What is a Doula? A certified antepartum doula is a person trained in assisting pregnant women who are classified as high risk, or have medical conditions that necessitate the need for help. This assistance includes: A certified labor/birth doula is highly trained to assist the birthing family before, during, and immediately after the birth of the baby. Labor doulas provide physical and emotional support from home to hospital. The following is a list of typical services offered by a labor doula: Labor/Birth Doulas Make a Difference Having the presence of a doula during labor has · Overall cesarean rate · Length of labor · Pitocin/Oxytocin use · Pain medication · Need for forceps/vacuum We offer Labor/Birth Doula services, which include: · Free interview in the comfort of your home · Two-three prenatal visits · Relaxation technique education and rehearsal · Birth Preparation Handouts (25-30) · Assistance with preparation of a personalized Birth Plan · Telephone support and advice throughout pregnancy and postpartum · Continuous, uninterrupted support throughout labor, birth, and immediate postpartum · Labor and birth positioning suggestions for comfort and labor progress · Breastfeeding preparation, education, and support · Guaranteed backup doulas · Referrals to antepartum and postpartum doulas · One Postpartum home visit Our flexible service is customized to meet your needs. Testimonial: "We signed up for the Bradley class and were looking for a doula for the birth of our baby girl. We learned so much in Gail’s Bradley class and we could tell that she was knowledgeable and had the calm temperament that we were looking for in a doula. It was very important to us to have a natural child birth and the class gave me the confidence to have knowledge about what was about to happen. Having Gail as my doula helped because somebody with experience could help me through the birth, especially if any problems might arise and they did. Having her there also greatly reduced the fear of the birth especially for our first baby. I particularly liked that we had a continuation of care and got to know Gail through the Bradley class so it made us more comfortable to have her there for the birth as well. In retrospect, even though we learned a lot about a husband coached birth, it would have been very difficult to just rely on my husband to know what to do and to keep the labor moving quickly. As a result of having Gail there, I labored for 8 hours and was able to have a totally natural birth and a healthy baby girl. The post-partum was much more difficult than I thought it would be and it was great to have Gail as a resource to understand what was happening. I highly recommend these classes and using a doula particularly if you want a natural child birth and especially if it is your first child. We were very happy that Gail was able to provide both of these services for us and we highly recommend her for your birth. Aloha- Danalee Corso
The word “doula” is a Greek word that means, “servant”.
There are three types of doulas:
Requests for epidurals
Typically, labor doulas meet with the parents in the second or third trimester of the pregnancy to be acquainted and to learn about prior birth experiences and the history of this pregnancy. A labor doula works cooperatively with the health care team. In the event of a complication, a labor doula can be a great help in understanding what is happening and what options the family may have.
A certified postpartum doula assists the new mother, baby, and family within the first few weeks after the birth of the baby. Postpartum doulas are trained and knowledgeable in newborn care and breastfeeding. Postpartum doulas may offer the following:
Note- The doula services of all three types may vary.
No doulas should offer any form of medical advice regarding either the mother or the baby, nor do they perform any clinical tasks such as blood pressure checks or vaginal exams.
Suggestions for a more comfortable pregnancy and birth
Alternative relief measures for her discomforts during pregnancy
Massage and other alternative pain relief measures during labor
You decide the type of service you want.
Call for Labor/Birth Doula Fee
Fees discounted for our Bradley and breastfeeding students!
Labor/Birth tub rental discount for our doula clients!
Danalee Corso (formerly Danalee Bragado) was an 11 year professional beach volleyball player. She was ranked among the top 10 for most of those years and ranked 15 in the world. Since her retirement in 2003, she has been a national team and professional beach volleyball coach. With her husband, they own Aloha Ball Club, a beach volleyball academy.
