Please visit JulianArts to learn more about my role as a doula and birth assistant. I am available for home, birthing center and hospital births in the Erie and surrounding areas.

I recognize childbirth as a transformative life experience. On your birthing day, not only is your baby being welcomed into the world, you and your partner are simultaneously being transformed into parents. There is no other single day in our lives when we are asked to do, be, and experience so many things. Protecting the sacredness of this event is my priority.

As I see it, the role of a doula is to mother the mother. As our society has grown and progressed, many advances in science and medicine have made it possible to save lives that might have been lost a hundred years ago. But with those advances, we have lost the trust in our bodies and trust in the process of birth. Experts agree that interventions can help, but they are grossly overused and unnecessary in the majority of childbirth experiences. Birth has become filled with fear and misinformation. Doula’s support the joy of birth by eliminating the fear and myths.

A birth doula helps families come as close as they can to having the kind of birth they desire. To be successful parents, they need to come away from the birthing experience with the best possible feelings about themselves and their capabilities. I work to educate mothers and their partners about childbirth, to help mediate the stress and discomfort that can be associated with pregnancy, and to provide physical and emotional support throughout the entire childbirth process. I can offer suggestions on comfort measures, pain relief, positions, movement, breathing and relaxation that will provide the optimal experience for you and your baby.

While the outcome of labor and birth can be unpredictable, the care you receive during your labor should never be. Doula’s work alongside physicians, midwives, nurses, and birth partners, but do not replace any of these important birth team participants. As a doula, I will assist women giving birth in hospitals, birth centers and at home. As your doula, I am YOUR assistant. I am employed by you, and therefore I have your desires, hopes, and best interest in mind. I hope to provide constant, nurturing, helpful and objective support as well as first-hand knowledge and understanding of what you, the laboring mother, is going through.

Doula’s specialize in non-medical skills and do not perform clinical tasks, such as vaginal exams or fetal heart rate monitoring. In addition to the support, doula’s are trained in non-pharmacological pain relief. Non-pharmacological pain relief means anything non-medical such as massage, aromatherapy, visualization, situation-appropriate application of heat or cold, breathing patterns, body positioning, focal points, and relaxation techniques. Doula’s do not diagnose medical conditions, offer second opinions, or give medical advice. The doula’s goal is to help the woman have a safe and satisfying childbirth, as defined by each individual woman.

One Response to “Doula Info”

1. justine says:

   May 20, 2010 at 4:26 pm

   State-of-the-Heart Parenting
   http://www.stateoftheheart.net/

   Would you (or someone you know and love) like to have a doula provide one-on-one support through pregnancy and the birthing experience? Are you worried that the cost may be out of your budget though? State of the Heart is raising funds to help families afford doula services here in Erie…Doulas For All is due to be “born” soon! Call 661-DOULAS-1 or write to Justine@DoulasForAll.org for details!