Monatrice/Doula Services
Serving women in all aspects of childbearing and birth...
If you are planning to give birth in a hospital or Birth Center, you might desire the services of a doula or monitrice. Both provide you with support and care prenatally and during your labor, helping with your birth planning, childbirth education, physical and emotional comfort, and breastfeeding.
A labor doula provides:
- Continuous physical, emotional, and informational support during pregnancy, labor, and childbirth.
- Training and ability to understand and trust the process of
birth and help facilitate the birth experience for the parents,
baby, and primary care providers.
- Emotional support;
- Exercise and physical suggestions to make pregnancy and childbirth more comfortable;
- Help with preparation of a birth plan;
- Facilitation of communication between members of laboring woman's
birth team - though most doula certification programs discourage doulas
from talking directly with caregivers for the mother/partners;
- Massage and other non-pharmacological pain relief measures;
- Positioning suggestions during labor and birth;
- Support the partner so that s/he can provide support and encouragement to the laboring woman;
- Help to avoid unnecessary interventions;
- Help with breastfeeding preparation and beginning;
- Some doulas offer a written record of the birth (birth story);
- Is present during entire labor and afterwords as long as is needed by parent(s).
A postpartum doula provides:
- Assistance with breastfeeding education and offers tips and informational support
- In-home support for the mother, baby and family, anywhere from a couple days postpartum to several months.
- Informed and helpful newborn care help and assistance.
- Support for the partner so that s/he can support and nurture the mother, and the newborn baby.
- Evidence-based information.
- May also offer help in the following areas: household care, help
with childcare/sibling care, meal preparation, errand running, and
other tasks that may be requested.
Monitrice Services:
- Specialized clinical care to provide peace of mind when remaining home during labor
- Evaluation of the stages of labor, to help the family decide when it is the right time to head to the hospital/birth center
- Extended educational support, breastfeeding support & postpartum care. Anything the new family might need.
- Assistance with hydrotherapy for laboring comfortably at home