Now Looking for Doula Clients!!

Hello beautiful mamas!

I want to let you all know that I'm "officially" starting to assist women and their families through their pregnancy, birth and postpartum periods!

I am currently charging $250 for labour doula services. My initial in-person interview lasts about an hour and is no charge. Please note that I can take only a limited number of births, so if I am already booked for your due date I will be unable to take you on as a client. I will, however, be sure that you are aware of where to find another doula!

If you choose to hire me, my services to you will include:
- 2 prenatal visits of approximately 2 hours each, which will include helping you develop and/or go over a birth plan, helping you develop and/or go over a postpartum plan, as well as discussing any fears, questions and concerns you have about your upcoming birth and early postpartum period, including but not limited to couple communication after the baby comes, minimizing the likelihood of tearing, nutrition in pregnancy and postpartum. You can decide which topics are most important to you to discuss.
- Unlimited phone and email consultations during your pregnancy and for a period of 6 weeks postpartum.
- Attendance at your birth, whatever time of day or night, for as long as it takes. I will come to your house to labour with you at home until you desire to go to the hospital or I can meet you at the hospital if you prefer. I will stay with you and your partner and assist you in various ways throughout your labour and birth: on-the-spot information, physical assistance, suggestions for various techniques and positions to help ease and speed (or slow) the progress of your labour, helping your partner by suggesting support positions and getting him coffee and/or food. Research has shown that a doula’s presence at a birth can actually take enough pressure off of the partner that he feels less of a need for breaks than he would otherwise feel. I will stay after the birth for as long as you desire, assisting you with breastfeeding your baby for the first time as well as answering any questions you may have.
- 1 postpartum visit in your home. I will help you process the birth experience and write out a birth story with you, and answer any lingering questions you may have about baby care or incorporating a new baby into your family.
- Access to my extensive lending library for the duration of your pregnancy.

I will also be offering postpartum doula care and private prenatal lessons, but have yet to decide on all of the details. If you decide that you would like to hire me as both a labour doula and postpartum doula, or as a labour doula and childbirth educator, or all three, we can work out the details on a case by case basis for now.

My Qualifications:
My training in biology has instilled in me a deep curiosity about natural, physiological processes. As such, I began extensive research into pregnancy, childbirth and early life as soon as it became personally relevant for me, when I became pregnant with my oldest child.
I have been studying to be a labour doula and childbirth educator for the past 6 years, and have recently begun formal training:
In March 2009 I began pursuing Childbirth Educator certification with Birth Arts International (BAI), and in June 2009, I decided to pursue a second Childbirth Educator certification with ALACE/IBWP. The programs are highly complementary, with ALACE/IBWP providing a good outline and Birth Arts International filling in with other methods of labour support, herbal use and a lot of inner work.
In August of 2009, I took a Labour Doula training workshop with CAPPA here in Regina and have decided to pursue certification as both a Labour Doula and Postpartum Doula with BAI.
I have personally given birth to 3 children and have experience with breastfeeding all of them.

Please contact me by phone or email:
Mandy Herle
(306)585-3740
primaljourneys@gmail.com