Doula Services provided by House of Doula | Providing a Continuum of Education & Care For Families | | | Labor Doula Services | Labor and childbirth is the first parenting obstacle that many parents face together. A birth doula is your personalized support, coach, and guide in the birth process - the transition from woman to mother and man to father. Although dad's experience is much different from mom's, it will still be one of the most intense and memorable days of his life. As doulas, we do not replace the mother's partner or family during childbirth. Instead, we support both parents in communicating their needs and fears about childbirth, assist the family in defining their birth preferences, and learn how we can best support them in achieving an empowering birth together.
As labor doulas, we offer evidence-based education and information as well as emotional and physical support. We do not offer medical advice, perform medical or clinical procedures, or make medical decisions for our clients.
Labor doula services include 2-3 prenatal visits (depending on the needs of the family), 24/7 on-call continuous labor support from 2 weeks prior to 2 weeks after your due date, 1-2 postpartum visits. | | | Postpartum Doula Services | The Professional Doula
Unlike Baby Nannies, Baby Nurses*, Night Nannies, or Night Nurses*: |
| • | Has Education and Training - through established universities and/or certification through internationally recognized organizations CAPPA or DONA. |
| • | Builds A Relationship of Trust - as collaborative partner, nurturer, and guide for the entire family. We support you in finding your voice and confidence as a parent. |
| • | Has an Education & Support Role in the Home - We provide evidence-based education and support. Instead of working |
| • | towards job security, we've done our job when parents no longer need us. |
| *In the state of Colorado, it is unlawful for any person to use the title "nurse" without an actual nursing degree.
A family's need for postpartum support isn't new. What's new is that some families don't have it. A postpartum doula is most like a sister or close friend of the family who is also an expert in maternal and newborn care.
Postpartum Doula Support Includes: |
| • | Postpartum Maternal Care |
| • | Newborn Care Demonstration |
| • | In-home Breastfeeding Education and Hands-on Support |
| • | Milk Storage & Pumping Information |
| • | Sibling Care & Support |
| • | Infant and Toddler Development Information |
| • | General Household Management |
| • | Errand Running and Meal Preparation |
| • | Community Referrals |
| Postpartum services are non-medical in nature. Support is tailored to meet your needs and visits can vary just one time for a few hours to several times a week for up to 6 months postpartum. | | | Sibling Labor Doula Services | Many families find that older siblings who are included in the birth process of their younger siblings, experience increased bonding and decreased instances of sibling rivalry.
My sibling labor support includes preparing the older sibling(s) for the birth, providing physical and emotional care for the sibling(s) during the birth, and guiding the child during the birth experience by explaining the process and answering questions in a way that makes sense to the child and is supportive to the birthing mother.
I do not provide transportation for the birthing mother and/or child unless it is an emergency. I also require an emergency contact for the child while in my care. | | | Breastfeeding Education | We know that breastfeeding is best for both mother and child in terms of nutrition, health, and bonding. However, many mothers still find establishing a new breastfeeding relationship challenging due to a loss of conventional wisdom and a lack of experienced role models in our communities.
I am trained through CAPPA as a Lactation Educator and provide private, in-home breastfeeding instruction both prenatally and postpartum. Although I provide breastfeeding education at either time, I've found that breastfeeding mothers learn and remember breastfeeding information best when they take a breastfeeding class at the end of their pregnancy. I recommend a prenatal breastfeeding class in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy with hands-on breastfeeding support during the first 2 weeks postpartum for optimal breastfeeding success.
Breastfeeding topics generally include: nursing positions, signs of a good latch, nipple and breast care, pumping and milk storage, and understanding the nursing relationship of supply and demand. I tailor topics to meet each family's individual needs.
Other special topics could include: breastfeeding multiples, breastfeeding pre-term babies, or breastfeeding post cesarean birth. | | | Low-Cost Postpartum Doulas In Training | House of Doula, LLC connects families who are looking for low-cost postpartum doulas in training with our network of newly-trained postpartum doulas who are currently under-going the CAPPA certification process.
**If you are interested in interviewing a reduced-rate doula in training, please contact us and explain your family's need for low-cost postpartum support.
**House of Doula, LLC does not make any promise or take responsibility for doulas referred through this process as to the doulas level of experience or quality of care. We can only confirm that the doulas whom we refer to you have completed House of Doula's CAPPA Certified Postpartum Doula Training. | | Become a Professional Member
| Are you interested in joining House of Doula's Professional Membership for Certified Doulas?
Please Submit the Following
Submit an Application
Professional Standards Agreement
CIMS Mother-Friendly Doula Care Evaluation |
| |  | Meet the Doulas at House of Doula | Visit our Find a Doula Page |
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|  | Doula of the Month | November 2011 | | | Ann Kaplan | As a mother of 3, my own vastly different birth experiences led me to become a DONA certified birth doula in 2009 and I have enjoyed immensely the opportunities I have had since then to support so many families in their birth choices. After having a highly medicated birth with my first son and an unmedicated waterbirth with my second, the dichotomy of those two experiences sparked my interest in educating women about the potential of the birth experience and how to make informed decisions about their bodies and babies. My job has taught me a lot about listening to, honoring and respecting women’s hopes, fears and wisdom. Although I have attended over 50 births in my time as a doula, I still learn something new each time I get to be a part of a new family’s experience.
Before becoming a doula, I received a BS from the University of Michigan in Environmental Geology and an MS from the School of Mines in Environmental Engineering. I worked for several years as an environmental engineer for a consulting firm in Boulder and although I was good at my job and enjoyed the intellectual stimulation it offered, it was not something I was truly passionate about. I found it challenging to balance a ‘traditional’ job with the demands of my growing family so I chose to take a different direction and stayed home for a while before making the decision to pursue doula care.
The main emphasis in my practice is on being a resource of information to my clients, in addition to the hands-on support I provide during births. In my experience, families are transformed by the realization that they can effect change in the experience of their pregnancy and birth. This realization comes from being armed with the knowledge to make their own decisions, and I strive to empower my clients to be proactive and capable of advocating for themselves every step of the way. |
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