shining a light through advocation
​
​
​
what is birth trauma?
Birth Trauma, or traumatic childbirth experiences, refers to a birthing person's experiences, interactions and/or events directly related to childbirth that cause overwhelming and distressing emotions, leading to short- and long-term negative impacts on the birthing person's health, wellbeing and relationships.
​
Per the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance:
1 in 3 birthing people report feeling traumatized by their childbirth experience.
​
Per Women and Birth Magazine Vol 36 {Sep 2023}:
1 in 5 birthing people in the U.S. report experiencing some form of mistreatment during pregnancy / childbirth.
Per the CDC official study in Aug 2023:
Mistreatment is higher in communities of Black (30%), Hispanic (29%), and multiracial (27%) birthing people. Mistreatment is also twice as likely in cases where the birthing person has no insurance, or public insurance.
​
Per the Birth Trauma Association, through a survey conducted during the UK's "Birth Trauma Awareness Week 2024:"
2 out of 5 (42.5%) of birthing people reported that procedures had been performed on them without explicit consent.
​
Birth trauma is reported to have lasting effects on the the birthing person and the infant, with both parent-child attachment and breastfeeding relationships impacted.
why do I need a doula?
Your sole job, as the birthing person, is to bring life into this world. You are the vessel, the parent, the foundation. My job is simple - I support you in whatever you need. Whether it's as an advocate in prenatal visits, a sounding board in developing a birth plan, a teacher for your partner to learn comfort measures for labor, or even the provider of those comfort measures myself, I exist in your prenatal and perinatal space solely to ensure you have the birth journey you want.
what's your deal?
My motto is simple: educate, encourage, embrace, empower.
educate: Often, thinking about birth and a birthing plan feels like you are stranded on a desert island - alone, without support. That's where I come in. We will talk through anything you have questions about and make sure you are educated on all of the options available to you.
encourage: Armed with the knowledge of different birthing techniques, options, and interventions, I'm here to help you define what you want and need out of your birth. No two births are alike, and there are very few wrong answers when it comes to what makes YOU feel comfortable.
empower: However laboring and delivery looks for you, I will go with you into your birthing space with your birth plan, a killer playlist, and the belief that you can and will experience a beautiful birth. I'm there to talk you through it, hype you up, hold your hand, dance it out - whatever gets you through those contractions.
embrace: A healthy and redemptive birth is only half the mission - now you are a whole parent! I'm here to support you in your postpartum experience, in whatever way makes sense for you and your growing family.
the purpose of birthwork
The National Institute of Health (NIH) published a study in 2022 that found the following:
- Women who received doula care had 52.9% lower odds of a cesarean delivery
- Women who hired pregnancy / postpartum doulas had 57.5% lower odds of postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, or other maternal mental health conditions.
​
The American Association of Pregnancy reports the following:
- Doulas often use the power of touch and massage to reduce stress and anxiety during labor. Having a doula as a member of your birth team reduces the chance of cesarean by over 50%, reduces the length of labor by over 25%, reduces the use of artificial oxytocin by 40%, and reduces the request for an epidural by nearly 60%.
​
The Journal of Perinatal Education published a study in 2013 which found that:
-Doula-assisted mothers were four times less likely to have a low birth weight baby
​
- Doula-assisted mothers were two times less likely to experience a birth complication involving themselves or their baby
​
- Women with doula-assisted births had a nearly universal breastfeeding initiation success (97.9%).
​
Dona International reports a study of over 15,000 women, performed in 2011, which found that:
- Doula-supported families are 34% less likely to report negative childbirth experiences.