April Bolding is intimately aware of the transformative changes that birthing brings.
She is deeply committed to helping women birth consciously and successfully, as they define it. She is also committed to helping their partners and families assist them meaningfully. April knows that it can be a difficult decision to invite someone they don't know yet into their sacred birthing space. She honors that and works together with both the mother and the partner to put them at ease and increase their confidence in utilizing a labor assistant so they may reap all the benefits this arrangement has to offer.
I am so grateful to have had April as our birth doula. She was such an integral and dedicated part of the birth process that I have a hard time imagining the experience without her support. April had been our birthing class teacher, and so when a previously contracted doula was no longer available to attend our birth, I knew that April was the person to call. My planned home birth involved a transfer to the hospital, many hours of very close contractions and back labor, and...
...finally a short but intense pushing out of the baby. April was by my side the entire time, working closely with my partner to provide me lower back relief (for what was probably at least six straight hours), and providing me plenty of reassurance and guidance when I needed it. She has the perfect combination of knowledge, experience, strength, warmth and that certain nurturing quality that makes the difference. Following the birth, April really helped me work through my emotional response to the birth, and just continued to go above and beyond what I ever imagined. --Sadie, Doula client and expectant mother in my Homebirth class, Winter 2009
Her Labor Support services include...
PRENATAL- Free interview or consultation to discuss my services and your needs.
- An informed choice questions card to help you ask the right questions when talking about your care with your practitioner.
- One or two prenatal meetings where we would review:
-- your preferences and expectations of your upcoming birth
-- your birth plan (I can offer assistance if you would like)
-- my role and how you envision utilizing me (for comfort measures, guidance, documenting this event, and so on)
-- my availability* and contact information
-- the signs of labor
-- any questions that you might have
- Email and phone contact for updates, questions and discussions. Updates increase as you approach your due date or signs of labor increase in frequency.
- On-call 24 hours a day two weeks before your due date until the baby is born. If there are signs of labor prior to this, I will need to be alerted to this and I will become on-call for you 24 hours a day until the baby is born.
- Phone support to help you assess whether you are beginning labor or not. Calling when you think you may be in labor helps me anticipate rescheduling my commitments. I can give you guidance on how to proceed until labor becomes established. Please note: Being induced in the hospital could take many hours to days for your labor to become established. Please expect that I will join you when you need help coping with the intensity of labor.
- When you are in labor and need my support, I will join you either at your home, the birth center or the hospital. Please allow one to one and a half hours for me to get to you after you ask me to join you. Frequently, it doesn't take that long, but it's better if we allow for that.
- After I join you for labor, I (or my backup doula) will be with you continuously throughout your labor.
- I act in a complimentary fashion to your partner or any other support persons you have chosen to be there.
- I provide physical and emotional support and nurturing, informational support put in terms you can understand, provide comfort measures (such as massage, hot/cold packs, suggestions for positions, touch, etc), provide suggestions for your partner or other attendants on how they can help you cope, bring extra copies of your birth plan to give to your birth team so they know your preferences, etc.
- I can capture moments throughout your birth experience using photography and/or a video recorder.
- I am usually there one to two hours after the birth to help you initiate breastfeeding or to help in whatever way I can. Once you are settled, I leave you to bond with your baby.
- Follow-up phone call after the birth within the first 24-48 hours.
- One postpartum visit within the first 3 weeks where:
-- We discuss the events of the birth.
-- I answer any questions you may have about the birth or about your care.
-- I present you with a birth story or birth notes that details times and events of your birth experience.
-- Provide resources/referrals for postpartum recovery and assistance, such as lactation consultants, postpartum doulas, support groups, and so on.
My fee is a sliding scale between $800-1100 for the above services. A retaining fee of $400 is due when you hire me and the remaining balance is due two weeks before your estimated due date. Should you not wish to use my services after signing my contract, but two weeks before your estimated due date, or you do not call me when you are in labor, you will forfeit the $400 deposit.
If you have paid the balance in full by two weeks before the your estimated due date, and are in any way displeased with my services, I will be happy to give you a refund of $400, up to six weeks after the birth of your baby.
*What makes up a doula's fees?
Carrie Kenner, President of PALS Doulas, explains about fees on her website.
Please feel free to inquire about any of the above, my availability or any other questions you may have.
