Birth Doula 
Services

What is a Doula?

A Greek word meaning "servant," doula now refers to a woman experienced in childbirth who provides continuous care to a woman and her family before, during and after childbirth. Doulas assist labouring mothers on an emotional level providing support and physical comfort.

As a Certified Birth Doula, Julie accompanies you and your partner (if present) through the entire labour and birth, usually beginning when your labour is well established at home and staying with you during the move to the hospital (unless you are having a homebirth) until the baby is born. She will stay for up to a couple of hours after the birth, long enough to make sure that everyone is stable and comfortable and that you have had an opportunity to nurse your baby if you choose to breastfeed.

During labour, Julie draws on her training and experience to provide you with emotional support and physical comfort. She also assists and encourages you to communicate with the medical staff. She can provide reassurance to you and your partner, make suggestions for labour progress and help with relaxation, massage, positioning and other techniques for comfort. Julie assists your partner in creating a calm and positive atmosphere for the birth of your baby.

Choosing A Doula

You may be spending many hours with your doula in the same room and it will be a particularly vulnerable time for you. It is important that you choose a doula with whom you feel very comfortable. Feel free to ask Julie many questions and to voice your concerns and fears. After the initial interview, please do not hesitate to call if you have further questions or if she can help you in any way to come to a decision. Julie’s goal is that you have the birth you want and to do that you need the right doula.

Birth Doula Services

*** Presently, Julie is taking a sabbatical from doula care. Please contact us for a list of recommended doulas. ***

• Initial Visit: This is the first meeting where we introduce ourselves in person. This visit gives us a chance to discuss your questions and concerns. This meeting does not obligate you to use my services. We can meet in public or I can come to your home.
• Prenatal Visits: Once I have been hired, we will plan our prenatal visits in the weeks before your due date. These visits allow us to build a relationship and to discuss how we will best work together. I will assist you in gathering information on all of your options and preferences. We will also use this time to focus on and prepare for the postnatal period. If I have not had the opportunity of working with your primary caregiver in the past, I am happy to accompany you to one appointment.

• 24-Hour Telephone Availability: I am always available to discuss any concerns or questions that you may have throughout your pregnancy and postnatal period. I can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  

• Professional Labour/Birth Support: My services to you include continuous labour and birth support for you and your partner/family members. I will come to you as soon as you begin feeling uncomfortable in your labour. I will assist your partner in giving you the unique emotional and physical care that you need. This includes encouragement, reassurance, massage, cold/hot compresses, suggestions for labour progress and of course, your loved ones will be cared for in the process. Sometimes, simply having the guarantee that an experienced woman in childbirth will be present for you to act as a "tour guide" on this journey can make a significant and positive impact on your birth experience.

• Photos/Videos (optional): If you would like to record any aspect of your labour or birth on film, I will capture them for you. Pictures taken immediately after the birth have become treasures to past clients of Mother Nurture Childbirth Services. This, of course, is completely up to you.
  
• Breastfeeding Support: As a Certified Breastfeeding Counsellor, I can assist you in developing a successful breastfeeding relationship with your baby. Extended care is available on an hourly basis.
  
• Postnatal Care: Two postpartum visits are included in your birth doula services. You can use this time for whatever it is you need to make your transition into parenthood a smooth one. I am available to assist with breastfeeding, emotional care and adjusting to your new role. I can be hired for extended postpartum doula care, which is available on an hourly basis.
  
• Your Birth Story: You will receive a personal story of your birth experience. It describes the hours and moments leading up to the grand entrance of your baby. This makes a wonderful keepsake for your baby album.

Fee for Birth Doula Services: $650

* Please note: Doula services are only available to
clients in the Ottawa valley.