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
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 $1800.00
* Labour and Birth Support plus 6 pre and post natal visits
* Herbalist Consultation (worth $65.00)
* Blissful Herbs products for your pregnancy, birth & babymoon to the value of $100.00
* 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, followed by a post natal massage
* Post-natal nourishing meal, prepared by your doula and brought to your door
* Post-natal berry & placenta smoothie
* Rebozo "closing ceremony"
COMPLETE BIRTH PACKAGE $1500.00:
* 3 pre-natal consultations, Labour & Birth support, 2 post-natal visits
* Blissful Herbs products for your pregnancy, birth & babymoon to the value of $50.00
‘JUST THE BIRTH' PACKAGE $1200.00:
* 1 pre-natal consultation, Labour & Birth support, 1 post-natal visit
* Blissful Herbs products for your pregnancy, birth & babymoon to the value of $20.00
And now for our amazing discounts!
Earlybird discount:
$100.00 discount if you are able to pay in full prior to the birth.
Please chat to me about payment plans.
Homebirth discount:
$100.00 discount if planning a homebirth, as I am aware you will also be paying for midwifery.
Local Area discount:
$100.00 discount if you live within 30 km of Warburton.
Repeat Customer discount:
$100.00 discount if I have previously served as your doula.
(This means, that, if you live near me, it's your second birth with me, you're having a homebirth, and you are able to complete payment prior to the birth, you could potentially save $400.00 off the total cost!)
All 3 Birth Support Packages include:
* Unlimited phone and email contact
* I am on call 24/7 from 37 weeks until your baby is born
* Use of my extensive lending library (DVDs, books, articles, The Pink Kit)
* Birth ball & birth mat loan
* Birth pool hire - Birth Pool in a Box Professional. Includes hose, tap attachments, pumps etc.You just need to purchase a new liner ($40.00)
* Breastfeeding support, information and resources
* Parenting support, information and resources
* Birth photography
* Birth story
* Back-up Doula, available to meet with you at your request
* Rebozo "closing ceremony" post birth, at your request.
* Information about placenta encapsulation, belly binding etc
* Care of the placenta as per your instructions for freezing, tincture, encapsulation, Lotus Birth etc
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 5966 5980, or email melbournedoula@bigpond.com
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