Full-Spectrum Doula Services.
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In contemporary English a doula is a person who provides support, information, comfort, and advocacy for a person who is pregnant, recently gave birth, is having a miscarriage or an abortion, is in a major life transition (like transitioning gender) or is dying.
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"Biden must reach out to his opponents and garner support to build on the Affordable Care Act, expand Medicaid to reduce uninsured rates among women of childbearing age, and extend maternity coverage to 12 months postpartum. Improving access to midwifery and doula services, and better organization of perinatal care systems at regional levels, will ensure women and infants, especially those in under-served areas, can receive the appropriate level of care. Expanding access to affordable contraception, reproductive health services, and safe abortion, and restoring funding for Planned Parenthood will also be crucial in reducing maternal deaths and morbidity."
-The Lancet, Infant and maternal mortality in the USA, 2021 |
Continuous support for women during childbirth by Meghan A Bohren, G Justus Hofmeyr, Carol Sakala, Rieko K Fukuzawa, Anna CuthbertImpact of doulas on healthy birth outcomes by Kenneth J Gruber et al. J Perinat Educ. 2013 Winter.Most doulas provide support during birth, some post-partum. As a full spectrum doula I am interested in supporting all of life's sacred transitions. So far, I have a DONA training in birth doula'ing. I have however already worked in abortion, miscarriage, post-partum, gender transition and a little end of life. I am currently seeking mentorship around natural gender transition doula-ing, midwifing/doula-ing death, and herbalism that is supportive of natural gender transitions.
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Birth testimonial (excerpts):
"As a physician myself, I was initially unsure if my partner and I needed to have a doula. I figured I knew enough about the birth process after having gone to medical school and rotated through the labor and delivery floor to be enough...but I wasn’t sure what my goals were, so I looked to her to help me figure out my options. I had no idea what kind of preparation we would need...if I wanted a natural birth, and wanted to leave it up to my feelings during labor. I insisted on not really having a plan. Lily, in her amazing way, was able to roll with this. She was also able to give me an unbiased account of various options...I was convinced we definitely needed her as our doula. "
(...)
She helped me stay accountable to myself and also continue to reevaluate my personal plans. She was incredibly communicative and
advocated for me in the most gentle way, and the medical team at the hospital definitely appreciated her presence...she had an amazing way of knowing when to step back and let my partner help with the physical positioning and hand-holding. I’m not sure how she knew when these times were, but she somehow was always exactly where she needed to be. This is definitely a skill of hers.
(...)
Every time I was about to ask for medication she reminded me that I might want to try a different position or consider waiting a few more minutes. She blew up a yoga ball and suggested I try it – I did this several times through the labor at her suggestion and assistance, and every time I did my labor advanced dramatically! This sufficiently took me through the labor without medications – which I was extremely happy with – but I also very much appreciate that if I would have gone the epidural route she would have been supportive as well. "
| Doula Experience |
what should you ask your doula? dona's interview guide for families
Broad strokes of what you can expect if you hire me for transitional support:
$450-1500 sliding scale. I do also provide pro-bono doula services in special cases. If you are interested, download the below forms and fill them out and attach them to an email to me lilysage@me.com with the subject DOULA
- 3 meetings to prepare for the transition,
- support, advocacy, comfort during the transitional process,
- 3 aftercare visits
$450-1500 sliding scale. I do also provide pro-bono doula services in special cases. If you are interested, download the below forms and fill them out and attach them to an email to me lilysage@me.com with the subject DOULA
| Click here to download a birth doula intake form |
| Click here to download the evaluation of birth services form |
This transition tending skill-set is also extends into the realm of officiating weddings, and the priestexx-ing of other liminal events
Part of my transition tending praxis is holding a ritual container, part of that is prayer
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Anarcha Wescott (1828-unknown)
Patron Saint to the survivors and victims of gynecological procedures (especially fistula surgery), forced reproduction, medical experimentation, medical gaslighting, medical racism, misogynoir specific dehumanization, and eugenics.
(Icon by Lily Sage, 2020)
