Most of the births I have attended have been natural, however I am happy to support any birth preferences and choices! “If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it. “ - John H. A doula, also known as a labor coach, is a non-medical trained professional who assists a woman before, during, and after childbirth, as well as her partner and/or family by providing information, physical assistance, and emotional support. What Does a Doula do (aka My Services)? Every doula is different and I encourage my potential clients to find a doula that they feel connected with. Personally, I focus on providing education, practice and support for all the natural labor techniques and provide education on the risks and benefits of the various medical interventions. I believe that every women should feel empowered to make choices that work for her during her labor and birth and the right choice is an informed choice. Most of the births I attend are natural, however I am happy to support women with any birth preferences! Prenatal:
-Provide at least 2 prenatal visits to get to know each other; discuss wishes/fears/concerns for your birth; you define my role as your doula
-Provide education with regard to birth practices and procedures, including risks and benefits of all interventions (medical or otherwise)
-Explore and practice a variety of comfort measures & labor support techniques
-Assistance with writing a birth plan
-24-hour on call beginning 2 weeks before your due date
During Labor:
-Labor support as soon as you need it
-Answer questions, offer encouragement and support with your labor
-Use relaxation strategies, acupressure, massage, rebozo, essential oils, position changes, hot or cold packs, water therapy, birth ball, movement, breathing, music, vocalization and visualization techniques
-Photography, if requested
-Provide support and encouragement to your birth partners (Dads, significant others, family members, etc.) Postpartum:
-I will stay with you in the time immediately following your baby's birth
-Assistance with establishing breastfeeding
-At least one postpartum follow-up visit to review your birth experience, answer any questions and provide additional resources and support
My experience:
I was trained and certified as a labor doula through DONA International, the largest certifying organization of doulas in the country. I have attended over 80 births since May 2011. My experience and/or special training includes:
-Natural birth
-Medicated birth
-Hospital birth
-Home birth
-VBAC
-Birth with an Obstetrician
-Birth with a Midwife
-Labor induction
-Cesarean section
-Rebozo use during labor
-Massage for birth
-Essential oils
-Accupressure
-The Farm Midwifery Assistant (Monitrice) Workshop
-Belly casting
-Watsu
Testimonials/References:
"Having Ashley at our birth was the best decision we could have made. Our prenatal meetings with Ashley gave me confidence, and I felt reassured knowing we would have someone with us who had witnessed labor and delivery and navigated the hospital before. Ashley’s presence in the delivery room was calm and collected. She knew when to encourage me and when to leave me alone. She knew when I needed to switch labor positions, or when I needed more, like a warm shower, a cool washcloth, or something to drink. She knew when to remind me of my goals, and when to be realistic about how my labor was progressing. I gave birth to my 8 lb 7oz son after 25 hours of labor with no medication and no interventions, and Ashley’s support – mental, physical, and emotional – made that possible."
~Anna
"Ashley was a wonderful help before, during, and after my labor! Having a doula made having my first child much more relaxed for my husband and myself. Ashley helped me through my induced labor, so I could try my best to have a natural birth, and even though I ended up needing to have a c-section, I know I did everything I could possibly try to avoid a caesarean. Having a doula was definitely worth the money, and we are planning to use Ashley for our next birth as well."
~Tara
"Having Ashley as our Doula was such a blessing to us. From my initial phone call to her follow up visits (postpartum), she was the reassuring combination of knowledge, confidence, and compassion. I firmly believe that she facilitated my natural childbirth and without her I don't feel our outcome would have been as satisfactory. I will 100% recommend Ashley to friends and family!"
~Amber
"Ashley was invaluable to us during the labor and delivery of our first child, Jack. As first time parents, we had no idea what to expect but Ashley served as a wealth of information. During our meetings in the weeks leading up to Jack's birth, Ashley raised issues of which we would have never thought or considered and she eagerly researched additional questions we had to help us make fully informed decisions. On the day of Jack's birth, Ashley promptly arrived at the hospital within an hour of our arrival and provided both physical and emotional support throughout the very, very long day. Her continuous suggestions to make me feel more comfortable during labor (positions, relaxation techniques, hot/cold packs, etc.) helped both of us get ready for the main event. I truly feel like I would not have been able to get through the hour and a half of pushing out a 9+ pound baby if Ashley would not have helped me rest and relax during the period before pushing began (she massaged my back for over an hour which actually allowed me to fall asleep!). Ashley's presence helped reduce our tension and anxiety as she tirelessly worked to assist us in preparation for our baby's arrival. We highly recommend Ashley to anyone considering retaining a doula to assist with their baby's birth."
~Sandy and Kevin
"It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Ashley’s doula services. My husband and I were both very comfortable with Ashley’s relaxed but knowledgeable demeanor after the very first meeting. We knew that we would never feel pressure from her to make our birth happen a certain way and that we had someone who would help make sure we were well informed and support any decisions we made during the birth of our son. In my opinion, Ashley went well beyond what was contractually agreed upon during the course of my pregnancy. As my due date came and went, Ashley met with me a number of times to discuss various ways to induce labor naturally and even taught my husband some acupressure massage techniques so that we could try to encourage things along at home. She stayed in contact with me through email, phone calls and text messages throughout the days leading up to my eventual medical induction. I was nervous about being induced and having her support was extremely soothing. At the actual labor, Ashley was invaluable. She knew exactly when to intervene and helped my husband by suggesting things he could do to help make me more comfortable. Perhaps more importantly, she also sensed when to back off and let me deal with contractions on my own. Due to the induction we had to spend the entirety of labor in the hospital, but Ashley helped both my husband and myself relax in a clinical environment by being completely at ease. During the more difficult stages of labor she quickly noticed what techniques were working best to help me manage contractions and pointed them out to my husband so that he could focus his efforts. Thanks to Ashley’s help, I was able to achieve as close to the natural birth I wanted as possible despite being medically induced with pitocin. After the birth Ashley continued to remain a source of support by checking in on me and making suggestions for postpartum pain relief as well as infant care. I am very happy that we chose Ashley as our doula and could not be more pleased with the outcome! We would be happy to discuss our experience with Ashley in more detail to anyone considering her services."
~ Elizabeth and Brad
"After our birth, my husband and I agree that Ashley made our natural childbirth possible. She listened to what we wanted and worked hard to provide it for us. She supported my husband and me physically (I squeezed the heck out of her hand!) and emotionally throughout the entire process. Ashley provided a sense of calm to our birth. She remained strong and provided the encouragement I didn't even know I would need. Ashley laughed and cried right along with us. Within a short amount of time she became family. When asked about our birth story, the first thing we say: We could not have done it without Ashley!"
~ Nicole and CJ
