Westside Doula

Home Birth

Westside Doula offers a $50 discount for all homebirth clients!

A home birth, attended by a midwife and supported by a doula, is a very special experience.  At Westside Doula , we believe strongly that home births should be considered for low-risk and uncomplicated births.  If a woman ultimately selects a hospital birth, we believe that the decision making process itself is empowering.

A home birth doula will be at your home for as much of the labor as you need her.  A home birth offers the unique opportunity for the mom and dad to be to have alone time throughout the birth.  For example, it's not all that helpful to have an extra person around when you want to have intimate time.   Please call us as soon as your contractions begin, and together we will decide when the doula's services are needed and wanted. We can come and go, and only want to be there to support you!

Home Births, naturally, have a significantly lower rate of interventions--even for births intended for home but were transferred to a hospital.  Because women feel safer and more secure in their own home, labor can progress smoother and faster than at a hospital.  A doula can help facilitate that feeling of safety and help encourage labor along.

Things that you can do while birthing at home that you might not be able to do at a hospital:

• Change rooms to find the room that you feel the safest in;
• Leave your house to walk around the block;
• Take your dog for a walk;
• Drink fluids till your heart's content;
• Eat ice cream while you watch funny movies--on your DVD player on your toilet;
• Cuddle on your couch with your partner;
• Have sex with your partner (doula is not involved with this process!);
• Unpack baby gifts and assemble the crib;
• Avoid exposure to new germs and illnesses;
• Have a massage therapist or acupuncturist come to your home;
• Labor in the bath tub;
• Birth your baby in your bath tub;
• Birth your baby in your bed.

What is the difference between a midwife and a doula?

A midwife is a medical professional.  She will monitor your baby's heart rate and your vital statistics (blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, etc.).  She will perform vaginal exams and will be able to tell you how far you have dilated.  She will answer all of your medical questions and concerns.  Most likely, she will meet with you once labor has begun then return when contractions have progressed to somewhere around four minutes apart, one minute long, for at least an hour.  Westside Doula can help you meet local mid-wives.

Your doula will arrive at your house when you need the additional support and stay for as much of the labor as you wish.  We will be there for all of active labor and through the birth.  We will stay for an hour or two after birth (as needed).  As part of your labor support team, we will walk you around, help you keep track of your contractions, be available to photograph, and be emotional support for you and your partner.

Because we rely on the expertise of their medical knowledge, Westside Doula will not attend a home birth without a midwife.

Note:  We do not belieive in pressuring a woman to give birth at home. A doula's job is to help each family make their own decision and then to support it.  Please consider carefully why  you are selecting your particular birth site, and the pros and cons of other locations.

Some midwives also deliver in hospitals.  UCLA in Santa Monica has a midwifery practice, Cedars has some midwives on staff, California Hospital has midwives, and Kaiser offers midwifery care as the norm.

 

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For more information on natural birth:

Mothers Naturally: http://mothersnaturally.org/index.html

Coalition for Improving Maternity Services: http://www.motherfriendly.org

Davi Khalsa on Doctor Berlin's site. http://www.doctorberlin.com/custom_content/47074_davi_kaur_khalsa.html

An amazing video of a HBA2C

Utne REader's great article called Midwifery's Renaissance

Safety of Midwife Attended Births.

“If I were at home, I would have died” — The trouble with extrapolating hospital birth events to homebirth by erin ellis homebirth midwife

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Find A Midwife

Dr. Steward Fischbein, MD (OBGYN) http://www.birthinginstincts.com/   He is a home birth OB! (805) 777-7733 Located in Santa Monica and Camarillo.  (Personal Bias... He was my OB for Thing #1)

Davi Kaur Khalsa (CNM): West Los Angeles on Robertson, Tender Loving Childbirth Midwifery http://www.tlcwomanscenter.com/ 310.278.6333,   MEET DAVI: http://www.doctorberlin.com/custom_content/47074_davi_kaur_khalsa.html

Art of Nursing: http://www.artofnursing.net.   Amy Tinney, CPM, LN, RN,   and Sarah Shealy, CNM, RN,

Deborah Frank(CNM): Beverly Hills, 310-659-5810:  Has privllges at Cedars and UCLA Westwood.

GraceFull Birthing Midwifery Service, 310-704-3500 gracefullbirthing@me.com http://www.gracefullbirthing.com/

The Sanctuary:  They also offer childbirth classes, massage, baby care classes, lactation support, etc.  They are a great resource.  They now have a birth center!
310-556-7690 http://birthsanctuary.com/index1.html

Haven At Home: http://havenathome.net/Welcome.html  Two very talented Nurse Midwives have their LA based practice here.  Sigh, they make me want to have another baby right now!

Candace Leach, LM, CPM 562-272-4541 (Serves Long Beach)

UCLA Midwives (CNMs):  UCLA Westwood , (310) 794-4434 (these midwives work at UCLA and do not do home birthss).  Takes MediCAL.

Beach Cities Birth Service, Mary Lou O'Brian (CNM) http://www.beachcitiesbirthservice.com/   310-376-5647

Susan Barie (CNM);  424-264-0297

Email Midwife Alliance of North America and ask for an LA County list. http://mana.org/memberlist.html

 

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Birthing Tubs

La Bassine birthing pools are the most comfortable pools available, preferred by birth professionals worldwide. Because you want the best for your baby, every pool and liner is eco-friendly, ethically made, and free of lead, phthalates, or cadmium. (candles not included!)

-All rentals are La Bassine deluxe pools
-Deep enough to cover your belly, narrow enough to push against with your feet
-Sufficient room for you and a birth partner
-Soft sides, sturdy enough to sit on and lean over
-Eco friendly and sanitary; a new liner just for you
-Internal handles to assist with position changes and balance while pushing
-Strongest and most comfortable model on the market
-Rentals are four weeks long and include everything you need except a hose- all this for $250

For rental information:
Contact Mandy Schutt (424)222-1563
mandyschutt@yahoo.com

 

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Heated Birthing Tub

Aqua Doula Tub rental: Tara Lee Gerson 213. 407. 4499

 

 

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Waterbirth International is a great resource if you want to learn more.  Also, they are creating a safe babies registriy for those lucky cherubs that are born in water.

Click here for the registry.

 

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