A Chicago doula helping women transition to motherhood with loving hands, encouraging support & birth experience
Birth Assistance
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Lisa the Birth Doula
Whether you choose a hospital or home birth, distractions are everywhere. I am there to help you focus on yourself and rally the others in the room to do so as well. I am your coach, your cheerleader, your Encyclopedia Britannica, and your confidante.
My view of birth is that it is your birth story. Yes, things may not go as planned, but we are going to try to get as close to it as possible. Birth is a wonderful experience to witness. Moms and significant others all need support and someone with whom they can talk — someone that is there with them when they feel they are in need.
With loving hands, I will help you transition to motherhood. With a trusting ear, I listen to your needs and provide you with the support that you need to progress. In the end, it is you, Momma, that will bring your baby or babies into the world. It is going to be hard work and can take some time. The reward is baby kisses.
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Prenatal Visits
Generally, I will meet with you for two prenatal visits. You can choose to do this in the comfort of your own home or at a comfortable destination such as a café. Your partner, if applicable, is encouraged to attend these meetings.
The first meeting is a great time for us to get to know each other. I will review a questionnaire that you and your partner will receive upon hiring me. The questionnaire is a great starting point for discussion about your wants, needs, desires, fears, and questions. This meeting takes approximately one hour.
I am a valuable resource, and these meetings are not the only time you can ask questions, but they is a great time to check questions such as these off of your list:
- Do you have back pain? I know a chiropractor that works with pregnant moms.
- Are you nervous about your nutrition? I can refer you to a great nutritionist.
- Have you been thinking about taking a birth class but are overwhelmed with the choices? I can help you decide which birth class is best for you. I even know of a great spa!
The second prenatal visit is scheduled closer to your estimated due date range. You may have started your weekly appointments with your midwife or obstetrician. You may have finished all of your birth classes, taken a breastfeeding class, and are putting the finishing touches on the baby’s room. Have you packed your bags? This is a great meeting to go over those last questions and review that you have all that you need for the big day.
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Birth Services
Labor can be long and will be exhausting. We would have discussed a few plans that you can set for early labor during your prenatal visits. We also would have created a list of tasks that you can focus on rather than focusing all of our energy in the excitement of the moment. During early labor, you should rest as much as possible and stay hydrated. Let me know when you start early labor, and I will join you at the time you feel that you would want me to be there.
In the comfort of your own home, I will;
- show you new positions.
- provide additional options for relaxation.
- encourage partner participation.
- use massage and compress to help relieve pain.
This support will continue at the hospital if you choose to birth at one.
The hospital environment is very different from home, I will;
- try my best to make the experience comfortable and welcoming.
- encourage your partner to dim the lights while I turn on LED candles.
- run the water in the shower or tub and encourage you to enter the serenity.
- remind you that you can ask people to leave the room. Too much chatter in the room with too many people may slow labor down.
Labor may be long and pushing is no exception, I will;
- encourage you to change positions to help baby move down.
- provide you with loving hands on problem areas and cold rags for your forehead.
- encourage you to listen to your body and visualize your baby being born.
Once your baby is born, you have so many options that you may not have known about before you were pregnant.
- I can provide you with evidenced-based articles to help you make an informed decision.
- If you choose to breastfeed;
- I am there to help you and baby with latching.
- I will explain the basics and will let nature take over.
I will stay for approximately one hour after your baby is born and will there for any questions that may arise.
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Postnatal Visit
Approximately a week or two after the birth of your baby(ies), I will visit you at your home.
- This is a great time to ask any questions that you may have thought of during those sleepless nights.
- I can provide you with additional breastfeeding pointers and refer you to additional classes, meet-ups or mommy and baby groups.
- This is also a good time to discuss your birth story. No matter what happened along the way, your memory of the birth of your child should be founded in love. With loving hands and trusting ears, I will get you there.
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Birth Assistance Agreement
Services Provided
My services include two prenatal visits, assistance during labor, and one postnatal visit.
During prenatal visits, I provide:
- parents-to-be with resources, including referrals for prenatal assistance ranging from acupuncture to yoga, birth plan assistance, and a postpartum meal plan.
- on-call availability from the 37th week of pregnancy through the 42nd week of pregnancy, and I do my best to be available should your labor begin prior to the 37th week.
- support throughout the stages of labor–starting in the comfort of your own home during early labor and transitioning with you until the delivery at your chosen place of birth.
Labor can be a tiring process for both mom and significant other. I am there to provide you with knowledge, comfort, confidence, and a gentle hand.
After delivery, I stay with the mom and baby to assist with breastfeeding, if that is your feeding method of choice.
The postpartum visit is a follow-up to see how you and your family are recovering. This visit occurs during the first 8 weeks after delivery.
If you choose to utilize fewer visits or less care, all rates will still apply.
Services NOT provided by a birth doula
- Birth doulas do not deliver babies.
- Birth doulas do not perform medical or nursing tasks. I do not do vaginal exams, diagnosing, blood pressure readings, fetal heart auscultation, or medication distribution.
- Birth doulas do not make decisions for you. I will do my best at researching information through reliable sources and provide you with my findings so that you may make an informed decision. I will always credit my source.
- Birth doulas do not speak for you. I am an advocate that encourages the mother and partner to speak up for themselves. I am there to discuss your concerns with you and suggest options.
- Download Birth Assistance Agreement
Postpartum Assistance
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Lisa the Postpartum Doula
Not too long ago, we as a society lived in close-knit multi-generational families. We grew up watching parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, and cousins take care of infants during those precious first few weeks of their lives. Today, many of us have lost that thread that gave us security in our skills as new parents and/or provided us with the back-up of additional helping hands. We live in cities where many of us are transplants far from our own family. I can help you gain the security you need in yourself as a parent, while providing the additional hands, so that you can take care of yourself and your family.
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Breastfeeding Support
From the moment your baby is born, until you decide to wean, you may come upon many obstacles that can leave you feeling alone. Luckily, in this day of increased breastfeeding awareness and acceptance, you do not have to feel alone anymore.
As a doula, I am trained in basic lactation support.
Basic lactation support includes:
- teaching you and your baby the proper way to latch.
- showing you different nursing holds.
- helping you learn to read your baby’s hunger cues.
- sharing tips with you to keep your baby awake while feeding.
- going over how and when to pump.
- providing you with information about foods and medications that can affect your supply.
As a mom, I can tell you:
- how breastfeeding is supposed to feel.
- where you can nurse comfortably when away from home.
- where to find other breastfeeding moms for continued support.
I have found so many breastfeeding support resources in Chicago and am grateful for all they offer.
If you and I identify that you need more than basic support, I can help you locate a lactation consultant.
I have helped women get over their fear of feeding their little ones in public and helped them talk through discussions with family members who may disagree with their decision to breastfeed.
I also have recommendations for wonderful photographers who can beautifully capture this mom and baby moment.
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Postpartum Assistance Agreement
Services Provided
Some of my services as a postpartum doula include the folowing:
- Baby soothing
- Babywearing
- Basic lactation instruction assistance
- Bottle feeding support
- Cloth and disposable diapering
- Healthy meal preparation
- Light housekeeping
- Non-judgmental confidential ear for grief and concerns
- Problem solving for new parent concerns
- Processing birth stories
- Referrals for mom and baby
- Resources for questions
- Sibling adjustment time management
Services NOT provided by a postpartum doula
Postpartum doulas do not diagnose postpartum depression or psychosis. I can provide you with resources for postpartum counselors and therapists.
Postpartum doulas are not babysitters. I am able to help your learn to provide care for you little one while maintaining a relationship with your other children, but I am not hired to babysit your children.
Postpartum doulas are not housekeepers. I can “tidy up” but I am not hired to provide cleaning. I can provide you with recommendations for housekeepers.
Postpartum doulas do not provide medical care. I can not distribute medications, change dressings, or give vaginal exams.
- Download Postpartum Assistance Agreement
About
I am a DONA trained birth and postpartum doula who has a passion for helping women transition to motherhood. Providing hands-on comfort and techniques to transform the labor and delivery room into a quiet and safe place, I am a confident and compassionate doula.
My passion started with my undergraduate and graduate studies in psychology. With a focus on women studies, advocacy was inevitable. I believe that all women have the right to own their own birth story. I also believe that women have the right to know what their options are at all stages of pregnancy, labor, birth and beyond.
Non-judgmental of your decisions, I will attend your birth and will support you, being mindful of your best interest.
Testimonials
I am grateful that I was able to have Lisa by our side during my pregnancy and birth of our son. She was very helpful and always making sure I took care of myself during my pregnancy. Which brings us to our birth story. I was only thirty four weeks along when my water broke at five am. Prior to that I had experienced contractions at thirty two weeks and thought I was going into labor. I wasn’t and it was assumed I had Braxton Hicks but during this whole time Lisa called and gave tips on how to reduce stress and relax. So when my water broke I immediatly called my midwife then Lisa. She said “Good thing you called the midwives and let me know what happens I am ready to be there with you.” I of course had to go to the hospital and as soon as we were checked in Lisa was there. She had grabbed things on short notice to aid with my natural child birth. Remember I was only thirty four weeks. She had my favorite scent oil, lavender and she was there to comfort me when the midwife and the doctor changed their plan from get the baby out to keep the baby in. She and my husband were my rock during this scary uncharted territory. She stayed with us from morning until night and she was there cooling me off with lavender scented wet towels and helping me get through my contractions. Since I was on medicines to stop the labor we told Lisa to go home and rest and please come back in the morning. Well little did we know once they stopped the medicine to slow down the labor my labor came back in full force but my husband pulled through as a substitute doula and remembered what Lisa did to help me through the contractions. He called her to come back and Lisa did but our little boy didn’t wait and came just minutes before Lisa entered the room. Even though Lisa missed our son’s birth she helped us so much before his birth and after his birth. She truly is a wonderful doula.
-D.M.
Lisa’s presence at the birth of our daughter meant the world to us. We could not have done it without her! My labor was long and hard and Lisa was calm throughout the time, encouraging me when I tried helpful positions, massaging my lower back (for hours!!!), and giving my husband and I the support we needed.
-K.L.
My experience with Lisa as my doula was wonderful. She kept in contact with me during my early stages of labor and assured me that she can be right by my side whenever I need her. My contractions were getting closer and stronger at 1 am, I asked my husband to call Lisa to come over to the house. She came right over while I was in my bath tub. Lisa was such a great help, she comforted me through my contractions with massages and the much needed hip squeeze technique.
After a hour and half in the bath tub, Lisa suggested that we go into my living room and try different positions. My labor started progressing quickly. Once we found out that the baby was starting to crown we immediately called my midwife. Water birth was planned for this pregnancy, however, because my daughter was so determined to meet us, she decided not wait anymore. We were on speakerphone with my midwife while she was on her way. She instructed that I lay on my couch and to do some deep breathing. Lisa was breathing with me and then saw that the baby was on her way out and called my husband over to catch her. On my last deep breath, out she comes! My husband was a bit unsure of what to do next, Lisa instructed him to lay her on my chest for skin to skin contact.
I was comfortable giving birth with Lisa being there with us because she had a great energy about her, she was nice and calm. She stayed with me to make sure I was doing ok after the baby was born. She was able to answer all my breastfeeding questions and concerns. She’s very personable and possess this warmth about her that would put you to ease.
I truly recommend Lisa as a doula, I am so happy that she was able to experience this home birth with us.
-S.F.
I had a beautiful birth experience and was very grateful for having Lisa as my doula. She was helpful and kind, very sweet and caring. She made me feel very comfortable and at ease from our first meeting. She was very mindful to meet my level of comfort. In fact she specifically asked what works for me and what doesn’t in terms of comfort. She caters to you in that regard which is key. She is very resourceful and took the time to send me information on anything I inquired about. From the liver disease I developed in my pregnancy to the little questions I had, such as breast milk storage.
She talked me through the contractions and helped me relax, breathe and it was very soothing. Her gentleness really got me through it because she gave me the visualization of peace and calmness that I needed. Another reassuring part that she played is she helped me understand what was going on and what to expect.
The best thing that she did is shared her observation on the experience of the birth that I carry with me always…. She said that when the doctor came in to check my cervix, and the doctor said “Ok, Barbara, you are ready – you are about to have a baby” – Lisa reminded me of that moment and how I released a big outburst in tears of joy and love. Lisa said the room just filled with love and emotions and it was a beautiful feeling in the room. I just love that she shared that with me and reminded me of that moment. It is one that I reminisce about almost daily 🙂
Thank you, Lisa!
xoxoxo, B.
I’m so happy to have found Lisa! She met all of our doula needs. She has a calm spirit that will automatically make you feel sure of yourself. She has the education to offer the guidance that you need to have the birth that you want.
She was always available, and whenever I had a question- she responded immediately. My daughter’s birth day could not have gone any better. All natural, no medication, and no intervention. Just how I dreamed it would be. With Lisa’s assistance, she was able to provide me with some ideas of where to labor, and did a great job of massaging and applying pressure where I need it during the worst contractions. My husband felt comfortable around her and it gave him the confidence to be strong for me. They were the most amazing team.
You can read about my whole birth story here: diandraasbaty.com/2014/02/25/the-jersey-chapter/
Thanks, Lisa, for an amazing day.
D. + J.
My partner and I were so thrilled to have Lisa attend the birth of our first child. She helped to make our birthing experience feel supported and positive. We had a natural childbirth without interventions. Lisa was very intuitive and attentive. She seemed to anticipate when/where I needed hot/cold therapy, massage, and comfort techniques to help manage the pain. My partner and I felt very at ease with Lisa. She met with us at our home prior to and after the birth. She also gave us wonderful resources for connecting with other parents and helped us to find someone to encapsulate my placenta. I highly recommend her services as a doula!
B.J.