A doula is someone who understands the physiology of childbirth. She provides emotional and physical support and also provides scientific based information to the woman and the new family. She helps the expectant mother reducing anxiety, deal with her fears, and live her pregnancy, birth and postpartum in an informed and joyful way.
A doula cares for all forms of birthing. Be at at a hospital or at home. Through vaginal birth or c-section birth. With the help of epidural anesthesia or without the use of drugs.
A doula helps women empower themselves and does not impose her personal beliefs. She always respects and looks out for the couple's wishes.
In pregnancy, she helps future parents to plan and demystify childbirth and postpartum.
During childbirth, she gives continuous support to the woman. She helps to create a safe  and peaceful atmosphere. Soothes and helps to minimize pain through massage and other comforting measures. She remind her client of her natural abilities and encourage her with her continued presence and care. She is the keeper of the laboring mother's safe space.
In postpartum period, the doula supports the mother's necessities, helps with breastfeeding, caring for the newborn and adaptation of the family to a new element, as well as taking care of small domestic tasks and errands.

Having a doula provides a positive impact for the whole family and helps to reduce:

• Probability of cesarean section;

• Duration of labor;

• Need to use forceps and vacuum extraction;

• Need for using of synthetic oxytocin;

• Need for using of analgesics, namely epidural anesthesia;

• Need for using of pain-relieve medication.

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Additionally, other positive results are:

• Increased  breastfeeding rates;

• Decreased postpartum depression rates;

• Increased maternal satisfaction;

• Reinforcement of mother-baby interaction.

What the doula does not do:

• She does not perform any medical procedure;

• She does not prescribe medication, does not measure tension, does not measure mother or baby heartbeat and does not make diagnoses;

• She does not replace medical surveillance by a health professional, whether in pregnancy or childbirth.

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Doula services

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How do you know I'm the right doula for you?

In order to make sure that you want me at your side as you walk this path, I offer a "Meeting Zero". This is a 30 minutes mini-session, that is very useful for the woman or couple and doula to get to know each other. When choosing a doula, it's essential that you feel empathy towards her. Only then will there be space to create a relationship of trust and allow the doula to be truly at you service during pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum.

Therefore, in this session I will present you my services, explain my role, but above all it will let us get to know each other.

The Meeting Zero is usually held at Oeiras or via Skype.

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After Meeting Zero, and if you decide to choose me with your doula, we will be together over several sessions, in which we will gradually build a relationship of trust and address issues related to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum.

 

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