At Life Circle Birth we currently provide skilled and experienced, in-person Birth Doula Care in Seattle, WA ; Portland, OR; San Jose, Costa Rica and Bengaluru, India
What does doula care from us look like?
1. Prenatal Connections
We visit you and your family at home a few times during your pregnancy. During these meetings we talk in depth and learn about you; your history, your pregnancy and your preferences. We will tell you and show you the methods we use to ease pain in labor and during birth and together we will come up with a plan to support your unique needs.
2. Continuous Birth Support
We come and stay with you during the birth process offering continuous comfort and encouragement. We use the tools and techniques we have prepared to ease the process and hold sacred space. We strive to make you feel safe and cared for however you happen to bring new life into this world.
3. Visits after birth
We continue to care for you after birth. Our visits during the critical postpartum time are to check-in on your recovery and the newborn/s. These visits also help to process and integrate your experience, to begin to heal trauma and to celebrate a momentous journey.
“One of the most effective tools to improve labor and delivery outcomes is the continuous presence of trained support personal not part of the medical team, such as a doula”
– Safe Prevention of the Primary Caesarean Delivery – American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 2014
The Doula Difference
- Decreased medical interventions in labor*
- Reduces need for cesarean by 26%
- Reduces the need for forceps or vacuum extractor by 41%
- Reduces use of pain medication by 28%
- Reduces dissatisfaction with birth by 33%
- Reduces length of labor
- Increased maternal engagement and satisfaction with care
- Improved Apgar Scores in infants
What is a doula?
“Doula” n: A doula is a skilled and experienced professional who provides physical, emotional, social and informational support to you and your partner during pregnancy and childbirth or other life transitions.
“Birth doulas are especially important for people giving birth without traditional familial support.” “The work of birth doulas is long established: we take on the role of a family member for those who do not have the familial bonds or ancestral knowledge around birth passed down within their family. People just want to know what to expect when they give birth and bring this tiny new life home with them.”
Jasmyne Bryant, co-facilitator of the Doulas for All Coalition
Our birth doula!! I can honestly say I simply cannot imagine how I would have done it without her!! After a complicated first delivery I spent most of my second pregnancy very anxious and my trust and faith in the hospital was very low. Our Doula went above and beyond and she spent as much time as needed reassuring us and answering our questions. She guided us to ask questions and voice our concerns at our doctor’s appointments which helped us to feel more comfortable with the decisions being made.
During the 39th week I was exhausted and being pressured to schedule an induction which I just didn’t want. I was also feeling a lot of pain. Our doula came over and made me do some positions. Luckily something worked and I got into labor the next night. Our doula joined us at hospital. I was able to have a successful VBAC with her support and encouragement all the way and it was such a different experience from our first baby! Our Doula was more like a member of our family and we will always remember her.
Revati and Sukanth, M
“I was a little concerned at first that the doula would take over my role in supporting my wife. Hiring a doula was the best decision. In hindsight, our birth ended up being very different from what we expected and there were a lot of scary moments during the labor. Having a doula present by our side to reassure us both was very helpful for my wife and I. She also reminded us to ask about our options and helped to communicate my wife’s preferences with our nurses every time the shift changed. We will definitely have a doula for our next birth as well”
Eric and Nancy, J
Life Circle Birth International 