My name is Cara Jeffords. My experience with birth started when I was very young, witnessing 4 of my siblings being brought into this world, the last when I was nearly 17. Breastfeeding was a common occurrence in our household as well. Of course, at the time, I had no idea that these events would have a profound impact on me later in life, and I owe most everything I learned to my Mom.
I have been working as a labor doula in the Florence, SC area since May 2008. I started on my journey after the birth of my second child with the encouragement of my midwife. The simple statement "You should be a doula." really got me thinking. It took me a couple of years to really get serious about it and for other things to fall into place. After the birth of my third child, I attended my first birth- a dear friend who was facing a labor induction, but did gloriously and gave birth to a healthy baby girl! After that I began attending a few births, mostly at home, with my most recent midwife and eventually branched out to start working independently.
If you are interested in learning more about my services, please e-mail me at FlorenceDoula@yahoo.com
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Fee for doula service
My fee is $600 (all services are included) with $100 to reserve your date on my calendar, 50% paid by 36 weeks and the rest due after the birth. This fee is out of pocket since I cannot file with any insurance company or medicaid. Discounts are available! (See below)
The initial visit is free. During that time we can get to know each other, talk about what you want from your birthing experience, and if you think my services would be helpful to you.
If you do decide to hire me, we will meet about once a month, including at least one visit with your caregiver. During these visits we will work on a birth plan, do relaxation exercises, talk about any concerns you are having, and anything else you may need. All visits will be at a time and place that works for both of us. Fathers are welcome and encouraged to attend all visits!
Phone support will also be available to you should you need it. Please don't hesitate to call me.
No matter what kind of birth you may have, early birth, cesarean, induction, home, hospital, or birth center, all my clients receive care and support throughout their birth process. I offer help with pain management through massage, relaxation techniques, aromatherapy if desired, and different positions for labor. Following the birth I stay with you for usually 1-3 hours to make sure you are doing well.
There will also be a 1 week visit, in your home or in my office, to talk about the birth and your feelings about how things went. After this visit we may meet again if you like or if need should arise. A doula's work does not end with the birth. I love to keep in touch with the families that I have been able to serve!
Each family is different and my services are tailored to meet your needs. You may want more or fewer visits, have a long or short labor, and may want/need extra postpartum care.
I do offer several discounts.
Those paying the whole fee up front will receive a 10% discount ($540).
Single mothers and military families receive a 20% discount ($480).
I am also very willing to work with low income families to find what will work for their budget. Times are hard for all of us and there is no reason that EVERYONE should not be able to have doula care.
The initial visit is free. During that time we can get to know each other, talk about what you want from your birthing experience, and if you think my services would be helpful to you.
If you do decide to hire me, we will meet about once a month, including at least one visit with your caregiver. During these visits we will work on a birth plan, do relaxation exercises, talk about any concerns you are having, and anything else you may need. All visits will be at a time and place that works for both of us. Fathers are welcome and encouraged to attend all visits!
Phone support will also be available to you should you need it. Please don't hesitate to call me.
No matter what kind of birth you may have, early birth, cesarean, induction, home, hospital, or birth center, all my clients receive care and support throughout their birth process. I offer help with pain management through massage, relaxation techniques, aromatherapy if desired, and different positions for labor. Following the birth I stay with you for usually 1-3 hours to make sure you are doing well.
There will also be a 1 week visit, in your home or in my office, to talk about the birth and your feelings about how things went. After this visit we may meet again if you like or if need should arise. A doula's work does not end with the birth. I love to keep in touch with the families that I have been able to serve!
Each family is different and my services are tailored to meet your needs. You may want more or fewer visits, have a long or short labor, and may want/need extra postpartum care.
I do offer several discounts.
Those paying the whole fee up front will receive a 10% discount ($540).
Single mothers and military families receive a 20% discount ($480).
I am also very willing to work with low income families to find what will work for their budget. Times are hard for all of us and there is no reason that EVERYONE should not be able to have doula care.
How can a doula help me?
There are many ways a doula can assist you, such as:
helping you prepare your birth plan
providing suggestions and exercises to help you have a more comfortable pregnancy
explaining medical procedures
providing emotional support
suggesting and providing non-pharmacological pain relief techniques (massage, heat therapy, positioning)
assisting with breastfeeding
providing partner support
working as an advocate so your birth plan is carried out
helping you prepare your birth plan
providing suggestions and exercises to help you have a more comfortable pregnancy
explaining medical procedures
providing emotional support
suggesting and providing non-pharmacological pain relief techniques (massage, heat therapy, positioning)
assisting with breastfeeding
providing partner support
working as an advocate so your birth plan is carried out
What is a doula?
A doula is a trained labor support person who provides emotional, physical, and informational support during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. A doula supports a woman and her partner during pregnancy, birth, and the early weeks of parenting, with reassurance, practical assistance, and information.
A doula is someone you come to know well by the time of your birth, and who is there during your labor, by your side, focused solely on you and your partner. She can encourage you, remain objective, and help your partner feel more confident about how to support you. She can also assist you with practical knowledge on comfort measures for labor, such as massage and suggestions for positioning. A doula can provide information when you have questions, and can help you communicate most effectively with your medical caregivers.
The main focus of a doula's role is often on the birth itself, but doula support can also be invaluable during pregnancy (especially if you face questions about tests or complications), and after the birth when she can help out with breastfeeding and adjusting to life with a newborn.
There are a few things a doula is not. She is not acting as a nurse or midwife, so she does not provide clinical care such as doing examinations on you or checking your baby's heartbeat. The support a doula provides fits together with, but does not replace, the care of your doctor, midwife, or nurses.
Doulas do not make decisions for you, or speak for you. This is your birth, your baby, your life! A doula supports you by providing information and explanations you may want about your choices, but it's always you who decides what's best for you.
A doula is someone you come to know well by the time of your birth, and who is there during your labor, by your side, focused solely on you and your partner. She can encourage you, remain objective, and help your partner feel more confident about how to support you. She can also assist you with practical knowledge on comfort measures for labor, such as massage and suggestions for positioning. A doula can provide information when you have questions, and can help you communicate most effectively with your medical caregivers.
The main focus of a doula's role is often on the birth itself, but doula support can also be invaluable during pregnancy (especially if you face questions about tests or complications), and after the birth when she can help out with breastfeeding and adjusting to life with a newborn.
There are a few things a doula is not. She is not acting as a nurse or midwife, so she does not provide clinical care such as doing examinations on you or checking your baby's heartbeat. The support a doula provides fits together with, but does not replace, the care of your doctor, midwife, or nurses.
Doulas do not make decisions for you, or speak for you. This is your birth, your baby, your life! A doula supports you by providing information and explanations you may want about your choices, but it's always you who decides what's best for you.
Why hire a doula?
In comparing a doula to a best friend or the woman's mother or sister, the difference is the experience and the perspective of the doula, and her hands-on knowledge. Doulas have had training in a variety of situations, such as when labor slows down, or if the mother becomes discouraged, or if she's having back pain. And someone who truly cares for the woman may offer love and stay with her, but may not have ideas of things to try. If you weren't happy with a previous birth experience, a doula could improve the outcome of the next one. In fact, research shows that doulas do improve birth outcomes.
When compared to nurses and midwives who have clinical responsibilities that have to take priority over the mother's emotional needs, the doula can always remain beside the woman as a continuing source of nurturing encouragement and reassurance.
They fit in anywhere: at home, at the hospital, at birth centers. Doulas appeal to many women and their partners -- the idea of having someone there just for them, who has no other obligations, no shift changes -- even fathers who want to play the primary support role are relieved to know there's going to be someone there reminding them, helping out, and giving them a break if necessary and offering perspective.
When compared to nurses and midwives who have clinical responsibilities that have to take priority over the mother's emotional needs, the doula can always remain beside the woman as a continuing source of nurturing encouragement and reassurance.
They fit in anywhere: at home, at the hospital, at birth centers. Doulas appeal to many women and their partners -- the idea of having someone there just for them, who has no other obligations, no shift changes -- even fathers who want to play the primary support role are relieved to know there's going to be someone there reminding them, helping out, and giving them a break if necessary and offering perspective.
Won't my partner, my doctor/midwife, and the nurses help me with anything I need?
Doulas can help you in ways no one else can! Your partner may be a fantastic source of support, as the two of you share a special bond as you become parents together. But partners have their own journey to parenthood, and it can be a heavy load provide support during labor as well as manage their own inner questions and experience. Doulas can help by providing practical support for partners, to allow them a few minutes' break every now and again to rest, eat, and regroup. Many partners also appreciate having an experienced supporter present who can reassure them about what is happening, and offer tips and demonstrations of comfort techniques. With a doula present, many partners actually feel more confident about their role at the birth and are able to be more active.
Your doctor will also play a key role in supporting you. But doctors usually are able to check on you only briefly from time to time throughout your labor, and cannot provide support in your home in the early stages. Doulas can!
Nurses are able to stay with you for longer periods, once you are in hospital, but with shift changes, paperwork, and many other women to care for at once, they can't always give you undivided attention. Doulas can!
What all this means for you is that doulas are part of a whole team where each member has a special role to play in supporting you for your birth.
Your doctor will also play a key role in supporting you. But doctors usually are able to check on you only briefly from time to time throughout your labor, and cannot provide support in your home in the early stages. Doulas can!
Nurses are able to stay with you for longer periods, once you are in hospital, but with shift changes, paperwork, and many other women to care for at once, they can't always give you undivided attention. Doulas can!
What all this means for you is that doulas are part of a whole team where each member has a special role to play in supporting you for your birth.
Statistics
Women supported by a doula during labor have been shown to have:
50% reduction in Cesarean rate
25% shorter labor
60% reduction in epidural requests
40% reduction in Pitocin use
30% reduction in analgesic use
30% reduction in forceps delivery
Six weeks after birth, mothers who had doulas experienced:
Less anxiety and depression
More confidence with the baby
More satisfaction with their partner
Long-term benefits of using a doula:
Improved breastfeeding
Increased time spent with baby
More positive maternal assessments of baby's personality and health, and maternal competence
Decreased postpartum depression
Source: Mothering the Mother, by M.H. Klaus, J.H. Kennell, and P.H. Klaus; Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, New York (1993).
50% reduction in Cesarean rate
25% shorter labor
60% reduction in epidural requests
40% reduction in Pitocin use
30% reduction in analgesic use
30% reduction in forceps delivery
Six weeks after birth, mothers who had doulas experienced:
Less anxiety and depression
More confidence with the baby
More satisfaction with their partner
Long-term benefits of using a doula:
Improved breastfeeding
Increased time spent with baby
More positive maternal assessments of baby's personality and health, and maternal competence
Decreased postpartum depression
Source: Mothering the Mother, by M.H. Klaus, J.H. Kennell, and P.H. Klaus; Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, New York (1993).
Writing a Birth Plan
A birth plan can be an incredibly useful tool that makes it easier to communicate with your caregivers, or it can be a worthless piece of paper and a big waste of time! Here are my tips for making your birth plan really work for you.
Use a draft birth plan to check whether your caregivers are a good match for you. Your draft plan can get a dialogue going with your caregiver. If you are finding, however, that he or she is not comfortable with many of the points you wanted to put into your plan, you may need to find a caregiver who is a better match for you and who shares your views, or you may need to decide to accept your caregiver's philosophy and not rely on a birth plan. It is usually not possible to use a birth plan to "make" your caregivers agree to things they are not comfortable doing. For instance, if you don't want an episiotomy but your doctor usually cuts them for most women, it is unlikely a birth plan will make your doctor change his practice.
Once you feel you have a good mutual understanding with your caregivers, your birth plan takes on its second role as a record of your intentions that the medical staff can refer to.
When writing your plan, remember your ABC's:
Assertive
Remember to keep your language assertive - polite but clearly stating what you want. Use phrases like "I am planning" and "I would like" rather than "if it is ok" or "I would prefer".
Brief
Keep it short. If you need to spell out a long list of points, you may not be with the right caregiver. If most of the things you want aren't things your caregiver is used to doing (in which case you don't need to put them in a birth plan!), you are unlikely to get them. For maximum effectiveness, keep your birth plan to a single page.
Clear
Be specific. Avoid words and phrases such as "not unless necessary" or "keep to a minimum." What one person thinks is "necessary" is not what another does. What one person defines as the minimum is not what the next person does. Instead, use numbers or specific situations, for example: "I am happy to have 20 minutes of electronic monitoring and if all is well then intermittent monitoring every hour for five minutes after that" or "I am happy to have a vaginal examination on arrival in hospital and after that every four hours or on my request."
Use a draft birth plan to check whether your caregivers are a good match for you. Your draft plan can get a dialogue going with your caregiver. If you are finding, however, that he or she is not comfortable with many of the points you wanted to put into your plan, you may need to find a caregiver who is a better match for you and who shares your views, or you may need to decide to accept your caregiver's philosophy and not rely on a birth plan. It is usually not possible to use a birth plan to "make" your caregivers agree to things they are not comfortable doing. For instance, if you don't want an episiotomy but your doctor usually cuts them for most women, it is unlikely a birth plan will make your doctor change his practice.
Once you feel you have a good mutual understanding with your caregivers, your birth plan takes on its second role as a record of your intentions that the medical staff can refer to.
When writing your plan, remember your ABC's:
Assertive
Remember to keep your language assertive - polite but clearly stating what you want. Use phrases like "I am planning" and "I would like" rather than "if it is ok" or "I would prefer".
Brief
Keep it short. If you need to spell out a long list of points, you may not be with the right caregiver. If most of the things you want aren't things your caregiver is used to doing (in which case you don't need to put them in a birth plan!), you are unlikely to get them. For maximum effectiveness, keep your birth plan to a single page.
Clear
Be specific. Avoid words and phrases such as "not unless necessary" or "keep to a minimum." What one person thinks is "necessary" is not what another does. What one person defines as the minimum is not what the next person does. Instead, use numbers or specific situations, for example: "I am happy to have 20 minutes of electronic monitoring and if all is well then intermittent monitoring every hour for five minutes after that" or "I am happy to have a vaginal examination on arrival in hospital and after that every four hours or on my request."
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