I love to serve others, it’s just part of who I am.
Services Provided
Consultation visit:
Free Consultation and Interview with prospective clients, (by appointment only and last about 1 hour) this is a chance for prospective client’s to meet and discuss mutual questions,
Includes but are not limited to:
· Time to get to know each other
· Review of their health
· Their care wishes
· A dietary evaluation (for them to take home and fill out)
· What type of Doula I am
Type of Practice I offer
· Clients per month
· Years of experience
· Residence
· Travel range
· Travel comments/restrictions
· Languages spoken
· My background and training
· Associations and consumer groups that I am a member of
· My Philosophy
· Disclosure statement (for them to take home and review)
· Questions and Answers
Initial visit: (Visit by appointment only and last about 1 - 2 hours) (There is a $100.00 non-refundable charge for services to begin and is due upon this initial visit)
Includes but are not limited to:
· Medical history
· Dietary review
· Disclosure statement
· Their wishes
· Participation of family and friends
· What I will and will not bring to their birth
· Appointments
· Back-up arrangements
· Accessibility
· Services provided
· Resource list of practitioners and support services in their local area
· Personal resume of education and employment, including professional certificates
· Reviewing services provided
· Fees
· Sliding scale and worksheet
· Signing of financial agreement
· Questions and Answers
Individualized prenatal care visits: (Visit by appointment, in person or by phone and last about 1 hour each). Prenatal visits generally take about an hour, most of that time is spent on discussion, education and counseling. I provide answers to their questions about their pregnancy, discuss any problems, concerns or wishes and provide customized care to meet their specific needs. I recommend they start prenatal care as early as possible with their midwife or healthcare provider.
Herbal and Nutritional Counseling: From the start we do a dietary evaluation; I realize that the most important determinant of a healthy pregnancy and postpartum period is good nutrition and that a woman is the only direct care provider for herself and her unborn baby. I believe that this is an essential ingredient of safe birthing and a healthily postpartum and for healthy nursing. The best gift they can give their baby and their self is (health) and they obtain that by eating balanced meals right from the start and throughout postpartum and nursing period. Does this mean they can’t have a slice of that favorite pie, No! It just simply means they shouldn’t eat an entire pie in one sitting. Remember balance!
24/7 On Call availability from 37 weeks until you have your baby: When the time gets close they need to have the assurance that I’m nearby and able to get a hold when needed. They will be supplied with my phone number, so they can have it in their phone and on their fridge. It is my guarantee to them, that I will always have my phone with me or very close by when the time draws near.
Labor and birth care: Land, water births, hospital or home. I will help them, their partner and family with the emotional and physical aspects of labor and childbirth. I will stay with them from the onset of labor, until they have their baby and until I am sure they and the baby are settled. Generally this is a minimum of one to two hours, but may be as long as I’m needed.
Before their birth I discuss their birth plan; this plan will identify their midwife or healthcare provider, their wishes, when to call me, normal and abnormal things to look for, comfort measures, transportation to the hospital if they are having a hospital birth and sudden unexpected emergencies etc. so that they will be prepared when the time comes.
After their birth; I would like for them to have something to eat and know that they can walk to the bathroom and take a shower, I can assist them with these things if needed and I would like to know that they have some type of assistance set up to help them for at minimum the first 48 hours before I leave their side.
Breastfeeding Support, Education and Counseling: I offer counseling and education for my clients on many subjects, such as; choosing the right nursing bra, to weaning their baby, proper latch, nursing positions, problems areas they may face, to pumping and storing their milk supply.
Individualized Postpartum Care Visits: (Visit in person or by phone and last about 1 hour each). I will stay with them for 1 - 2 hours after the baby is born, as long as it takes to know that they and the baby are stable and healthy. I will check in with them by phone later that day or the next morning. Usually I will return again in the first week or visit with them again by phone, then by phone again at 2 weeks and a final visit between 4-6 weeks by phone or in person. If there is a need I will see them or talk to them more often.
Postpartum visits are a time to check again on their health and also to offer support for any problem areas they may be experiencing as they adjust to life with a new baby. I can help them with breastfeeding and be available to answer any questions they may have about the birth.
They may hire me as their postpartum doula, where I can assist them in many other areas, with extra services such as; parenting education, light housekeeping, meal preparation, watching their newborn while they nap or for overnight care while they sleep, give them a massage, or teach them how to massage their baby, etc. After 6 weeks if they are still finding they enjoy a helper around I also offer Nanny and Maid services. (see extra services)
Lending Library: My lending library is available for use with all of my services (except the placenta processing, video and photography) It includes many books on the subjects of pregnancy, birth, natural & drug free labor, family, nutrition and a section just for dads too, such as, books on how to support a laboring spouse, parenting and positive discipline, grieving the loss of a child, dealing with abuse and its effects, having twins or multiples and many more. These books may be checked out to my clients and if lost, I ask that they please replace them. Many can be found at the public library or if they prefer to buy them for their own library, there are new and used copies available at low cost from www.amazon.com or www.half.com .
Handouts: are a free part of my services to my clients and will be given to them periodically throughout their care on a variety of subjects.
Extra Services
Childbirth Education: Natural Childbirth Classes (NCB) (taught over a series of 6 weeks) or Biblical based Natural Childbirth classes (BBNCB) (taught over a series of 8 weeks) These classes will help prepare clients, their partner/supporter for a birth without the use of medication and are for those planning a hospital, birth center or homebirth. (My classes are open to the public) Classes are given in my home in a group setting. Classes are held once a week from 6:30-8:30 in my home. Class size will be limited to 5 couples. These classes are focused on natural childbirth (laboring and birthing vaginally without medication).
Some topics covered in these NCB classes are:
· Stages of pregnancy and birth
· Nutrition in pregnancy and beyond
· Relaxation techniques
· Labor positions and comfort measures
· How dad/supporter can help
· How to plan for a healthy postpartum period
· Writing a birth plan
· Writing a baby plan
· Preparing for a home or hospital stay
· What to expect after the baby is born
· Newborn care
Some topics covered in the BBNCB classes are the same as above but include:
Scripture insight, devotions, and a workbook for you and your partner.
Preconception, Fertility, Infertility, counseling and education: (1 hour sessions, by appointment). Whenever a couple is thinking about having a baby weather it is their first or fourth child, there is always some questions, fears, or hopes that linger in the back of their minds, this is an opportunity to open up and bring them to the surface and discuss them. Maybe their having difficulty getting pregnant or have miscarried in the past, and are thinking about trying again or just need some suggestions, a little advice or someone to help them just work through some of the thoughts, fears or concerns that they may be having? Suggestions: of oils and/or herbs that can be of assistance in some cases.
Grief, Childhood Sexual or Domestic Abuse Counseling: (1 hour sessions, by appointment). I have taken a semester of training (College course at MCU) and have received an advance doula training certificate in Supporting Survivors of Abuse. As a survivor of abuse myself, I have counseled many women and teens for over the years on abuse of many kinds. As well as; on the grief they may have experienced from the abuse, the loss of a loved one or loss of a child. I understand the support and encouragement they may need to help them through this time. It is never an easy subject to face, but healing comes from facing their fears, thoughts and emotions and by working through them beforehand; this will be beneficial throughout their pregnancy, birth, postpartum and will help them be the mother they want to be.
Postpartum Depression Therapy: (1 hour sessions, by appointment). This is a very frustrating thing; when one’s body decides to go hay wire! Quick hormonal changes can cause extreme emotions; feeling full of anger, frustration, sadness, depression, confusion, and/or weeping uncontrollably. At times they may find that they have no desire or energy to take care of the needs of their newborn, their family or even their own needs. They may not understand or know how to handle these feelings or emotions in a healthy manner. These are just some of the signs of postpartum depression. It’s not their fault and talking and working through these issues with someone who understands and has been trained to support and encourage them, and suggest help through this time, to become the mother they desire to be.
Placental Encapsulation: The placenta contains your own natural hormones and is perfectly made just for you, by you. Capsule and taking the placenta as medicine is an ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine healing technique. I will take your placenta with me after their birth, process it, capsules it and return it back to you, for you to begin taking it promptly. The science of placentophagy (ingesting your processed placenta) is being researched more and more in the United States and they have found it to be the number 1 postpartum depression therapy with many beneficial results such as:
· Eases hormonal fluctuations during the postpartum and menopausal stages
· Faster recovery from hemorrhage during childbirth
· Lessens bleeding during the postpartum period
· Balances their system
· Prevention of postpartum depression
· Reduces stress
· Reduces fatigue
· Increases energy
· Hastens the return of uterus to pre-pregnancy state
· Replenish depleted iron
· Replenishes nutrients
· Increases milk production
Placenta Stamping: For those that choose not to capsule or to capsule it, I offer placenta stamping, I stamp it on a white card stock; this reviling the tree of life that it actually has been for the last 9 months for your newborn. I then frame it and place the baby’s information (name, date ob, time ob, weight, height) next to it.
Umbilical Cord Art: With either the Placental Encapsulation or Placenta Stamping; I offer the Umbilical Cord Art; this is a fun keepsake for a baby book, to frame or to hang on a wall. I clean, shape and dehydrate the cord and return it in a 3x4 Cotton Muslin Drawstring Bag for you to keep.
Placenta Encapsulation, Stamping and Cord art for Non-Clients or long distance clients
The price is the same but you pay the shipping.
Prenatal, Postpartum and Non-pregnant Women Massage and Reflexology Sessions:
(1- 2 hour sessions; by appointment) I offer Swedish massage and reflexology treatments with massage oil or lotion, Raindrop Therapy or Hot /Cold rock, which includes reflexology using pure therapeutic grade essential oils.
Benefits of Massage:
· Reduces the stress levels by sedating and restoring the nervous system
· Signals both the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems to correct, restore and balance.
· Decreases anxiety
· Calms stress hormones
· Pain reducing
· Encourages blood vessels to dilate, waste products and toxins to be reabsorbed and excreted
· Helps tissues to be oxygenated, pain diminished and inhibits the central nervous system.
· Decreases chronic muscle tension
· Restores balance to overstretched muscles
· Releases tension in contracted tissues
· Normalizes joint range of motion
· Enhances circulation and brings nutrients to the tissues while reducing waste products and fatigue.
· Speeds up the sluggish circulatory and the lymphatic system, relieves congested veins, minimizes
swelling in the extremities, normalizes blood pressure and eases varicose veins.
· Internal or tissue respiration is enhances.
Infant/Child Massage: (Sessions, by appointment) Infant/Child massage is one of the most beneficial things for your Infant/Child. It reinforces security, relaxation, peace, joy and love, as well as; giving them all the health benefits a massage can give, Such as; Skin-to-skin contact which is good for all infants or children, most neonatal intensive care units encourage "kangaroo care," which has been proven to help the infant to grow, when a child cries we pick them up, they calm down with our touch, how much more will they benefit from regular massage.
Massage provides a special time of communication and teaches them love, joy, security, compassion, respect and improves their general well-being. It improves their overall functioning and alleviates common wail-inducers like constipation, congestion, gas, and colic and boosts an Infant/child’s ability to fight off germs.
It promotes relaxation because it produces more serotonin, “a feel-good chemical” and less cortisol, “a hormone that's secreted in response to stress”. As a result, your baby's heart rate and breathing slow down, they become more relaxed and it helps them to self-regulate, calm down, reduces crying, fussiness and help them to sleep more peacefully, sleep deeper and more soundly.
It helps to normalize muscle tone, improves circulation, enhances immune system function, improves sensory and body awareness, enhances neurological development, motor skills, helps to increase oxygen and nutrient flow to cells and improves respiration.
It also helps to improve pain management, which can relieve discomfort from teething and stimulates all of the physiological systems, which is good for their emotional well-being as well as their intellectual development.
Bring your Infant/Child in for weekly by-weekly or monthly sessions or check out my Infant/Child Massage Class.
Infant/Child Massage Education: Affectionate touch and rhythmic movement are among the most powerful forms of communication between an infant/children and their parents, so they are great ways for the two of them to bond. Learning massage will help parents to learn how to read their infant/child’s signals and to respond better to their unique needs.
Infant/Child Massage from the parent is so beneficial for the infant/child and for the parent as it can create a bonding between them as well as offering a variety of benefits to the Infant/Child. This class offers step by step instructions as the parent learns Infant/Child massage techniques with their Infant/Child, and includes a full color booklet that is the parents to keep.
Parenting Education and Counseling: (1 hour sessions, by appointment) No one is born knowing how to be a parent. I understand that parenting can be not only rewarding, but at times it can definitely be a challenge. Whether they are looking forward to having their first child and may not know even how to hold a newborn or giving their newborn a bath for the first time, let alone; clipping their nails, comb their hair, Etc. Then they hit toddler age and they begin to tell you “NO” and throw fits in the middle of the supermarket. When they think they’re out of the woods; they go to school and find friends that may not be the best influence on them and they come home with their own opinions and talking back. If that’s not bad enough then they become teens, with a belief that Mom and Dad know nothing. Whatever the questions, concerns or challenges they may be facing are, parenting education and counseling could be just what they need.
Maternity, Birth, Newborn or Family Photography:
Photography is offered for pregnant Mom’s with those beautiful bellies, throughout their pregnancy, periodically throughout their birth, or just after with your newborn. I also offer Newborn Photo Sessions where we use props and pose your little one and Family photography where we include the whole family to preserve the memory of your new one joining the family. Photography is one way of remembering this miracle of life and I also preserving a moment in time.
Birth Video: They can always reflect back on that special day when their child was born and kids love to watch their own birth years later. I bring my video equipment with me to the birth, set up and video camera and record the entire birth for them. Edit the video and put it on a disk for them and their family to forever enjoy.
Bereavement Photography, Birth/Death Announcement and 1 Grief Counseling Session: Just as life is, death is also a part of our lives. I offer this service to all of my clients and to the public. I offer expected or unexpected remembrance photography free of charge with a 24/7 Phone line open. I offer Photography of their little one, with or without them in the picture, so that they can remember who she/he was. Birth Announcements; to send out to family and friends with both the birth and death dates included, (this is beneficial, so that 3 months down the road people aren’t still asking when the will be born) and 1 counseling session to help with their emotional recovery, to be used anytime they feel they’re ready, within the first year after.
Postpartum Doula Services: The postpartum period is from right after the birth of their child to 6 weeks after the birth. Part of my “Doula Care Package” includes Individualized Postpartum Care, which consists of basic doula care in the hospital or right after the birth. The Postpartum Doula Service I provide as an extra service is an hourly service, which is preformed in your home and includes, but is not limited to:
· Meal preparation
· Light housekeeping which can include laundry, dishes, straitening up, etc.
· Newborn care
· Watching the newborn while mother showers or takes a nap
· New mother companionship and emotional support
· Night time newborn care: This care allows Mom to sleep at night while I care for their newborn, Night time newborn care focuses primarily on baby care only, to insure that baby is properly cared for, while the new parents rest. I prefer to start with in the first few days following birth, but can also provide services shortly after if partner/family/support will be helping them throughout the first week.
Nanny &/or Maid Services: These services are the same as my Postpartum Doula Service, just that your child is now older (Over 6 weeks); I provide Nanny &/or Maid Services as extra services and it is an hourly service, which includes, but is not limited to:
· Meal preparation
· Light housekeeping which can include laundry, dishes, straitening up, etc.
· Newborn/Child care
· Watching the newborn/child while mother showers or takes a nap
· Mother companionship and emotional support
· Night time Newborn/Child care: This care allows Mom to sleep at night, while I care for their child, · Night time newborn/child care focuses primarily on the newborn/children only, to insure that they are properly cared for, while the new parents rest.
Aromatherapy, Herbal Counseling and Kinesiology can also be worked into my services, I offer Aromatherapy in massages sessions and herbal counseling as well as during pregnancy, but these can be added at any time, to any service or separately on its own. Kinesiology is a free service with either of these; as it is a form of personally muscle testing for what oils or herbs are needed.
My Availability Calendar
I offer expected or unexpected remembrance photography free of charge for clients, with a 24/7 open Phone line open. I offer Photography of their little one, with or without them in the picture, so that they can remember who she/he was. I also offer these services to the public with a 24/7 open Phone line for a minimal charge. (Vonda 970-261-7555)
I now offer Nanny Services
I now offer Nanny Services
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