doula. My labor ended up being in the middle of the night (and fast) and Carla swooped in quickly and calmly to help make my daughter's arrival exactly how I had hoped and envisioned. From the moment she left the hospital to today, 2 weeks later, my husband and I have constantly said we couldn't have done it without her! Would highly recommend her to anyone!
Book a Discovery Call with me to learn more about how you can benefit from doula support during pregnancy and beyond.
Then we can make a plan and schedule our prenatal meeting(s) and address any questions you may have.
Celebrate feeling relaxed, joyful and supported as you bring your baby home and into the world.
From teaching you about your changing body to helping you with breastfeeding/bottle feeding and infant care- a doula's role is to help you transition into yours.
Joy | Peace | Confidence
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