World Doula Week 2023 is here!!

World Doula Week is March 22-28th.  Kicking off on World Doula Day, the goal of World Doula Week is to showcase the impact that birth and postpartum doulas have on the physiological, social, emotional, and psychological health of women, newborns and families in the postpartum period.

Doulas are non-medical professionals who provide informational, educational and physical support during pregnancy, labor & birth and for the first 12 weeks of the postpartum period.

Benefits of the presence of doulas in birth and in the postpartum period: Reduces the incidence of c-sections May shorten the length of labor Reduces epidural and analgesic requests Increases breastfeeding initiation and continuation Increases mother’s satisfaction of birth experience Can reduce the incidence of postpartum mood disorders Increases new parents’ confidence in the care of their newborn

Your Body Your Birth Doula & Childbirth Education Services provides birth/postpartum doula support to Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex County families and is now taking inquiries! You can learn more here www.yourbodyyourbirthdoulaservices.com

Throughout history, women have supported each other during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. In today’s society of scattered friends and families, doulas fill this vital role of support for the people birthing the next generation.  Families in Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex County have benefited from working with Carla at Your Body Your Birth Doula & Childbirth Education Services since 2015!!
Hera is a beautiful testimony from a client... “My name is Conner R., and I am mother to a beautiful boy named Hunter. My dear friend Carla Ward was with me through every step of my pregnancy, and even four years later, still coaches me through motherhood with my toddler. While I was pregnant, I was working full time and found it difficult to manage normal pregnancy events. Carla helped me through the process by going to my OBGYN appointments with me and helping me figure out the next step I wanted to take. This helped greatly with my anxiety in general, as well as being a new mom and not having a lot of family around at the time. Her presence, coaching, and emotional support at that time was, and still is, invaluable to me and to my husband. Although I had planned for a non-medicated, vaginal birth, as per Carla’s sage advice, not everything went as planned, and together we went to St. Peter’s in New Brunswick so that I could be induced. As before, Carla was with me for every step and doctor, explaining the process and translating to me what needed to happen when and for what reason. She honored all of my requests to the best of her abilities, whether it was bouncing on the ball during painful contractions or finally getting that very-much-needed epidural and sleeping peacefully… for me at least. She was the perfect ambassador between me and the hospital doctors. Carla also guided my husband through his role and responsibilities as well. She coached him on how to help me when she was on her way over, she also reached out to him for updates when I was unavailable. While we were in the hospital, they were able to come up with a plan for post-partum care that we were confident in following through. After Hunter was born, she coached me on how to nurse him and most importantly, on self-care and how I can be healthy and active after the birth. She even brought my best friends and a special cake to have a quiet party to celebrate Hunters first day Earth-side. Carla continued to guide my husband and I through many of the ups and down that first-time parents go through: coughs and colds, allergies, falls, spills and everything related to having a child. Without her, I would have been up a creek without a paddle. I was able to entrust my childbirth experience to Carla because she is skilled, competent, and most importantly, she cares. She cares that each woman has not only a safe and healthy childbirth, but a genuinely fulfilling experience. She is educated in the matters of child birthing, as well as post-partum care and what needs to happen in order to have a truly meaningful child birth experience. She also has the understanding of what it takes to see women through such an ordeal. She is calm and level-headed, as well as tender and devoted to her passion. I am truly grateful for her and satisfied with all of my memories of bringing my son into this world knowing that I relied on her.”

Having a baby is one of life’s biggest transitions and greatest joys. However, many parents find themselves feeling extremely isolated and overwhelmed during pregnancy and the postpartum period after the initial excitement has subsided.
Hiring a doula can help reverse those feelings and provide the support that new families need to instead have a pregnancy and postpartum period that is filled with feelings of contentment and empowerment.

In honor of World Doula Week, here are the top 4 benefits of hiring a doula: 
*Non-judgmental support - a doula does not come in with specific birthing plan or parenting style. Doulas do not push a specific ways of doing things. A doula is there to help you come up with your own birth plan and parenting style. She’ll help you figure out what feels right for your family.
Doulas are also expert listeners who have no baggage of a family history with you.
*More enjoyable maternity leave – doulas help ease the transition for new parents. Having a baby is a major life change. Doulas are there to calmly support you through the shift and help you focus on enjoying it, rather than muddling through it alone.
*Expert advice – your doula can share what works for other families, and other ideas and tips based on her training and experience, IF YOU ASK. It’s so wonderful to have all your questions answered as you go instead of relying on Google.
*Decreased risk of postpartum depression & anxiety – research has shown that new mothers who feel supported tend to report less problems with postpartum mental health.

​Your Body Your Birth Doula & Childbirth Education Services helps new families in Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex Counties, NJ by providing birth doula support , childbirth education classes, CPR training, and Reiki Healing. Contact Carla today at carla@yourbodyyourbirthdoulaservices.com or call
732-598-6468 to learn more.