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Journey to Doula
Hi everyone! My name is Marissa and my journey to becoming a Doula started at quite a young age. As a child, if I were to be asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I would always say “ A stay at home Mom”. As I got older I found I was interested in lactation support. The first step in becoming a lactation consultant is to attain a CNA certification, which I currently have and use in geriatric care. I have longed for using my certification to help other parents after having my son, who is now almost two years old! After his birth I became even more passionate about being a support role through childbirth and helping guide parents through their journey into parenthood. I am especially passionate about breastfeeding, baby wearing, cloth diapers, car seat safety, and baby led weaning! I have an incredibly supportive spouse which makes achieving my goals much easier and for that I am incredibly fortunate. I cannot wait to be your families support person!
Services
Empowering your ability to birth. As your doula, I will provide mental, emotional, and physical support to laboring clients with optional recommendations for community support catered to your family. I want to be able to connect with you and your family on a personal level to help you achieve your best ‘Birth’-day. I will help you create your birth plan, offer knowledge of exercises and optimal positioning prenatally and during child birth. I will help create affirmations that speak to you to use during birth and help explore what pain relief you are comfortable using from meditation to epidurals. I am not there to replace your birth partner, but to offer ways to get your partner involved in the birth. I offer doula services to all forms of birth from home birth to scheduled C-Sections and everything in between and immediately postpartum. I am always available to answer any questions so please do not hesitate to ask!
Prenatal Visits
After beginning our relationship with a meet and greet, I like my clients to check in with me to go over any changes and just check in after every prenatal visit. I am willing to come to prenatal visits if the client requests. We will then meet and do a prenatal visit where we go over birth plan, talk about exercises prenatally to support optimal positioning of baby and keep the pregnant person as comfortable as possible. I prefer my clients to have a childbirth class before this meeting so we can go more in depth and practice more of the positions and comfort measures together and review any questions or fears.
Birthing Guidance
In early labor I like to stay in close phone contact with my clients with frequent check in so I can help you gauge when to leave for the hospital or birth center. We normally meet there once you are admitted. On that birth day I will offer physical and emotional support and make you feel confident in your ability to make the best informed decisions for you and your family. I will not replace your birth partner but only be another positive support role to add to your birthing team.
Postpartum Support
I like to have postpartum visits in home within the first week after delivery. We will go over your birth story and start to process though that day together filling in any gaps. I will check on parents mental health, feeding of baby, diaper output, and make sure that healing is going well. I will provide any tips or tricks to ease the recovery process. At this postpartum visit I like to make sure you are supported through the community as well and give lots of peer support resources. Plus ooh and awe over your brand new baby.
