Are You Ready for a Satisfying Birth?
- Imagine feeling happy and relaxed during your birth!!!
- Imagine loving your relationship with your birthing team, including the doctors, nurses, and midwives in attendance!
- Imagine not screaming at your partner during labor, and instead feeling more in sync with each other than ever before!
- Imagine feeling confident in your pregnancy and birth choices!
- Imagine your partner feeling excited for your birth because they know exactly how to help you through different phases and positions!
- Imagine feeling euphoric, energized, and so incredibly proud of yourself as you hold your newborn baby in your arms for the very first time!
- Imagine when your friends and family ask about your birth experience, and you can say, "It was so wonderful. I loved it!"
What if we told you that all of these scenarios are possible for you?!
We offer a unique doula team approach that provides you with round-the-clock support during your pregnancy, labor, and postpartum period. We help simplify your entire birthing experience by providing the support, comfort, and reassurance you crave during the most crucial time in your life.
What is a Doula?
A doula is a birth professional who is formally trained and experienced in supporting a pregnant person, and their partner (if applicable), through pregnancy, birth and postpartum. This includes, but is not limited to, education, emotional support, and physical comfort measures. Birthing people who utilize a doula are found to be less likely to:
What is a Doula?
A doula is a birth professional who is formally trained and experienced in supporting a pregnant person, and their partner (if applicable), through pregnancy, birth and postpartum. This includes, but is not limited to, education, emotional support, and physical comfort measures. Birthing people who utilize a doula are found to be less likely to:
- have an epidural.
- use any type of pain medication.
- give birth by cesarean section.
- give birth with vacuum extraction or forceps.
- give birth to a baby with a low APGAR score five minutes after birth.
- be dissatisfied with, or negatively rate, their childbirth experience.
How Do Partners Fit In With a Doula?
“Asking your husband to be your sole guide through labor is like asking him to lead the way on a climb of Mt Everest. He may be smart and trustworthy, you may love him, but in the Himalayas you’d both be a lot better off with a Sherpa!” – Pam England
During our prenatal visits we'll discuss the expectations and roles of the entire family unit, and how we as doulas can support all of you. Most of our clients have a very involved and supportive partner, and our expertise helps that partner feel prepared and empowered so they can provide support to their loved one like a rock-star! We will help you advocate for your loved one during the birth, reassure you about the typical phases and stages of labor so you can leave your fear at the door, and teach you how to best support your loved one physically with different positions and coping strategies throughout labor.
Of course not every birthing person has a partner, and in that case we as your doulas will step in to provide all the hands-on comfort and support that you need.
What if I want an epidural? Or a hospital birth? Or a water birth?
It's YOUR birth and we're here to support whatever YOU want! It's a common misconception that doulas are only for homebirths or unmedicated births, but we realize that everyone comes to birth with a unique history and a different set of circumstances affecting their wishes and desires. No one knows your body and your baby like YOU, and we trust that you know what's best for yourself! If you want help sorting through your many options we can assist with that by providing unbiased and nonjudgmental information. You choose, we support. That's how this works.
“Asking your husband to be your sole guide through labor is like asking him to lead the way on a climb of Mt Everest. He may be smart and trustworthy, you may love him, but in the Himalayas you’d both be a lot better off with a Sherpa!” – Pam England
During our prenatal visits we'll discuss the expectations and roles of the entire family unit, and how we as doulas can support all of you. Most of our clients have a very involved and supportive partner, and our expertise helps that partner feel prepared and empowered so they can provide support to their loved one like a rock-star! We will help you advocate for your loved one during the birth, reassure you about the typical phases and stages of labor so you can leave your fear at the door, and teach you how to best support your loved one physically with different positions and coping strategies throughout labor.
Of course not every birthing person has a partner, and in that case we as your doulas will step in to provide all the hands-on comfort and support that you need.
What if I want an epidural? Or a hospital birth? Or a water birth?
It's YOUR birth and we're here to support whatever YOU want! It's a common misconception that doulas are only for homebirths or unmedicated births, but we realize that everyone comes to birth with a unique history and a different set of circumstances affecting their wishes and desires. No one knows your body and your baby like YOU, and we trust that you know what's best for yourself! If you want help sorting through your many options we can assist with that by providing unbiased and nonjudgmental information. You choose, we support. That's how this works.
Meet the Doulas
KARISSA McCALLUM, in addition to being a doula, is an acupuncturist, herbalist and essential oil educator. She uses all of this knowledge to support families prenatally, during labor and in the postpartum period. For as long as Karissa can remember, she has always been interested in pregnancy, birth and babies. While obtaining her Masters in Traditional Oriental Medicine, Karissa knew that she wanted to focus on women’s health and pediatrics. After having a beautiful, empowering home birth with her first daughter, Ilyanna, Karissa loved hearing about other women’s birthing experiences. Sadly, a good number of women described their births in disappointing ways, commenting that they didn’t feel like they had a voice, or that they had no understanding of what was happening during the process. Maybe they felt they were not given sufficient education or choices. This, among many other reasons, led to Karissa seeking out a DONA (Doulas of North America) doula training. Karissa is experienced with supporting families in both hospital and home births, and she's passionate about helping clients achieve whatever kind of birth they desire.
JASMINE SASSACK is a badass birth doula who will help you achieve the kick-ass, badass birth of your dreams! She is credentialed through ProDoula, and is also a certified childbirth educator through HypnoBirthing International. Jasmine believes birth should be a simple and beautiful process that every birthing person actually looks forward to! She is 39 years old and married to her husband of 12 years (who also happens to be an acupuncturist). Together they have two "homemade" children (one hospital birth with an epi, one home waterbirth). They also were foster parents for eight years and fostered 20 children and adopted four. If you've lost count: that's six kids in their family now. Plus several former foster kiddos who still come around quite often. How does she do it all? She's a badass woman who gets shit done. Just like you.