toLabor Doula Organization

toLabor is The Organization of Labor Assistants for Birth Options and Resources.  It was begun in 1977 in Boulder Colorado under the name Informed Home Birth, and changed names several times before becoming known as ALACE, and finally toLabor.  toLabor works to empower families, honor birth, and change lives. 

I am proud to be a part of toLabor.  As I work toward my certification as a Certified Professional Doula (CPD), I seek to learn more from each family I have the pleasure of working with. 

To learn more about toLabor, please visit their website. 

 What is a Doula?

A doula is a person who provides emotional and physical support, advocacy, empowerment, help with communicating with care providers, and resources before, during and after birth.   My goal as a doula is to help couples to achieve their ideal birth for themselves and their babies.

Why Hire a Doula?

Though couples may have numerous supportive people in their lives that may be helpful during labor and birth, a doula provides support that those people may not be able to.  Doctors, midwives and nurses in hospitals may be excellent providers, but when a woman is in labor, it is extremely rare that they can be by her side for the entire duration of her labor and birth.  The contact with providers is generally sporatic and for the purpose of being monitored and labor progress measured. 

Birth partners provide love and support to laboring mothers, but can become exhausted by the process, and discouraged because they may not know how to help the laboring mother through labor and birth. 

Friends and family members are often supportive to laboring mothers, but can sometimes bring added stress to the birthing atmosphere.  They may also become stressed by the labor, and not know how to assist. 

Doulas provide much needed support, are available to answer questions, provide resources, and spend the entire labor and birth with the couple.  They also offer the unconditional support and do not leave the side of the laboring mother and partner.

Doulas support both the laboring mother and the birth partner, offer comfort measures during labor, and keep the stamina and morale in the laboring atmosphere up.  She can also provide unconditional support to the laboring mother if her partner should need a rest.  

Doulas help to protect the birthing atmosphere and bring everyone involved in the birthing room together to a common goal of achieving the ideal birth experience for the mother, birth partner, and baby.  

What is included in Doula Services from My Gentle Birthing?

• 2 Prenatal Visits
• Help with Formulating Your Birth Plan
• 24 Hour, 7 Day Phone Support Beginning at 38 Weeks
• 24 Hour On Call Status Beginning at 38 Weeks
• Resources, Articles, Information
• Attendance at Your Birth
• At Least 2 Postnatal Visits
• 24 Hour, 7 Day Phone Support for 2 Weeks Following Birth

   

  Click Here for Fees & Service Packages