What is a Doula?

What is a Doula?

A doula (pronounced doola) is a trained and experienced labor companion who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth (natural or medicated childbirth).
Additionally, a doula supports a woman’s partner and family so that they in turn know how to best support her during labor.

A Labor Support Doula:

Recognizes birth as a key life experience that the mother will remember all her life.

Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor.

Assists the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth.

Stays by the side of the laboring woman throughout her entire labor.

Provides emotional support, physical comfort and an objective viewpoint.

Provides assistance to the woman in getting the information she needs to make informed decisions.

Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her health care provider(s).

Perceives her role as one who nurtures and protects the woman's memory of her birth experience.

Practices confidentiality.

What exactly does a doula do - or what will you (I) be doing as a doula?  Doula's have many different roles and it really is up to the client as what she wants.  I could be starting a pregnancy with someone and helping her through the end...even up through postpartum.  Or I may just help someone at the beginning, but not be there at the birth, and then be there through breastfeeding and postpartum.  I am there to support and encourage my client in whatever needs they might have.  That could be helping her work through a birth plan and setting expectations for how she wants her delivery to go, taking her to appointments, making sure her birth plan is carried out when she is in labor, taking picures, helping her with different labor strategies, listen, encourage, support, help her communicate to her doctors or family if needed, etc. 

Do you deliver the baby or give medical advice?  No.  I can give suggestions or recomendations based on things I have studied, but I will not be giving medical advice.  It is highly unlikely that I would be delivering any babies!  We'll leave that to the highly paid doctors.

Why would I "pay" you to be my coach (when I am already paying the hospital)?  There are several reasons one might pay to have a doula.  If you are planning to have a natural birth (no medications), a doula is a huge benefit.  It has been researched that if a woman who is going to try a natural birth has a "coach/cheerleader", they are more likely able to get through it then if alone or with a partner that can't support them in this way (honestly our husbands aren't always the best coach).  By doing so, a doula cost is about 1/2 of what an epidural will cost you on your medical bill. 
A recent study here shows these results:

Reduced the overall cesarean rate by 50%

Reduced the length of labor by 25%

Reduced oxytocin use by 40%

Reduced the use of pain medication by 30%

Reduced forceps deliveries by 40%

Reduced requests for epidural pain medication by 60%

Reduced incidences of maternal fever

Reduced the number of days newborns spent in NICU (neo-natal infant care unit)

Reduced the amount of septic workups performed on newborns

Resulted in higher rates of breastfeeding

Resulted in more positive maternal assessments of maternal confidence

Resulted in more positive maternal assessments of maternal and newborn health

Resulted in decreased rates of postpartum depression

Klaus and Kennel speculate that the mere presence of a doula had a beneficial effect on the emotional state of the mother, resulting in a decrease in catecholamines (adrenaline). This relaxed state allows uterine contractions to be more effective and reduces the occurrence of compromised uterine blood flow.

Insurance companies are taking note of the proven benefits of doula-assisted births. As a result, some providers have started to reimburse for doula care. If your company health care plan covers in-home care, nursing care, lactation consulting, or similar fields, doula care is most likely covered as well.


Why are you doing this?  I have seen first hand that most doctors/hospitals view birth as an abnormal medical emergency when it it is a normal life event.  Yes, there can be things that happen that are abnormal but most births should be considered normal and natural.  Because doctors view them as abnormal medical events, they tend to intervene when unnecessary which can make labor and delivery much worse for mothers and their babies (inductions, breaking bags of water prematurely, timing labors, etc).  I won't go into specifics here, but maybe for another post or talk outside the blog.  Alot of it comes down to the fact that doctors/hospitals want babies delievered in a timely fashion because of their work schedule and efficiences in the hospitals/workers schedules instead of letting the body do its natural thing.  If you think about it, birth has been around for...well EVER.  The main reason the birth process was brought to the hospitals was due to infections most of which we have vaccines for now.  Births use to take place at home with the help of a coach, midwife, mother, sisters, friends and family - a very supportive environment.  With the transition to hospitals, males were the only ones who were able to get an education as a doctor and that I believe led to a misunderstanding of the birth process and made it into a medical, highly intervened "project" (you know how men are!).  This has also resulted in increased c-sections and mortality rates for mothers and infants. 

Are doula's only "good" for those who want a natural birth (with no medications)?  No.  (see benefits above) I am here to see to it that you have the birth experience that you want.  I am neutral when it comes to receiving medications to relieve pain in labor or going natural.  My job would then be to go through the benefits and risks to both so that YOU can make the decison for yourself.  The more prepared you can be before labor and delivery - the better you will be feeling (calmer, fears subided, etc).  In whatever you decide, I am here to support and encourage you.  If it is with no medications, I have learned techniques to dealing with pain in natural ways. 

If you have further questions, you can always email me, post a comment/question on the blog, or see me.  I would love to answer them. 

Client Testimonies

"Having Lindsay at the hospital with us during delivery was more of a blessing then we knew to expect. At first, when things were going slowly, it was helpful to have her there to encourage me and share in my excitement and anticipation. However, when things started moving more quickly than we were prepared for, Lindsay did a great job keeping us focused. Later, she shared pictures and times of important events from the delivery that we now hold as treasures. As a woman, I enjoyed having Lindsay with me because I knew she'd been through and understood all that a labor and delivery would entail physically, emotionally, and spiritually." ~ J & D


*I never share photos or testimonies without permission

"Lindsay provided great advice and support during my wife's labor and delivery. She met us when we arrived at the hospital and stayed with us the entire time, helping in any way she could and guiding us through the entire process. From my perspective as a husband, I felt she took some of the pressure off, helping us to relax some (if that is possible) and made it a more enjoyable experience." ~A

"You are a wonderful doula...You were a huge support to me in the delivery room" ~C

My Story

How did I give "birth" to Advent Birth Doula Services?

I have been a little obsessed with pregnancy, childbirth, etc for years.  It only grew with my two pregnancies as I watched many (too many) childbirth shows (A Baby Story, Maternity Ward, I didn't know I was pregnant, to name a few).  After trying for a natural birth (with help from a birthing coach), I failed as a result of a small pelvic structure, resulting in a c-section and a tramatic experience to boot.  I struggled for a few months after this and believe I suffered from post partum depression which was never diagnosed.  After these events, my passion grew stronger for what women endure during this time.  I have a friend who is a doula (birthing coach) and she has always encouraged me about the opportunity of becoming a doula.  I really didn't think much about it and figured my passion (or obsessiveness) with this amazing and ONLY God-given gift of child birth would diminish as I drifted farther from child bearing years!  The result of my c-sections and not being able to experience a natural/"normal" way of delivering a baby, only peeked my curiosity more.  Enter my friend..."J".  I had shared these feelings with her before she had her 3rd child.  Much to my surprise she offered me an opportunity of a lifetime - to be her support person when baby 3 arrived!  To make a long story short, it didn't work out for me to attend when baby 3 was born.  However, I was there and ready when baby 4 was born in December 2010....all part of God's plan and His perfect timing.  I enrolled in Doula courses in January of 2011 and had everything done within 8 weeks! 

While I'm not sure exactly what I want my business to look like, I am wanting the Lord to lead.  I have a strong desire to assist women in labor/child birth.  I certainly LOVE the idea of helping women that I know go through this experience.  I also have the desire to help women I don't know go through this not just on the birthing side, but on the Lord's side as well - being a disciple for Him.  What a way to minister of God's goodness, creation, mercy, salvation than through a birth of a child - a miracle?  If you have had a baby (and even if you haven't), you can't deny that ONLY God could have come up with something so detailed and miraculous as conception, pregnancy, and birth of a child.  The whole process is just completely mind boggling! 

My Credentials

I recieved my Associate of Science in 2004 from Heartland Community College in Normal Illinois.  I received my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2006 from Franklin University of Ohio (4.0 gpa). 

I worked at a large insurance company in the Human Resources department for almost 9 years before staying home with my two children. 

I received my Doula Certification in 2011 from Childbirth International.  See http://www.childbirthinternational.com/.

What's in the name?

Advent means an arrival or coming, especially one which is awaited.  We all know that a birth of a baby is a much awaited arrival! 

Advent also represents Christ coming into the world. The first advent was Christ's birth.  The second advent will be Christ's return, in which I am anxiously awaiting. We are currently living in the in between time (in between the two advents) in which we are feeling all the birth pains leading up to his second coming.  These "birth pains" are documented in the bible. Matthew 24 explains the circumstantial "birth pains" we will go through while 2 Timothy 3 prepares us for relational "birth pains".  As time goes on and the birth pains get closer together, we are getting futher along on that kingdom calendar between the two advents. We're getting closer to the second coming of Christ than the first coming of Christ. As we grow closer and closer to the day of all days, we will experience more pain (Beth Moore). But just as in the birthing process, joy is just around the corner.  John 16:21-22 says "It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice and no one can rob you of that joy.."

I believe that there is a God.  He is the God who created birth. Who can deny that something so marvelous was created by God?  He created a painful birth as a result to the first sin in the garden of Eden committed by Eve - the very first woman.  He's the same God who provides away out of sin and pain- the cross by which His son Jesus died for all of us to be saved.  He said birth would be painful but he didn't say He wouldn't provide a way out.  A doula is a helpful way out of the painful birth exerience.  See my post on "What is a doula?" to find out more!