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A Resource for Athens Area Families
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If you are a mother or mother-to-be imagine what it would feel like to have continuous emotional and physical support throughout your labor and delivery. Maybe you think you already have that in your husband/partner or midwife. Imagine your husband/partner also feels very supported, in such a way that he can offer you his best attention, or your favorite massage, and that he is ready and well rested when you need him most. Imagine that you don’t panic when your midwife leaves the room to assist her other mothers. Imagine someone available who knows your desire for a drug-free birth or a painless birth and she helps you make informed decisions if plans need to change and you are in no condition to think clearly. Imagine encouragement, praise and reassurance from a woman who has birthed her own babies and/or been at the births of many, many more. She doesn’t work for a hospital. She works for you. She doesn’t do exams. She holds your hand and lets you lean on her. She might play music for you or fill the room with a relaxing scent you request. She rubs your back while your husband looks into your eyes and helps you concentrate on breathing. She keeps you both informed of every process and/or procedure happening. She is a constant and continuous friendly presence. She believes in you and your body’s ability to give birth. She is a doula. The word doula comes from ancient Greek meaning “a most important woman servant” who would have helped the woman of the house in childbearing. It has come to mean a non-medical birth professional who provides physical, emotional and informational support to both parents, before, during and just after birth. A doula meets with parents before their due date to get a good idea of what their expectations are and to develop a birth plan. She is then available by phone anytime to answer questions or go over concerns. A labor and delivery doula goes to the mother’s home when labor starts, stays with her throughout labor and delivery, offers breastfeeding support after delivery and helps to get mom and baby settled in and comfortable. A doula usually offers a follow up home visit as well. Today, most doulas are certified through extensive education and experience. Two of the major certifying organizations are Doulas of North America, or DONA and Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association, or CAPPA. Both organizations have a website and offer extensive information and referral numbers. When I asked several doulas, “How do you find a doula?” most said they are located by word of mouth, through midwife or doctor referrals or by the Internet. And when asked why they do what they do, most said it feels like a calling for them, and because they love it. Cynthia Hardie is a labor doula who lives in Lawrenceville but works in surrounding counties including Athens. She says she likes to empower moms in making informed decisions for themselves and their babies and “it’s such a special experience to watch couples become a family.” She works with a group of labor support people doulas under the company name Labor of Love Doula and Childbirth Services, Inc. (www.alaboroflove.org). They provide back up for each other and provide clients with a wellspring of information, experience, and wisdom. Cynthia was my doula for the birth of my second daughter at Athens Regional Medical Center. I was a VBAC mom; a woman determined to have a vaginal delivery after having a scheduled cesarean and I did it with her invaluable support and encouragement. She helped me make decisions about pain relief, worked as a team with the midwives and nurses, encouraged me to walk and move, made requests for me, fielded questions and phone calls, reminded me to breathe, encouraged me to nurse my baby skin-to-skin right after birth, checked on us in our room and checked on us at home. My first birth experience was amazing. The recovery process, however, was long and painful. My second birth experience was amazing and gentle and I was elated to be able to get up and walk so shortly after giving birth. Another doula who does work in Athens is Terri Moore. She started out teaching child birth classes and ended up assisting several of her students throughout their labor and delivery before she even knew it was a profession. She likes to build confidence in her moms by believing in them and helping them to trust their own bodies. Sandy Rojales lives in Winder. She said she likes to make sure her families are very informed and prepared for birth. “Epidurals don’t always work and a woman needs to be prepared to deal effectively with pain. If you go in with a positive attitude you usually get a better outcome.” Sarah Cosser is a doula living in Athens; she is trained but not certified yet. She grew up with a healthy respect for moms and babies because her mother was a certified lactation consultant. But it wasn’t until she assisted at a birth and saw a newborn baby that she knew she wanted to be a doula and is working towards the goal of being a licensed midwife. “I had never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life...it was sort of holy.” Sarah said she would work for free right now just to get the experience and because she believes a woman should get what she wants out of her birth experience. Statistics show that women supported by doulas tend to have shorter labor, a fifty percent reduction in c-section rates, reduced forceps use, reduced epidural requests, fewer episiotomies, and an over-all satisfying birthing experience. Fees for a labor and delivery doula generally run between $400 to $600 and payment plans are worked out per individual doula. Some insurance does reimburse for the use of a doula. Any questions regarding fees or anything else can be discussed during the initial pre-birth meeting. Interviewing several doulas is recommended. Consumers are encouraged to check references and to verify information before hiring a doula regardless of where they received the doula’s contact information. Another type of doula not previously mentioned is a postpartum doula. Essentially her role is to “mother the mother.” She is experienced in caring for mothers and babies and works to help a woman feel confident in her mothering abilities. She can help with bathing, feeding, and soothing baby. She might do light housework, run errands, prepare healthy snacks and meals, and go with mom and baby on their first outings or to appointments. Postpartum doulas generally charge anywhere from $15 to $25 per hour and may require a minimum number of hours to be scheduled. Following is a short list of doulas available for the Athens and
surrounding area. I know there are more available so ask your friends,
doctors and midwives and help get the word out about these magnificent
assistants. Even if you think you can’t afford it, interview
someone anyway and see what can be worked out together.
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