Welcome!
My name is Laura. I work alongside families on the Peninsula (White Rock, Surrey, Langley, and surrounding areas) as they move through pregnancy, labour and birth, the early postpartum period, and begin life as a new family.
What is a Doula?
The word Doula is an Ancient Greek word meaning, "a woman who serves". The modern birth doula is a trained professional who offers continual emotional, physical and informational support to both the expectant woman and her partner through late pregnancy, the birth, and into the early days postpartum. A postpartum doula works with parents with newborns to support them through the "fourth trimester" or the adjustment period of the first few months after birth, offering support in breastfeeding, newborn care, chores, childcare, and making appropriate referrals when necessary.
Why would I want a Birth Doula?
Birth is an amazing and intense event, and one that a woman will remember for the rest of her life. Through this experience, the birth doula's role is to educate, affirm, support, and encourage the expectant mother, as well as her partner. Studies show that the presence of a doula leads to shorter births with fewer complications, less requests by the mother for pain medication, healthier babies, and a greater success rate of breastfeeding. Why is this? It is because birth is more than simply a physical event. It is also very emotional, and while a doula brings knowledge of physical support measures, she also provides a protective and supportive emotional "wall" around the couple, allowing them to experience the birth of their child in safety and confidence.
What can I expect from my Birth Doula?
As many women enter the third trimester, they begin to wonder about the birth experience. What will it feel like? What are my options? Who do I want to have with me? Where do I want to give birth? A doula will meet with the parents-to-be in the last trimester to hear their thoughts and feelings about birth. She will offer information and practical knowledge about local hospitals, practices, and procedures, as well as options available during labour. She will help them come up with a birth plan if they desire. She will also walk the couple through the process of labour and birth, teaching them various ways to improve the progress of labour, relieve the mother's pain, and make things go as smoothly as possible.
What will my Birth Doula NOT do?
A doula does not perform clinical or medical tasks (taking blood pressure, performing vaginal examinations, monitoring fetal heart rate, etc.), She does not replace nurses or other medical staff, nor does she replace a midwife. She does not make decisions for clients, and never intervenes in the clinical care. She does not speak for the client, but works to empower the clients to speak for themselves. She does not replace the client's partner, but enhances the partner's role by helping him/her be involved at his/her own comfort level.
