BIRTH & POSTPARTUM DOULA SUPPORT
FOR ALL BIRTHING PEOPLE & FAMILIES IN NYC
BIRTH DOULA
As your birth doula, I provide physical, mental and emotional support throughout your pregnancy, labor and delivery. The style and type of birth of I am interested in is YOURS. In a tub? Great. In a hospital? Love it. In your living room? I'll be there. With an epidural? Squeeze my hand. Partner support? Can't wait to meet this lucky person. Flying solo? Let's do this.
We'll discuss your hopes and desires for your birth experience, answer any and all questions you (and your partner, if present) may have, practice comfort measures, talk through options and possibilities, and generally connect and bond over the incredible wonder of pregnancy in two pre-natal sessions. I'm available for unlimited text, email and phone support, and at 38 weeks, I press pause on my life and am ready to go whenever your special "IT'S HAPPENING!!!" ringtone blares in my ear. Once I join you, I might step out to pee, but other than that, I am by your side offering verbal affirmation, physical support, knowledge and moreuntil baby is born. I'll stay with you until you are comfortable, cozy and cuddling, and then see you again within about one week to do a follow-up postpartum visit (with more available as you need).
I am as involved as you desire, whether it's helping you navigate various birthing styles, recommending books and classes, clarifying your rights as a birthing person, explaining the stages of childbirth or practicing labor positions on your couch. I do not push your partner aside (if you have one), but fully integrate myself as a professional member of your valued and trusted birth team, all working together to ensure the most satisfying and safe birth experience for you and baby. I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to your birth and it's my true honor and pleasure to be welcomed to be part of your life's journey.
A birth doula can shorten labor, reduce the overall rate of Cesarean birth, pain medication and Pitocin, and decrease the risk of being dissatisfied with birth by a whopping 34%. Sound good to you? Please contact me using the form below for birth doula availability and rates.
POSTPARTUM DOULA
How exactly does that baby wrap work? What does nursing in public look like? Will a shower happen this week? Bringing a new baby home can turn your world upside down, and a postpartum doula makes that transition easier for everyone: baby, parent(s), and sibling(s). A postpartum doula is not a guest; there is no need for clean hair, dishes, or laundry when I arrive.
Postpartum doula support looks different for each family, and I am ready to roll with whatever you need on that particular day. Doing baby's laundry, caring for baby while you shower/sleep/binge watch Game of Thrones, helping you figure out how to safely wear baby, tidying up, breastfeeding support, playing with siblings, massaging your feet, and anything else you may need are all part of this experience.
I seek to empower you as a parent not only through these tangible tasks, but by holding open and non-judgmental space for you to share anything and everything on your mind. It will be my pleasure to simply sit and listen and to validate you during this transformative time of your life.
I offer several postpartum packages to provide you and your family with the customized support best for you; please reach out below for details.
VIRTUAL DOULA SERVICES
Wherever you are, I can “come to you” via the power of the World Wide Web! I act as virtual doula for those in an area without any available doulas to provide in-person support, for those far away but looking to connect and pick my brain, and for those who wish to not welcome additional people into their birth space but still want to discuss all things empowered and informed birth in preparation. This service looks different for different people, so reach out and we can discuss.
“I’d never really been around many women who were pregnant, so when I was finally pregnant, I found everything utterly overwhelming and new. I didn’t really know what types of questions to ask my doctor and often didn’t know what to make of the information she was giving me. Speaking with Olivia helped bring calm and understanding to both me and my husband. She helped us understand the changes happening to my body, our baby and helped my partner and I navigate and plan for the changes coming in our relationship. She also helped me prepare lists of questions to bring to my appointments and helped me understand all my delivery options so that we could organize the best possible birth plan for me. When I found out my baby was transverse (sideways), she provided me with several resources and tools that might naturally encourage my baby to shift positions. It worked and my 37-week ultrasound confirmed baby was now in the correct position. I left each conversation feeling reassured and confident that we were ready for this journey toward parenthood.”
ABOUT OLIVIA
I believe I've been a doula my entire life - I just didn't have a name for the care and support I felt compelled (and loved) to give. Even as a three-year-old, my mom had to tell me "Olivia, I'm the mommy!" because I was so obsessed with caring for my newborn brother. The call to birth work and becoming a doula has been growing in me for years, and I'm so thrilled to have found my life's work.
I am a certified Doula Trainings International birth and postpartum doula and am fully trained in childbirth education, breastfeeding information and support, and newborn care. Additionally, I've pursued advanced training in comforting touch for the pregnant and birthing person, pre-natal/partner yoga for expectant people/couples, baby-wearing and more.
I have a BFA in Musical Theater and a thriving performance career,working mostly in comedy. I am the co-leader of the annual body love Restore Your Roar retreat in Hawaii. I'm obsessed with my husband and our Welsh terrier Walter. I'm a voracious reader, I am happiest swimming in saltwater, and like a true New England raised girl, I drink a case of seltzer (seltzah) every week. Commitment to all aspects of myself betters my doula practice, and vice versa, while a very organized calendar keeps this ship running smoothly.
I have no birth agenda beyond serving you and your hopes for your own labor and delivery. My practice is both evidence-based and holistic. If you seek someone who will recite statistics while rubbing peppermint oil on your feet, here I am. I respect all cultural and/or religious needs during birth and am more than happy to learn more about how I can meet your unique wishes, needs and desires. I am passionate about serving ALL birthing persons and families. There are so many ways to make a family and become a parent, and I stand in support of them all.
WHAT DOES "LALALOU" MEAN?
My mum brought me into the world on Thanksgiving Day during a blizzard in an unplanned cesarean birth. Three years almost to the day later, she fought for her rights as a birthing person and my brother Luke joined us in an unmedicated VBAC. (This was in the 80s, so, HELLO, ROCKSTAR.)
Some of my earliest memories are of my dad playing the piano and my parents singing Lalalu, the lullaby from Lady and the Tramp, to the two of us. As a little kid, Luke couldn't pronounce Olivia, so he called me Lala and I've always called him Lou. My parents and brother have been my best friends for my whole life, and their support of me becoming a doula has been deep and true. My doula practice is named in their honor with my gratitude and love.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Advanced Doula Training on Severe Lacerations (Birth Matters NYC)
Slow Doula Method course (DTI)
Comforting Touch for Doulas (Yiska Obadia)
Getting Breastmilk to Baby in the First 24 Hours (Birth Smarter)
Pilates for Your Privates & Pelvic Floor Health (Alissa Alter and Ryanne Glasper, CPT)
Holistic Newborn Care (Manhattan Birth)
Breastfeeding Basics (Manhattan Birth)
constant self-guided learning and reading
CONTACT
I'd love to connect in a no-strings-attached, no cost, getting to know you session. I look forward to hearing from you, and you'll hear back from me within 24 hours (unless I'm at a birth, of course!).
