…provide physical support to the birthing mother. She may suggest positions that will enhance the birthing or provide relief. She may walk with her to facilitate the birthing progress. According to the mother’s wishes and needs, she may massage various areas of the mother’s body, cool her face, bring her ice chips, help her turn, apply heat or cold, or assist her to visit the bathroom

….enhance the mother’s ability to relax and conserve her strength for the breathing down. She may use visualization, music, massage, hypnosis or guided imagery. She becomes a constant for the mother with encouragement during a vulnerable time

….allow the birth partner to participate at his/her own comfort level. She can show him how to use appropriate techniques to help the birthing mother, or can allow him to simply hold the mother’s hand, freeing him to simply bond emotionally

….provide emotional support for the couple. She provides verbal encouragement and assurance when needed, and can help keep the mother focused and in control of her birthing. She understands the anxiety and vulnerability the couple may be experiencing

….provide environmental comfort, creating an environment that best aids a woman in birth. She may change the lighting or sound level, play music, adjust the temperature, or straighten the room, according to the mother’s needs and wishes

….provide informational support. She understands the process of birth and can explain it. Without making decisions for the couple, she can answer questions for them to allow them to consider their choices and alternatives. When necessary she will bring a member of the medical staff to the couple for additional questions. She strongly supports informed choice, and will support the birthing mother in her decisions

….stay with the couple throughout their birthing experience. A doula does not leave when the shift changes. There is no need for the couple to acquaint themselves with a new doula partway through the Birthing Time

A DOULA DOESN’T

…perform clinical tasks, such as giving vaginal exams, taking blood pressure readings, or administrating medication…these types of tasks are the responsibility of the clinical staff. Her only concern is the physical comfort and emotional well-being of the birthing mother.

…take the place of the birthing mother’s partner. On the contrary, her presence can lessen a partner’s anxiety, allowing him/her to participate in the birth at his own level of comfort.

…make decisions for the couple. She provides information to empower the couple to make their own personal choices, and supports those choices.

…intervene between the couple and the medical staff. She will, however, facilitate that communication.

…leave the couple at shift changes. She is with the birthing mother throughout her Birthing Time and for the important period of time following birth.

Hypno-Doula services $550

• Complimentary Consultation to see if we are a good fit
• 1-2 prenatal meetings to discuss my role at your birth, birth preferences & birthing rehearsal
• Access to a wide variety of materials in my personal lending library
• Referrals for: community resources, local support & special offers from a network of professional affiliates
• Unlimited phone/email access during your pregnancy, birth & beyond
• On-call availability 2 weeks on either side of 40 weeks gestation
• Support during the entire process of your easy, comfortable birthing time (beginning when and where you need it)
• I can take still photos and/ or video during your birthing time and the birth of your baby if requested
• Support immediately following the loving, joyous birth of your baby until everyone is settled in and resting comfortably
• 1-2 post partum visits to discuss your perspective about your birthing time and your baby’s birth, and to answer any questions you may have about your newest role as parents to a new bundle of joy. I will help you to create a Birth Story based on our documented events of the day. We will learn to implement practices from The Happiest Baby® founder Dr. Harvey Karp, and The Baby Whisperer Tracy Hogg. I also will introduce to you another great resource for the 4th trimester: Dunstan Baby Language. We will also discuss babywearing; carriers, holds and safety practices, address any breastfeeding concerns and anything else you can think of!

…A LITTLE ABOUT A DOULA’S FEES…

I often get asked what exactly is included in my service fees. A very fair question as the investment you are making is not, at first glance, cheap! I include this breakdown so that you can better understand exactly what you are paying for and exactly where your money goes.

The first aspect is TIME. Most first time Mamas are in their Birthing Time on average at least 12 hours. The longest I have spent continuously with one client was 25 hours. But time in the birthing room  is not the only time spent with or for a single client. There are also prenatal appointments,  lasting 2 – 3 hours each. Then there are postnatal follow-ups, lasting 1.5 – 2 hours each. There is travel to and from the clients home and to and from their chosen place of birth. There are phone calls, texts, research for unique questions/circumstances, and emailing. These often add up to two or more hours per client. So the time put in to each client is considerable.

The NUMBER OF CLIENTS I accept on a monthly basis is also something to consider. I want to make certain as much as possible that I will be  at your baby’s birth. Which means that I only take up to two clients per month. This also ensures that I will be as rested as humanly possible when you call (tough, with 2 small children at home). As per my contract, I am “on call” 24 hours a day two weeks before and two weeks after your Guess Date.

My own TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE is very important to consider as well. I put a lot of time, effort, and financial resources towards my certification to make sure that I am as prepared as I can be. I also make sure that I am up-to-date on the most current research and information available. Continuing education is vital to my line of work and I do everything I can to make it a priority for me. I have attended the Spinning Babies Workshop with Gail Tully to learn all about Belly Mapping and Optimal Fetal Positioning and also the Birth with Comfort and Strength (using the Rebozo,  a Course for the Birth Partner) with Gena Kirby of Progressive Parenting.

CHILDCARE- not only for your Birthing Time, but also for all those pre- and post-natal visits. I have even had to require that my spouse miss work in order to attend a birth in the past!

Then there are MISCELLANEOUS factors. Self-employment taxes, business expenses (paper, ink, gas for my car, supplies for each client, etc), all play their own role in my fees. Communication expenses alone are fairly high. Making sure that I am reachable anywhere and anytime means a cell phone bill, website/webmail expenses, and high-speed internet bills that aren’t always cheap! I HAVE to know that no matter where I am or what I am doing, I am 100% reachable by my clients. Lastly, there is a lot of personal sacrifice as well. It is possible that I will be woken up after just 30 minutes of sleep to go attend a 20+ hour labor. Family vacations are either missed or cut short so that I’m within reasonable distance to attend a client who is birthing.

I offer flexible payment plans and provide my services on trade/barter terms as well, so that every family can get the support I feel they deserve, and they feel they need.

Hypnobabies® Childbirth Hypnosis Doula (HCHD)  Certification Training $100

Doulas (professional Labor Companions) and birth professionals can learn the tools, cues and techniques to fully support a Hypno-Mom during her unique birthing experience using hypnosis for her natural childbirth.
The workshop is 8 hours long, with a 1 hour lunch (usually off-site)
Certification is included with the price and once Certified with Hypnobabies® your contact information will be listed on the Hypnobabies® website under the ‘Find a Hypno-Doula’ page and also here on my site on the ‘Doula’ page
Discounts on groups of 10 or more
Please contact me directly for a schedule of upcoming workshops
I offer flexible payment plans and provide my services on trade/barter terms as well

A Professional Hypno-Doula?

It is *wonderful* to have a doula as an advocate for you (especially if you’re having a hospital birth,) to make sure your Birth Preferences are honored, and to be a nurturing presence; one that knows so many ways to help your Birthing Time progress and be more comfortable if needed, etc. You need to know that the doula you choose can help you best by becoming completely familiar with the philosophy, techniques, cue words, etc of your Hypnobabies program. Traditional doula training provides the birthing woman with much more physical activity to stay comfortable, while using hypnosis entails much more “going inside” and specific cues that have been programmed subconsciously. Hypnobabies moms can indeed use upright positions, birth balls and walk if they want to, but this will be for progress if needed or descent and positioning of your baby, and not to maintain comfort. Unless a doula is familiar with all of this, she may not help the woman in the ways she truly needs to give birth using hypnosis.

Certainly a doula that hasn’t previously been trained in Hypnobabies can be effective, they just need to be educated about hypnosis for birth and be willing to birth-assist a different way. Since all birthing women have different needs, flexibility is the mark of a good doula anyway!

One of the best ways to make sure your doula becomes familiar with and trained in Hypnobabies is to:

Check to see if she is a Certified Hypnobabies Hypno-Doula. This means she has taken a Hypnobabies Hypno-Doula course and been trained and certified to labor-assist our Hypnobabies moms.

If she is not on the list, you can:

Encourage her to take a Hypnobabies Hypno-Doula Training Workshop (check our ”Events” page to find the next scheduled training), or bring your doula to your Hypnobabies Class! Doulas are always welcome and certainly learn a great deal from being there with you in class.

Meet other local certified

Hypnobabies Childbirth Hypnosis Doulas (Hypno-Doulas)

Becca Oakley Atlanta Pregnancy Massage

Shari Aizenman Bodyworks Atlanta

Stephanie Banguilan Gentle Journeys Birthing

Cynthya Dzialo The Happiest Doula