supporting and empowering

A birth doula is a non-medical birth helper who is trained to provide calm, abiding help and, emotional and physical support for mothers in labor and their birth companions. A doula supports you through your pregnancy, labor and post labor. During labor, the doula helps with emotional and physical support, as well as helping you to be informed and present in the decision making of the process of labor. A doula can also help to include loved ones in the labor process helping them to be involved and emotionally present, facilitating that experience to be a bonding experience with the ones you love.

Having a baby is a very emotional experience and for mothers and families who choose to deliver their baby in a hospital, a hospital environment may present another set of new experiences hence bringing certain situations that can be emotionally impactful to families. Shift changes of hospital staff and the uncertainty of which doctor will delivery the baby can make it difficult for the mother to build a consistent and comfortable relationship with her care-providers. Furthermore, amidst the intense process of labor and the bustle of hospital practices, it can be easy to forget one's birth plan or become overwhelmed with the labor experience. A birth doula will help a mother in labor and her family to feel present and much more at ease by providing continuous support.

While it might not be possible to choose the doctor who will deliver your baby, or to have your favorite nurse stay for an extra shift, you can certainly choose someone who will be beside you throughout the process of your pregnancy and will bring a strong, positive and calm presence throughout the birthing process.

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About me

I am a 30 something year old Brazilian woman living in the United States since 2006. I am married with a very supportive man and we have four energetic children born between the years of 2013 and 2021. I have been working as a doula since 2010. Currently, I have helped and witnessed the birth of over 500 families, and also provided prenatal education, lactation and postpartum guidance to many other families.
I have experience in most hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have worked with single mothers, teen mothers, surrogate mothers, life partners, mothers in a high risk pregnancy, mothers with depression and anxiety, and couples who just needed the extra support. I have supported women during their unmedicated and medicated labors, as well with cesarean sections. I have experience with VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean) and vaginal birth of twins.

Honestly, I decided to become a doula without realizing how important labor support was. The fact that I could be at a birth witnessing the miracle of life was something that just fascinated me and it was my motivation to become a doula.

After learning more about doulas, I learned that their goal is to offer emotional support, which sounded even more appealing to me. The fact I could be around pregnant women talking about the joys and challenges of being pregnant, helping couples to plan their birth, and helping families to accomplish their wishes sounded like something that matched perfectly with the type of person I am.

As a doula I can go beyond that, not just telling women about their body's capabilities but guiding them and showing them that they can do it, and helping them to accomplish their desires for labor.

After witnessing my first few births, I truly understood how important labor support is and knew what my calling was. Just then, I could see how important my job is, and the difference I can make in someone's life during such a short period of time: their pregnancy, labor and postpartum journey. A baby will be born if a doula is there or not. Nurses and doctors/midwives will be able to do their job whether a doula is there or not but chances are extremely high that a family's experience wont be nearly as it could be when utilizing a doula.

I love what I do! My goal is to show people that labor does not have to be what they have heard their whole lives. It can be just as beautiful as holding your baby in your arms, and mother by mother I will accomplish my goal of spreading this 'great news' to anyone willing to listen and experience it no matter the birth route chosen or needed.

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Services

Private Birth doula services

There is no single way to give birth or to cope with labor.
I will be helping each woman in finding her own best way.

CHILDbIRTH preparation

" Only with trust, faith, and support can the woman allow the birth experience to enlighten and empower her."

Ghost dOULA SERVICES

Providing doula support to birthing people is a risk-free endeavor, and it’s highly effective for improving health outcomes and decreasing some risks. People who use a doula report experiencing less pain and anxiety during labor. They’re also much more likely to be highly satisfied with their birth experience. In one study that looked at giving couples a doula, they found that all of the partners rated their experience with a doula as positive or extremely positive. So, typically, both the birthing people and their partners are highly satisfied with the help they got from their doula.

lACTATION AND POSTPARTUM SERVICES

The recovery period is different for every family and can be influenced by many factors. All families need is support. As one study with the beginning title “She would sit with me” pointed out, moms with new babies gain confidence, receive empowerment, and benefit from having breastfeeding support from a trained individual that provides lengthy home visits.

lABOR DEBRIFInG

“Birth stories are a huge part of our life experience. It is the beginning of our child’s life. It is an intense physical and emotional experience, one we can’t imagine until we go through it. Telling our birth story is a way to make sense of it and integrate this event into our lives”.