If you're unfamiliar with doulas and what they provide for birthing couples, you'll find extensive general information and learn the proven benefits of their assistance by using the "Doulas and Childbirth" section of this website's site index. A doula's help in labor is invaluable to both mother and partner. She is your physical, emotional and informational support system. She is a constant familiar face whose singular responsibility is to assist you in achieving the birth you have chosen. This ability comes from her training, experience and knowledge of childbirth, and is only made more effective by the trust you and she have built during the prenatal period.

BirthWays support philosophy

My goal is to help a birthing woman and her partner approach childbirth in a sensible, practical and informed way -- yet in a manner that preserves the wonder, excitement and empowerment of giving birth. A birthing woman deserves the tools and the knowledge she needs to be in control of her birth experience. She deserves the opportunity to make all her own informed choices and to feel her strength as the process enfolds. She deserves a joyful, positive memory of the day she births her child.

I trust the process of birth and believe a woman's body was designed to birth her children. I believe she can listen to her body's own signals and follow her instincts during labor, and that her movements and patterns will reflect this. I believe most women can birth their babies without medical intervention; but if intervention or pain relief is considered and the woman makes an informed decision to agree or disagree, I will recognize her right to make that choice and will support her decision throughout labor. I acknowledge and respect the importance of her partner's role in the birth process and seek to guide both in their journey.

BirthWays doula services

My doula services include

• Up to 3 prenatal visits at your home for the purposes of preparation, information, familiarity and trust-building
• My availability by phone for questions
• 24-hour contact availability in the weeks surrounding your expected due date, by phone and pager
• My assistance during your entire labor in any location, from the beginning of your need for me until an hour or two after the baby's birth
• Help in the first hours with breastfeeding, if needed
• If you choose, one postpartum visit at your home for the purposes of reviewing your birth experience, observing breastfeeding if needed, answering questions and providing any necessary resources

I would appreciate an opportunity to connect with you to thoroughly discuss my offerings and fees, answer any questions you may have, and provide you with additional resources if necessary, at no obligation. If you would like to know more about my services as a birth doula or about my BirthWays' "Choices in Birthing" preparation classes, please feel free to email me at birthways@earthlink.net or phone me in CT at (203) 426-0879.