If you are looking for an English-speaking birth doula in Varna, look no more 🙂 Read below to find out how I can help you prepare for you birth and support you though labor, birth and the postpartum period.
Doula’s role and obligations
A doula provides emotional and physical support during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. We are trained to provide information, help clients navigate through insecurities, and offer non-medical support techniques for labor and birth (e.g. breathing techniques, massage, positioning, etc). Below is information about the support you can receive from me, Yoanna.
As a doula, I work for you. This means I am independent of your doctor, midwife, or hospital.
We will meet two times prenatally. At these meetings, we can discuss your questions, go over your birth options, review your birth plan, discuss strategies for overcoming any fears you may have, develop a pain relief plan, or do anything else you find beneficial. Your partner is welcome and encouraged to join us.
If you feel you will benefit from more prenatal visits, this can be arranged at an hourly charge. If you need more thorough birth preparation, please consider the courses I offer.
I will be on call for you 24 hours a day, beginning 14 days before your due date.
When your labor begins, I will join you whenever you want me to and stay with you for up to 12 hours, until one to two hours after your baby is born. I will take short breaks for meals and rest when possible. I will help you initiate breastfeeding if you would like me to.
After the birth I will make one postpartum visit, which will be on a day you prefer. At this visit, we usually discuss how the birth went, any issues with breastfeeding and taking care of the baby, how your recovery is going. And again, if you need more support from me, we can always arrange additional postnatal visits at an hourly charge, or make a personalized support plan for you.
Limitations of doula practice
Doulas do not make decisions for you. We provide information that can help you make an informed choice.
Doulas do not perform any medical tasks, such as assessing blood pressure, checking dilation, fetal monitoring, etc. My role is to provide physical, emotional, and educational support.
I will not provide medical advice in any form. I could provide contact information of medical providers.
As much as some women would like their doula to advocate for them in the hospital, this is not something I can do. We can discuss you concerns and I can provide you with information. We can even prepare questions you may want to ask, but it is yours and your partner’s responsibility to communicate with medical staff.
Your obligations
I highly recommend making a birth plan and discussing in with your doctor well in advance. A birth plan is more of a process than a piece of paper. It helps you identify your priorities and your options. Also, a discussion well before the birth can make you aware of any differences between yours and your provider’s points of view regarding birth. This way, if you need to switch providers or hospitals, you will have enough time to do this.
I will expect you to call me when you think you are in labor. Please call me even if you are not sure, so I can have time to arrange attending your birth. Please call if your water breaks. I will provide phone support until the moment you decide you need to me come. If for some reason you cannot contact me, please leave a message in one of the communication channels we have been using so far (e-mail, messenger, viber).
Usually, I will need 40 minutes to an hour to reach you. If you have just sent me messages, it’s important that you have my confirmation that I’ve received them, otherwise I may not be aware that you are in labor.
You and your partner will decide when to head for the hospital. I can give you general information and the usual guidelines, but the decision is yours.
Payment
The price of the service described above: 2 prenatal meetings, up to 12 hours of birth support, and a postpartum visit, is 500 BGN. This sum is payable in two installments: the first 300 BGN are paid within a week of signing the contract, and the remainder is paid at the second prenatal visit.
The price for virtual support is different: please see full description of the virtual support service.
In case for some reason I cannot join you in the hospital, or you prefer me not to, the price for “Support until hospital admission” is 300 BGN. This package includes 2 prenatal visits, up to 12 hours of support during the birth (excluding hospital), and a postpartum visit.
sit.
You may call me at 0885 210 764 or contact me through my Facebook page, so we can discuss details. I’ll be happy to work with you 🙂