local birth doula · online sanctuary
Why hire a birth doula?
Pregnancy, birth and postpartum (the 4th trimester) amounts to at least one year of your life.
It is a year of self-discovery and expansion - perhaps with insta-fuelled information saturation, endless questions and a sense of the daunting task of becoming a whole new version of yourself as you invite a new individual into your life and family.
Subsequent babies bring about more birth years and further uncharted territory - some fresh challenge as things shift in your life once again and your body goes back to work bringing forth a precious new person to take on the world in their unique way.
Birth - no matter how many times or ways you do it - is powerful, gritty and transformative. A doula is there to guide you through that process during pregnancy, the birth itself, and the early postpartum days.
In my work, birth consultation means being a sounding board for my client to work through her expectations of birth and motherhood and getting down to what matters for her and what kind of support she needs both now and on the day of the birth, as well as afterward. I don’t tell women how they should birth their babies, because I believe that when we are willing to sit with ourselves and do the interior work, we can know what it is that we need to do and what we need from the people around us to help us achieve that, and who those people will be.
My job is done when a birthing woman has stepped into hope and belief in herself and is ready to surrender to the process of childbirth however it comes. I also hold space for the birth story and help mama to recentre and get clarity about what she needs after the baby has arrived. It’s not about checking boxes or going through the motions of a superficial birth plan, but serving the whole woman - body and soul - as she makes this monumental shift in her life.
So that’s a little about me. I look forward to interacting more with you soon.
xo
Deborah
Doula support full package (limited intake)
This is the booking for you if you would like me present for the birth.
Includes:
one free 30min no-strings consultation in person
three 1.5 hour prenatal sessions in your home or other suitable location of your choice
a meetup with you and your midwife
on-call for the birth from 38 weeks until labour starts
two postpartum visits at your home - usually one within the first two weeks
and the last visit anywhere in the following four weeks
text/email support throughout pregnancy and six weeks postpartum
a birthy gift from me :)
Cost: $950 [in two payments]
Birth consultation package
Includes all of the above except for:
meeting your midwife
being on call for and attending the birth itself
This is the booking for you if you have trusted support people for the birth and you already feel that you would like them to be your “doula” on the day, but you want some one-to-one and one-to-whānau attention before and after the birth to help build up your faith in birth and in yourself and your team. I include the postpartum visits in this package because it allows you to debrief the birth with a safe pair of ears and to get a bit of extra pampering and support.
Cost: $500
