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Lessons in Preparing for Birth, are lessons  in Preparing for Life

Birth is the most indelible life changing event for any parent, an event of miraculaous significance.  The quality of this new life being brought into existence will be defined by the quality of birth.  The future physical, mental and emotional health of a person is initiated in the womb. Natural birth is a powerful initiation.    If a women with child receives education, guidance, support and respect during her pregnacy, she will considerably be more than likely to have an empowered birth of her choice.   If we do not make our own informed choices, someone else will.  As we begin to embrace the opportunity to change and improve our birth practices, we move beyond the imprint of pain and suffering, experience the transformative power of birth and bring our children into a world of love and safety.

 At Labour with Love we are dedicated to help make a families birth experience as safe and natural as possible.  A Doula is there to support a labouring women and/or couple so they have a satisfying childbirth as they define it.  We never interfere with medical advice, but faciltate communication between parents and caregivers.  We do not perform clinical skills and therefore offer uninterrupted support that nurses are not always able to provide.  We have the utmost respect for the lifesaving technology available and a doctor's and nurse's professional care during unexpected circumstances in a hospital.  When technology and/or medication are truly indicated, we encourage our clients to ask relevent questions so they can make informed choices.  We never make decisions for our clients, but support the family in their choices, staying with them when changes or unexpected outcomes occur. 

We help the mother's partner/spouse participate more fully in the experience by augmenting their ability to provide support.

We assist the parents with formulating a birth plan of what is important to them during labour and birth, encouraging them to do their own research as well as provide them with fact - based information so they are able to make informed choices.

Because we are not emotionally involved with the labouring women as are family members and friends, we know what to expect and do not ever panic when we see the mother in pain, but only help to bring calmess to the atmosphere.  We provide musical therapy, massage, physical comfort measures, education, and are great advocates for the parents and baby.

As Childbirth educators we teach relaxation and coping tools to work with the intensity of labour as well as emphasize parent responsibility.  We support parents with their informed choices about the birth setting and choice of caregivers.  We educate about prevention of unnecessary cesareans/ interventions, and holistic alternatives.

Our goal is to help women fully experience the joy and power of birth by increasing parent's confidence in the normal process of birth.