It has been my deep honour to attend families of all kinds during this incredibly enriching and transformative time in their life's journey: the welcoming of a new soul to the community of earth.
The very first time I watched a woman become a mother and a man become a father was in the reception room of an orphanage in a small industrial town in outback China.
I had always had mixed feelings about international adoptions, but as a volunteer nurse, I witnessed an amazing thing. During my obstetric nursing training, I knew about hormones and oxytocin and all the physiology of bonding.
What I witnessed in the room that day was spiritual.
There was nothing particularly symbolic, no special procedure, no standing on ceremony. After days and weeks of endless delay and beaurocracy, quite summarily, a nurse entered the room, crossed the floor and simply placed 'Baby Apple' into the arms of the adoptive mother.
Suddenly, her eyes were streaming with tears. The father's arms encircled mother and baby, hovering protectively, blinking his eyes to focus through a curtain of his own tears. The little girl gazed up into the eyes of her new mama and they both seemed to drink each other in.
The callow young woman that I was stared in amazement.
I'd seen this in labour wards.
I'd seen the two become three, I'd seen hearts knitted together with the ties that bind.
This experience, more than anything, revealed to me the spiritual and emotional aspects of birth are at least as important as the physiological.
However parenthood comes to you, and whatever type of family you form, blend and create, as your doula, I honour the miracle of love that brought you together, the twists and turns of the road that brought you to here, and it is the absolute privilege of my life to support you, serve you, and bear witness to your own sacred journey.
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INITIAL VISIT $100
This is your chance for you to interview me and ask any questions, and for us to get to know each other.
FREE if you travel to me.
$100.00 if I travel to you.
This $100.00 is deducted from the total fee if you elect to engage me as your Doula.
DELUXE BIRTH PACKAGE $2800.00
* Labour and Birth Support plus 4 pre and post natal visits
* Herbalist Consultation (worth $85.00)
* Blissful Herbs products for your pregnancy, birth & babymoon to the value of $200.00
* Use of Birth Pool in a Box Professional birth pool, including new liner, worth $100.00
* Post Natal Bliss bath ceremony, prepared by your doula, with herbs, flowers, candles, music and your baby brought to you in the bath
* Post-partum nourishing meal, prepared by your doula
* Post-partum berry & placenta smoothie, if desired
* Care of the placenta per your instructions (excluding placenta encapsulation)
* Rebozo "closing ceremony"
DOULA 'VACATION' $2800
If you live up-country, my preference is to come to your neck of the woods and hang out when you think you are getting early signs of labour commencing.
I will then stay in the vicinity and wait until you call on me to come to attend you in birth.
I would then sleep over, and provide a day of post natal care afterwards.
The cost for this service stays the same: $2800, and covers the cost of my petrol within Victoria.
I would appreciate you helping me out with accommodation - a spare room at yours or at a friend's house nearby is perfectly fine.
If I need to travel via plane or PT, these costs would need to be covered by the birthing family.
I live in Warburton 3799, and have gone on "doula vacation" trips to support birthing families in Bendigo, Warragul, Ballarat, Shepparton, Daylesford, Wangaratta and Gippsland, so far!
If you think having a Doula will be a helpful addition to your birth team, I would be delighted to hear from you.
Phone me on 0432 105 162, or email melbournedoula@bigpond.com
MORE INFORMATION, & LINKS TO HELPFUL BIRTH INFORMATION, HERE AT MY BLOG: melbournedoula@blogspot.com