Welcome to Born Doula Services!

Beth is currently on maternity leave and will not be taking any clients with 2012 due dates, unless you are a returning client or friend. If you are interested in doula services, please contact the Calgary Doula Association referral line at referrals@calgarydoulas.ca or 403-800-4291.

Birth pool rentals are also fully booked until the end of 2011. This service will resume in April 2012. If you would like a referral to other pool rental services, let me know.

All the best on your journey into parenthood!

What is a doula?

Simply put, a doula is a trained professional who assists a woman and her partner during labour. She has an understanding of the natural process of birth and works with you to create a positive and rewarding experience during labour. A doula is a source of physical and emotional support for you and your partner. This includes suggestions to help labour progress and help with relaxation, massage, positioning and other techniques for comfort. While they do not provide medical care, they can provide you with information and experience to assist you in making the best choices for your family. A doula is independent and self-employed. She works for you, not your caregiver or hospital. Whether you chose to have your baby at home, at a birth centre or in a hospital, a doula can be an integral part of your support system.

Why do I need a doula?

Support by a doula during labour tends to:

¤ lead to shorter labours with fewer complications

¤ reduces negative feelings about one’s childbirth experience

¤ reduces the need for pitocin (a labour-inducing drug), forceps or vacuum extraction and cesareans

¤ reduces the mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals

Furthermore, parents who receive support can:

¤ feel more secure and cared for

¤ are more successful in adapting to new family dynamics

¤ have greater success with breastfeeding

¤ have greater self-confidence

¤ have less postpartum depression

¤ have lower incidence of abuse

(Source: DONA International)

“If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it.” ~ John H. Kennell, M.D.

Are doulas the same as midwives?

No, doulas are not the same as midwives. Registered midwives are specialists in normal pregnancy and birth. Midwives manage low risk pregnancies and provide medical care throughout your entire pregnancy, including ordering blood tests and ultrasounds, prescribing certain medications, and catching your baby when it is born. They can attend your birth at home, at a birth centre, or in the hospital. The cost of their services is covered by Alberta Health.

Doulas are a wonderful compliment to midwifery care, but they do not perform any medical tasks, such as diagnosing or treating medical problems, fetal heart rate monitoring, or vaginal examinations. Doulas can also attend your birth at home, at a birth centre, or in the hospital, but most doulas only attend out-of-hospital births if there is a registered midwife present. The cost of doula services is one that the client must pay for out-of-pocket.

Currently, the demand for midwifery services in the Calgary area far exceeds the number of practicing midwives available. If you think midwifery care is right for you, please start by contacting local midwifery practices as soon as possible. It is common to be placed on a waiting list for services, even if you call as soon as you find out you are pregnant. Links to all the local midwifery practices can be found in the Client Resources section.

About Beth

Beth grew up in a variety of places, including Newfoundland, the U.K., and Ontario. Upon completing her nursing training at St. Lawrence College in 2003, she and her husband moved to Calgary in 2004. She has worked in various clinical settings, most recently in Adult Critical Care.

Besides her nursing training, Beth’s involvement with childbirth has come largely from her own birth experiences.

In 2007, she and her husband welcomed their first son into the world at Arbour Birth Centre, with the help of midwives. Beth will never forget the empowerment she gained that day by giving birth.

Her family welcomed a second son in 2009. A planned home birth turned hospital birth, Beth learned firsthand what it was like to have things not go according to plan. She also learned that you can have a great birth experience in any setting.

Surrounded by her family, doula, and midwives, a third son joined their family in December of 2011 in a joyful home water birth.

With these experiences fresh in her mind, Beth felt a calling to help other women and their families through the amazing journey that is pregnancy, labour and childbirth. She completed her doula training in February 2010 and earned her certification from the Doulas of North America International (DONA) in November 2010. She became Yoga Birth Method certified in February 2011. She is a member of the Calgary Doula Association. To date, she has assisted over 25 families during their pregnancy and labour.

My Philosophy

I believe that labour can be a rewarding and empowering experience for the people involved.

For some clients, I am actively involved in aiding them during their labour. For others, I simply bear quiet witness to the process.

I am not a replacement for a woman’s husband, partner or family. Instead, I strive to support both the woman and her caregivers in whatever way they need.

There is no right or wrong way to experience the act of giving birth.

I would be honoured to be a part of your journey into parenthood.

Birth Doula Services

¤ No obligation free consult by phone or in person

¤ Two prenatal visits during your 3rd trimester

¤ Access to my lending library

¤ Discussion of the following: your past birth experiences, your options for labour, your birth preferences, pain coping techniques, normal labour progress, what to expect during your hospital stay, induction, and any concerns you and your partner may have

¤ Assistance writing your birth preferences list

¤ Unlimited email support during your pregnancy and during your baby’s first few weeks

¤ On-call availability 24 hours a day from two weeks before your due date until two weeks after your due date

¤ Early labour support – over the phone, at your home, or at the hospital

¤ Continuous active labour support – assistance and support during labour, birth and one to two hours after baby is born

¤ Assistance establishing breastfeeding, if needed

¤ Sibling support at home births, if requested

¤ Photography during labour and birth, if desired, when time permits (all photos taken will be given to parents and none will be kept by me unless you give me permission to use them)

¤ Detailed labour notes

¤ One postpartum visit

My fee is $750 for Birth Doula Services.

Birth Preferences Planning Session

In Calgary, only two support people are able to join you at the hospital during your labour. I offer Birth Preferences Planning Sessions for clients who wish their second support person to be a friend or family member but would like the assistance of a doula while preparing for labour. Included in this service are:

¤ One prenatal visit during your 3rd trimester, approximately 2 to 3 hours in length

¤ Discussion of the following: your past birth experiences, your options for labour, your birth preferences, pain coping techniques, normal labour progress, what to expect during your hospital stay, induction, and any concerns you and your partner may have

¤ Hands-on comfort measures demonstration for your partner or support people

¤ Information sheets on comfort measures, positions for labour, epidurals, questions to ask before a procedure, and more!

¤ Assistance writing your birth preferences list

¤ Unlimited email support during the remainder of your pregnancy

¤ Early labour support over the phone

My fee is $250 for a Birth Preferences Planning Session.

Discounts

Click on the names of my previous clients to read their testimonials.

You may view many of these testimonials on DoulaMatch.com. All testimonials are used with permission.

Doula services will be unavailable for all of 2012, unless you are a returning client or friend, as I enjoy my maternity leave with my family.

Please Note: Our birth pool rentals are fully booked until the end of 2011. Rentals will not resume until April 2012, as I take time off to enjoy my newest family member. If you would like a referral to other pool rental services, please let me know.

Planning a water birth with midwives? This pool is perfect for you! The Aquaborn Eco Professional Birth Pool is recommended by Waterbirth International and all components are lead, phthalates, and cadmium-free.

Rental includes the Aquaborn Eco Professional Birth Pool, a heat retaining lid, a disposable pool liner, a tap adapter, two hoses (one to fill, another to empty), a debris net, a fine sieve, an electric air pump, a submersible pump, a large tarp, and easy to understand instructions.

Clients are responsible for filling and emptying the pool, although for an additional $75 we can take care of emptying it for you. Within 3 days of having your baby, just call us to come pick it up!

Please check out our FAQs.

Cost

Rental – $125 (Includes a $50 non-refundable deposit to reserve the pool for 7 days before and 14 days after your due date)
Reserving for Additional Weeks – $75/week
Optional Pool Emptying – $75

Availability

There is a 3 week time commitment per rental. Due to this, we typically have two rentals per month. Booking early is your best bet to guarantee a pool is available.

Please check our calendar to see if there is a pool available for your birth.

If the pool is unavailable, you can request that we notify you if a pool is returned early. Please include your contact information and due date in this email. There is a good chance that we will contact you, as our pools are often returned before the end of the rental period.

Details

180 x 150 x 76 cm (72″ x 59″ x 30″) – external measurements
140 x 110 x 68 cm (55″ x 44″ x 27″) – internal measurements
0.60 mm thick vinyl
6 handles (2 internal, 4 external)
Holds 560 L (170 gallons)
Filling time approx. 35 minutes
Download Full Specifications

The Benefits of Water Birth

¤ Greater comfort and mobility, helping the mother to conserve energy

¤ Reduced pressure on the abdomen due to buoyancy

¤ Buoyancy promotes more effective contractions, more blood flow to the uterus and better oxygen supply to the baby

¤ Promotes deeper relaxation of the mind, body, and spirit and of the pelvic floor muscles

¤ Less pain for the mother

¤ Often relieves pain so effectively that other methods of pain control are not needed

¤ Water stimulates the touch and temperature nerve fibers in the skin. It blocks impulses from the pain fibers, known as the Gate Theory of Pain.

¤ Facilitates dilation of the cervix, especially when the mother is having trouble progressing into the active stage of labour

¤ Facilitates the stretching of the perineum, helping to prevent tearing