Birth Doula

Conception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum are not just physical events. They are deeply emotional and have a permanent imprint on everyone’s lives, which means great care needs to be taken during these precious and sacred journeys. A doula is a valuable member of your birth team, who is the only one focused on this important aspect of becoming a parent, offering loving support and guidance without judgement.

Doula support during pregnancy can help ease anxieties when the “what ifs” start coming up, without spending hours searching the internet and being left confused more than ever. Your doula will remind you of all your options and help you make informed decisions that feel right for your family.

In labor your doula will offer physical support in the form of comfort techniques, positions to progress labor, and allowing your partner to rest and take care of themselves so they can better take care of YOU. Your doula is also there to offer informational support, helping you to feel more confident about each part of your birthing journey. Above all else, your doula will hold space for the energetic transformation that occurs when a new family is born, so that each person can feel safe and supported.

Research shows that continuous labor support from a doula can decrease the risk of cesareans, risk of low APGAR scores, reduce need for pain medication, reduce need for Pitocin, shorten labor, and increase satisfaction with the birth experience. (source: Evidence Based Birth)

“Birth is a physiological and sacred process. I believe it needs to be treated with reverence from conception all the way to postpartum”

— tema mercado

Welcoming Baby Paloma at Hoag Irvine Hospital

Welcoming Baby rex (home birth transfer)

Supporting YOUR intuitive birth

With over 10 years experience in birthwork, my passion for supporting families as their doula only continues to grow. Welcoming a baby into a family is something that requires calm and consistent support, which is something I take great pride in as it’s a huge honor to be invited into that space! I make an effort to meet parents where they are without judgement, and share my expertise only to help guide their own intuition.

BIRTH DOULA SUPPORT package inclusions:

Ongoing phone/email support throughout pregnancy & postpartum
2-4 in person prenatal visits at your home (or wherever you feel most comfortable) to go over labor prep, create a birth plan, have live hypnosis sessions, review comfort measures, and plan for postpartum
On call 24/7 from 38 weeks until baby arrives
Continuous labor support at onset; first over phone and then in person, until a couple hours after baby arrives
Sleep mask for relaxation practice and labor
Free attendance to all Peaceful Pregnancy Circles
1 postpartum visit to process birth, offer support & resources, answer questions
Backup doulas available in case of personal emergency

In addition to these, you gain access to my extensive high quality referral list for other services such as postpartum support, massage therapy, energy healing, placenta encapsulation, lactation support, and more!

If I’m not available for your due date or not a good fit for any reason, I will match you with another doula I work closely with in the community.

about nicolle