I get asked often, “what is a Doula and what do you do?" In simplest terms as your Doula I support you and your birth partner.
A Doula is a trained professional who supports you throughout pregnancy, birth, and the months beyond. Doulas do not replace your care provider, but are a welcome addition to your birth team. A Doula supports the birth that you want, whether natural/unmedicated, medicated, vbac, cesarean, home birth, hospital birth, etc. Every person has their own birth goals, as your Doula I offer unbiased support of your choices in birth.
Doulas have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to birth, we train and prepare for the big birth-days. I will work with you before labor even begins, to help you prepare for your birth. This includes comfort measures, labor positions, answering your questions, and creating birth preferences/wishes with you.
During labor, doulas are there for you to remove any unnecessary pain and promote a smooth labor progression. Doulas offer physical, emotional, and informational support during pregnancy and birth.
Doulas include support to your birth partner as well, helping them to feel confident and more involved during the birth.
Birth doesn’t always go as planned. Doulas stay calm in ever changing situations and offer beneficial information when unexpected challenges arise.
I trained with the Doula Alliance in October 2019 to become a certified Birth Doula. I work closely with the ladies at NWA Birth Collective and Doulas of the Ozarks where we hold monthly(or mostly) meetings to gain knowledge on what is currently happening in the local hospitals in regards to labor and Doulas. As I work through certification requirements I am ever growing in my knowledge of how to best care for my clients and their birth partners.
I have also studied two years at the Energetic Health Institute and have become a certified Holistic Nutritionist to better serve my clients and their nutritional needs before, during, and after pregnancy.
It is said that it takes a village, I may not have all the answers or knowledge on certain fields but I will offer you a valuable list of local resources when you need them. I am open to ever growing and learning new information as it pertains to pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, health and nutrition, and anything in between.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out any time.
Much love,
Ashley C.