ACOG (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) published a committee opinion in Feb 2019 titled Approaches to Limit Intervention During Labor and Birth.

Their recommendations included the following conclusion: "Evidence suggests that, in addition to regular nursing care, continuous one-to-one emotional support provided by support personnel, such as a doula, is associated with improved outcomes for women in labor.

Benefits described in randomized trials include shortened labor, decreased need for analgesia, fewer operative deliveries, and fewer reports of dissatisfaction with the experience of labor.”

A midwife is a trained medical professional, trained in a clinical setting to meet women's healthcare needs. In short, a midwife directs your medical care and delivers the baby.

A doula supports your physical, emotional, and informational needs to make sure you are well-informed, confident, and comfortable throughout the process.

Dads or birth partners tend to feel much more confident and satisfied with their coaching role when a doula is present to encourage and guide! In fact, a doula is there to support and assist the partner as well as the laboring mom. Her continuous presence will free up others in the birthing room to take a rest when needed or get a meal. She will offer suggestions for how to help the mom, and will be sensitive to the amount of involvement the birth partner is comfortable with.

Special training can be arranged to equip dads or partners to take a leading role in hands-on comfort measures.

A doula supports your pain management decisions. With an epidural, we 1) provide comfort measures, as even with medication there are typically varying degrees of discomfort, 2) help you to understand and deal with unforeseen side effects, and 3) use laboring techniques designed specifically to shorten labor and avoid extra interventions.

Wow, I wish I knew what a doula was for the births of my four children. When my first baby was on the way, I read a few books about what to expect and dutifully lugged my pillow and my husband to hospital childbirth classes, but when I finally went into labor 10 days past my due date, let's just say things didn't go exactly as I'd envisioned them.

The question families ask me most frequently is why I decided to become a doula. The short answer is that new parents need and deserve top-quality, continuous care when they are most vulnerable. The longer answer comes partly from the questions I asked myself after that first labor experience:

How did I feel unprepared when I had read the books and gone to the classes?

Why did we feel so lost and alone even in our highly-rated hospital and with our chosen doctor?

How can new parents feel stronger and more empowered after birth and less traumatized and overwhelmed?

My journey to parenthood included experiences with miscarriage, Pitocin induction, epidural, episiotomy, instrumental delivery, unmedicated birth, and finally a hospital birth attended by my husband, mother, and mother-in-law! I learned a lot along the way about how to find the information and support I needed. I want all parents to have a positive beginning as their baby is born, and a beautiful story to tell for the rest of their lives. I am passionate about the power of family life transitions, and so became a doula and educator to encourage, support, and equip parents in their new roles.

​This passion is what led to the launching of With U, a company focused on strengthening families and creating community support.

Mother of 4

400+ births attended

Certified Birth Doula, ICEA.org

Certified VBAC Doula, The VBAC Link

Certified Bringing Baby Home Educator, Gottman Institute

Extra trainings include: bereavement, trauma-informed, childbirth education, rebozo, Spinning Babies, breastfeeding, advanced coping skills