Welcome! I am a DONA certified Birth & Postpartum Doula and Child Birth Educator for Emmet, Otsego and Charlevoix Counties . I offer services such as emotional, physical and spiritual support to birthing parents and families during childbirth and postpartum period. My goal is to help you establish a birth plan that will provide a nurturing, caring, supportive environment for you during the amazing life-event of childbirth.
Many times, as a Doula I hear "I don't need a Doula I have my partner/spouse", for support. Yes, that is wonderful but who is supporting them?
A Doula helps provide support for the entire family! Let me share this client's story with you.
When I provide prenatal appointments for my clients, we go over the different scenarios that can happen in birth. I like to explain how hospital staff will be in and out of the room not able to provide continuous support to either person as they have many roles to fill and patients to help.
We go into the birth with a solid plan but there is always discussion about how the plan can deviate. When that happens, we adapt to ensure safety for the mother and baby. Healthy and safe is the number one GOAL!
During this lovely family's birth journey, we arrived at the hospital for a scheduled induction at 6:00am. The process started around 7:15am all was well for about an hour in which during fetal monitoring the babies heart rate was very low. It was decided due to the stress on the baby an emergency c-section would be performed. When this happens the staff and doctor are solely focused on the mother and baby. Partners are rarely able to join in the operating room due to the emergency and staff needing to work extremely fast. The father is left standing there in a room alone worrying about the fate of his wife and baby.
During this experience I was able to help by staying in the room with this father. I helped explain what was going on because during the haste the husband was worried and was not able to fully understand what was happening. The waiting was intense, but we waited together. When the nurse arrived to give us an update everything was good. Baby was good and so was his wife. Due to the emergency c-section his wife needed to stay in recovery and baby required observation and monitoring. I was able to accompany the father and provide support during this period. Once it was determined baby could be removed from monitoring, we returned to the room. I was able to provide support and education for the father to begin skin to skin. This was important bonding time while they waited to reunite with mommy. It was approximately and hour before she returned from recovery all during this time, I stayed with the husband answering questions, making phone calls to family, taking photos, and providing reassurance.
After the birth I continued with postpartum visits. During our discussions and processing of the birth this family expressed how important it was to have my presence and support. I was so honored and so glad I was able to support them too. Not every birth goes as planned but if you have the right support, it makes a world of difference.
This is why a Doula is important for all births!!!
Permission was given to share this photo and story by the family.
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Now accepting Medicaid as well as managed care plans and private pay! Contracts include up to three prenatal visits, entire childbirth and up to three postpartum visits as well as phone/text support. No additional fees for length of birth. It is my goal to honor all birthing people and their right to a nurturing, calm life transition into parenthood. Contact me about your future birth! I look forward to hearing from you!
