A doula..
    * Is aware of birth as a key life experience that the mother will remember all her life.
    * Understands the bodily processes of birth and the emotional needs of a woman throughout labor.
    * Supports the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth, as well as being prepared to be "un-prepared".
    * Stays by the side of the laboring woman from the moment she is called in and throughout the entire labor.
    * Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures, an objective viewpoint and assistance to the woman in getting the information she needs to make good decisions.
    * Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and clinical care providers.
    * Perceives her role as one who nurtures and protects the woman's memory of her birth experience.
    * Maintains all information received from her clients as Confidential.

 
​

Services and People I recommend
www.mommyfeelgood.com  Placenta Encapsulation
www.imagineyourbirth.com Kathy Killebrew, Pasadena area birthing teacher
www.spinningbabies.com  Easier Childbirth with Fetal Positioning.
www.tclwomanscenter.com  Davi Khalsa CNM (home birth midwife)
www.shootsandgiggles.com Birth and Newborn Photography
www.bestdoulas.com My backup group of awesome doulas
http://michelehakakhamd.com/ Wonderful MD who works out of Cedars
Jessica Schneider, MD  Cedars
http://www.birthingrhythm.com/ Beth Cannon (home birth midwife)
http://www.birthinginstincts.com/ Stuart Fischbein MD (home birth, breech and twin provider)


Companies I use:

​Excellent Essentail Oils: Jade Bloom  bit.ly/2URrBnb
I love these essential oils. There are many options you can't find elsewhere. Plus there is a great guide available to help you decide which oils are right for you.

Organic Skin Care: Neal's Yard Remedies Organic Clean and organic products for you and your whole family. The BABY products are amazing! 
​us.nyrorganic.com/shop/yvonnenovak

Baby Time
Many women think that their labor will begin with their water breaking and then the contractions. Contrary to popular belief, this is not always the case. Only 15% of pregnant women have the experience of their water breaking unexpectedly. Most women begin with contractions and then their water breaks (fast gush or slow trickle) or the doctor may break it for them.

Epidural or Doula? Or both?
8 reasons to hire a Doula even if you plan to have an epidural
1.  Most of the time the woman is required to do some laboring before an epidural can be administered.
2.  Occasionally the anesthesiologist is unavailable for a period of time.
3.  Sometimes a woman labors so quickly there is not time for an epidural.
4.  Though the mother does not feel her contractions as intensely, she still has all the same emotions of a laboring woman. 
5.  Epidurals do not hold your hand, play soft music, rub your shoulders or explain what is happening. Your Doula is available to offer emotional support throughout your entire labor.
6.  Doulas know many techniques that may lessen the adverse side effects of an epidural.
7.  A Doula can be useful in the pushing stage, as the mother has decreased feeling and may need intense coaching and assistance with positioning.
8.  Epidurals don't always provide 100% pain relief

Helping to cope with pain is only one small part of the doulas role. She can provide prenatal education, physical comfort, emotional reassurance, assistance with breastfeeding and take pictures!

Homebirth Facts
The largest study of homebirths attended by Certified Professional Midwives, as published in the British Medical Journal, has found that homebirth is safe for low risk women and involves far fewer interventions than similar births in hospitals.
Safe and healthy outcomes
Results of this study are consistent with most studies of planned homebirths attended by Certified Professional Midwives and low risk hospital births.
    * Zero maternal deaths
    * Intrapartum and neonatal mortality: 2.0 per 1000 intended homebirths (only 1.7 per 1000 intended homebirths when planned; breech and twins are excluded)
    * Immediate neonatal concerns resulted in just 2.4% of newborns being placed in neonatal intensive care
    * At six weeks, well over 90% of mothers were still breastfeeding their babies
Low rates of medical intervention
Much lower rates of interventions for intended homebirths compared to low risk hospital births.
Satisfied mothers
Only 1.7% of the mothers who had a homebirth said they would choose a different type of caregiver for a future pregnancy.
Few transfers to hospital care
    * Only 12.1% transferred to hospital intrapartum or postpartum
    * Five out of six transfers were before delivery, most for failure to progress, pain relief or exhaustion
    * Midwife considered transfer urgent in only 3.4% of intended home births
High credibility
    * This study included all home births involving Certified Professional Midwives in the year 2000
    * 5,418 women in the U.S. and Canada who intended to give birth at home as of the start of labor
    * Prospective. Every planned home birth was registered in the study prior to labor and delivery
Outcomes of planned home birth with certified professional midwives: large prospective study in North America . "Kenneth C Johnson and Betty-Anne Daviss. BMJ 2005;330;1416 (18 June). This article and related letters to the editor are available online, free, at www.bmj.com.