BIRTH SERVICES
Meet Chelsea | Triad Birth Doula | Birth Week 2017
Piedmont Triad Birth Doula
My name is Chelsea Tate and I own La Bella Birth and Baby. We offer full spectrum childbirth services such as Birth/Postpartum Doula Support, Placenta Encapsulation, classes and more! I am so honored to be here to tell you all about the role of a doula and how incorporating one in your parenting journey can be so beneficial!
What is a birth doula?
So, let’s start at the beginning. What IS a birth doula, and what do they do? Most of the time when people ask me this, they use “doula” and “midwife” interchangeably. There is a very significant difference between the two. A midwife is a medical care provider. They attend medical school, and provide health/medical services to you and your unborn baby. A doula is not a medical care provider. They do not provide medical services whatsoever. A doula provides continuous emotional, physical, and educational support to the birthing person and their partner (if applicable). We provide these services for hospital births, birth center births, and home births. We support every kind of birth as well. Studies have shown that with a birth doula in attendance, births have:
-25% shorter labor
-60% reduction in epidural requests
-50% reduction in cesarean section rates
-40% reduction in pitocin use
-40% reduction in forceps delivery
-90% increase in overall satisfaction
You may find that the way these services are provided will vary from doula to doula, from agency to agency.
La Bella Birth & Baby
When you hire a birth doula from La Bella Birth and Baby, this is what our support would look like:
We meet with you for a free consultation so you can ask us all the questions you have about our services. We review the contract together, and once it is signed, we go on call for you 24/7 until your baby is earth-side. This means that if you need us at ANY point during your pregnancy, even if it is 2am, you can call us and we will drop everything we are doing in that moment to be there for you. We are full of resources as well. If you need recommendations on a pediatric/prenatal chiropractor, pediatrician, massage therapist, or any other service, we have a whole network of professionals to refer you to.
Some time during the late second/early third trimester, we schedule the prenatal session. During this session, your doula gets to know you and your partner. We familiarize ourselves with your personality types and birth preferences so that we can offer you the best individualized care possible. During this session, your doula will talk with you about your options for your upcoming birth. We will help you create a birth plan that reflects these wishes. Some of these options we discuss might include (but are not limited to): pain coping techniques, pain medication preferences/options, birth place options and protocols, labor positions, newborn procedures, skin to skin, delayed cord clamping, VBAC vs RCS, what to expect when things don’t go according to plan, research and more.
Our Services
La Bella Birth and Baby is proud to offer simple yet precise visual birth plans so that your preference list is easy to read and remember. Comfort measures is another topic that is discussed during the prenatal session. Our doulas are skilled in rebozo techniques, counter pressure, massage, labor positions, Miles Circuit, Spinning Babies, and more. Depending on your labor and birth preferences, we will help you prepare the appropriate comfort measures you need to labor and birth the way you want. If you have had a previous birth experience(s) that you would like to process, we are available to help you work through that as well.
As you near the end of your pregnancy and prepare to bring your baby into the world, we are there for you to ease your fears, help you determine the true start of labor, and to walk hand in hand with you as you begin the process of birthing your baby. When you are ready for us to join you in labor, we will meet you wherever you are to begin support whether it be at home or at your birthing place. Your doula will remain by your side until your baby is here. We will assist you as you navigate this process, with every change and decision that has to be made.
What if your birth plan changes?
As we all know, birth is unpredictable and doesn’t always go according to plan. If you must make decisions that are not what you intended in your birth plan, your doula will help you navigate your options so that you can make informed decisions. Sometimes things in the delivery room become very intense and chaotic. One of the benefits of having a doula present is that she is not emotionally invested in your birth, but rather professionally trained to keep a grounded and calm atmosphere.
Doulas also provide support for the spouse/support person as well. A common myth about doulas is that we replace the spouse/birth partner, but that is not true. Doulas help the partner or support person be in the “spotlight”. We help guide the support person so that they are confident in their role and what they are doing. If there is something they are unsure of, our job is to provide the reassurance and information they need so that they feel supported and involved, just as they should be.
Something we take SO much pride in at La Bella Birth and Baby is that we support clients in ANY and EVERY type of birth. Planning a scheduled cesarean section? We would love to work with you! Plan on having a hands off and quiet homebirth experience? We would be honored to support you. Have you decided that you will be getting the epidural as soon as you possibly can? That’s fantastic and we would be so thrilled to support you in that experience. Every family knows what’s best for them. One decision for one family may not be the best decision for another. That’s what makes birth so beautiful and unique. When you hire our doulas, you can have peace of mind that you will be given 100% unbiased, non-judgmental, and compassionate support in EVERY birth and parenting decision you make, no matter what.
If you are interested in hiring a doula, or have questions about whether or not a doula is right for you, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can reach Chelsea at one of the following contacts:
www.facebook.com/
Instagram/Twitter: @labellabirthandbaby
Also find Chelsea on Pinterest & YouTube.
“Although birth is only one day in the life of a woman, it has an imprint on her for the rest of her life.” – Justine Caines OAM
[…] interventions, I would advise asking lots of questions to your care provider and consider hiring a doula. I plan to write an in depth post about care providers so be on the look out for that […]