General Resources

* DONA International (Doulas of North America): Organization that trains and certifies birth and postpartum doulas.
* ALACE (Association of Labor Assistants & Childbirth Educators): Organization that trains and certifies labor assistants and childbirth educators.
* CAPPA (The Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association): Organization that trains and certifies childbirth educators, birth doulas, antepartum doulas, postpartum doulas, and lactation educators.
* Childbirth International: Organization that trains and certifies birth doulas and childbirth educators.
* ICEA (International Childbirth Education Association): Trains and certifies birth doulas and childbirth educators.
* BNN (BirthNetwork National): Advocates for mother-friendly maternity care.
* LLLI (La Leche League International): Organization offering breastfeeding support. Leaders are available by telephone and at monthly meetings in Corvallis.
* ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network): Organization dedicated to lowering cesarean rates and supporting vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).
* Baby Blues Connection: Post-Partum Depression Information
* Hypnobabies: Self-hypnosis program for pregnancy and natural labor and birth. Includes a complete childbirth education course.
* HypnoBirthing: Self-hypnosis program for natural labor and birth.
* The Bradley Method: Childbirth education for natural childbirth.
* Lamaze International: Childbirth education for natural childbirth.
* Birthing From Within: Childbirth education for natural childbirth.
* Mothering Magazine: Excellent magazine that focuses on natural living.
* Midwifery Today: Excellent magazine that focuses on evidence-based midwife-attended birth information.

 

Local Resources

* Heart of the Valley BirthNetwork
* Corvallis Pregnancy Care Center
* La Leche League of Corvallis
* Nursing Mothers Counsel of Oregon
* Prenatal Yoga: Cedar and Fir Studio or The Yoga Center
* Wee Bunz Cloth Diaper Store
* Inner Harmonies: local HypnoBirthing instruction
* Parenting Education through Linn-Benton Community College
* Birth to Six Resources at the Corvallis Public Library
* First Alternative Co-op
* Good Dog! training with Irma Kapsenberg: Call Irma at 541 745 3928 or email birthingwell@gmail.com
* Beeara Edmonds: Therapeutic Massage and Craniosacral Therapy
* Linda Harris: Psycho-therapy/Counseling - Call Linda at 541 758 2116. In a comfortable and supportive atmostphere, Linda's work emphasizes help with achieving new goals, adjusting to the transformation of motherhood and parenting and other life style changes, crisis, loss, anxiety, and depression.

Childbirth Classes
* Blossom in Birth Childbirth Classes - I offer childbirth classes based on the International Childbirth Education Association program. More information about my classes is available on the Childbirth Classes page.

* Linda Harris - Linda has been offering private and small-group natural childbirth instruction in Corvallis for 12 years. Services offered to those having a hospital, birthing center, or home birth. Some of the topics covered are relaxation, nutrition, breastfeeding, stages of labor, exercise for pregnancy, labor tools and practice, videos, couple communication and strengthening, massage techniques, and postpartum care. Group instruction, private classes, refresher classes, and sibling preparation classes. Call Linda about class schedules at 541 758 2116.

* Rachel Teadora - Rachel offers "Birthing From Within" and "Birthin' Again" childbirth classes and workshops. Visit Rachel's website or call 541 758 8526.

* Samaritan Health Services - A variety of classes are offered at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis and other area hospitals. Visit their website for more information.

Recommended Reading

Pregnancy, Birth, and Breastfeeding Books
* The Pregnancy Book: Month-by-Month, Everything You Need to Know From America's Baby Experts by William Sears and Martha Sears
* Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May GaskinThe Birth Partner by Penny Simkin
* Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn: The Complete Guide by Penny Simkin, Janet Whalley, and Ann Keppler
* The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
* The VBAC Companion: The Expectant Mother's Guide to Vaginal Birth After Cesarean by Diana Korte
* Birthing From Within: An Extra-ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation by Pam England and Rob Horowitz
* HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method: A natural approach to a safe, easier, more comfortable birthing by Marie Mongan
* The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth by Marshall H. Klaus, John H. Kennell, and Phyllis H. Klaus
* The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers: The Most Comprehensive Problem-Solution Guide to Breastfeeding from the Foremost Expert in North America by Jack Newman and Teresa Pitman
* The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International
* The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins

Baby, Children, and Parenting Books
* The Baby Book by William Sears and Martha Sears
* The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night by Elizabeth Pantley
* Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
* An Encyclopedia of Natural Healing for Children and Infants by Mary Bove
* Naturally Healthy Babies and Children: A Commonsense Guide to Herbal Remedies, Nutrition, and Health by Aviva Jill Romm
* The Vaccine Book by Bob Sears

 

FAQs

Q. How are your childbirth classes different than those at the hospital?

My classes are different in many ways! My classes are 6-7 weeks long, are small and intimate, include one-on-one instruction time, and have a strong focus on learning natural coping techniques and building community with other expectant parents. In comparison, the hospital classes are shorter, much larger (often 30+ people per class), and have less focus on natural coping techniques and building community. Hospital classes are less expensive than community-based classes such as mine, but you really get what you pay for in this field!

Q. How are your childbirth classes different than others taught in the Corvallis community?

My classes are similar to other community classes in that all our classes are small and intimate, include a considerable amount of one-on-one time, and focus on natural coping techniques. The main difference is in method of instruction. I do not teach a specific method like Bradley, Lamaze, Birthing from Within, or HypnoBirthing. I discuss the different methods in my class, but I do not recommend one method over another. My program of instruction comes from ICEA, which believes in freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives. Therefore, we do not endorse a particular method but rather believe parents may take useful information from many of them.

Q. I really want to take your class, but I can't afford the class fee. Can you help me?

Probably. Please contact me about sliding scale and payment plan options. I also offer package discounts for those who take my class and choose to work with me as their doula too.

Q. What does "doula" mean?

The word "doula" comes from ancient Greek and means means "woman's servant." Historically, women have always had other women attend them in childbirth. The modern doula is trained to provide the mother and her partner continuous physical, emotional, and informational support before, during, and just after childbirth.

Q. Does having a doula affect my likelihood of needing medication or a cesarean?

Every woman has a different labor, and each labor is different for every woman, so it is hard to say. But research supports that your risks of needing any interventions are less with a doula present. One study** says that women supported by a birth doula during labor have:

**Longer-term benefits have also been demonstrated in studies. Women supported by a birth doula during labor have:

Q. Why did you become a doula?

I became a doula because I wanted to share the wonderful support and love I had in my births with other women. I realized after the birth of my first child that many women feel unsupported and may even be scared during the birth of their children. I knew I could make a difference here, so when my first child was about 1 year old, I registered for birth doula training. I attended my first birth just 10 days after my training was over, and I was hooked!

Q. What kinds of birth experiences do you have?

I have attended births at home and in hospitals. I have attended births with both midwives and obstetricians. I have attended a waterbirth. I have attended births with older children present. I have attended births that lasted only 4 hours, and births that lasted longer than 90 hours. I have worked with mothers attempting a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). The births of my own children were at home, in the water, using self-hypnosis as my only form of pain relief.

Q. When and where will you join me in labor?

I will join you in labor where and when you ask me to. I require about 1 hour to reach you once you request me, so please think ahead. Most often, women request I join them at their home, right around the beginning of active labor. We then travel to the hospital when the mother feels it is time or if I feel the birth is imminent. I stay with you until 1-2 hours after the birth.

Q. What if you can't make it to my birth?

I always work with at least one back-up doula. You can choose who you would like the back-up doula to be, or I can choose someone for you. You can meet this person if you would like. If you do not want a back-up doula, that is okay but you take the risk of having no doula at your birth if I have a personal emergency at the same time. If I plan to be out of town during your on-call period, you will be notified ahead of time.

Q. I plan on getting pain medication in labor. What can a doula do for me?

Doulas are useful in any type of birth. Even if you plan on getting pain medication, there is a lot a doula can do. There is usually some discomfort or pain while waiting for pain medication, and a doula can help relieve this discomfort while you wait. A doula can provide massages, get food or drinks, assist with position changes, make suggestions to keep labor moving forward, discuss procedures as they occur during the birth, and even attend cesarean sections with the approval of the anesthesiologist. A doula can also take pictures and video, and help manage family and friends who may be waiting or calling during the labor.

Q. Will you work with me if this is not my first pregnancy?

Of course! Doulas are helpful for all women, whether this is your first baby or your fifth!

Q. Did you have a doula at your births?

At the birth of my first child, I did not. Looking back, I really wish I had a doula. I didn't really know what a doula was at the time, so I didn't understand how she would be different from the midwife that was at my birth. But midwives and doulas are very different, and they are responsible for different things during a birth. For the birth of my second child, I knew I wanted a doula. She was awesome!

Q. What are your fees for doula services and what is your refund policy?

Please see my Fees information on the My Doula Services page. For information about possible insurance reimbursement, please see my Insurance page. For my refund policy, please read my BIRTH DOULA CONTRACT.

 

** Summarized from: Klaus, Kennel, and Klaus. 2002. The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth. Cambridge, MA: Da Cap Press. 243 p.