Doulas
- A doula's focus is on mother's comfort; to this end she will offer verbal, physical
and emotional support
- Of necessity, a midwife's primary focus (and that of her assistants) will be on mother
and baby's health and safety. If there is a physical condition that needs to be addressed,
the midwife's attention and efforts will be on correcting the problem. During this time the
doula is free to continue providing much needed physical and emotional comfort care.
- A doula's focus is on supporting the family AS a family. She will be able to turn some of
her efforts to providing the father with the encouragement and emotional support to enable him
to be highly involved in the birth of his child.
- Doulas are an excellent choice to support young children who will witness the birth of their
sibling. Children have many questions that should be answered frankly and quickly during a birth.
Sometimes children need loving guidance to know how to best participate in, and witness the birth.
- Studies have shown many benefits to having a doula present during birth that apply well to births
at home, benefits such as shorter births, better breastfeeding success, more satisfaction with their
birth experience, more satisfaction with their birthing companions role during the birth, less
postpartum depression.
Doula, Heidi assisting with a full squat and standing hula during labor
www.mothers-choice.com
Prenatal Massage Therapy
During pregnancy your body goes through some very dramatic changes. Along with weight gain, your
center of gravity and posture are changing. your blood volume is increasing and your breathing and
digestive space is decreasing. Your bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments are stretching and adjusting.
All of these changes can cause discomfort or pain. Massage Therapy is a natural, drug-free way to manage
the discomforts you may be experiencing.
Studies on prenatal massage show relief from:
- fatigue
- headaches
- leg pain and cramps
- constipation
- nausea and indigestion
- lowers blood pressure
- improves circulation
- sciatica
Prenatal massage also allows for deeper breathing, enhances self image, helps maintain posture
and body balance, strengthens your immune system, and tones muscles in preparation
for labor and birth and keeps your skin supple to help prevent stretch marks. It also offers
relief from physical and emotional stress or anxiety, which could cause complications with
pregnancy, labor and birth.
If Prenatal Massage helps with all these things for you, think of what massage can do for your
baby. The healthier, more relaxed and pain-free you are, the more your baby will be too. Prenatal
massage nurtures both the new mother and baby. There will never be a better time for you to
nurture yourself and your little one.
Henna Belly Art Session
Henna, also known as Mehndi, has been used in rites of passage celebration, adornment, female
bonding and beautification rituals. Henna Mehndi is all natural, completely safe and non-toxic. In
fact, it has many healing properties. Pregnancy, whether it's your first or your tenth, should be
celebrated and every pregnant woman should be pampered. Since your Henna Artist will come to you,
it's a great addition to baby showers and blessing ways, or just a chance to slow down, relax, enjoy
being pregnant and get pampered.
Belly Casting Session
A pregnancy belly cast, sometimes called a belly mask or belly mold, is a plaster cast made of an
expecting mom's beautiful pregnant form. Your Belly Casting session includes an herbal foot soak and
massage. The cast will be sanded and prepared for you to paint and create your own personal
touches. Advance schedule your Belly Casting for approximately 36 weeks.
