Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to visit my website and for your interest in learning more about your choices in birth and beyond. My name is Mandy Reimer and I'm a professional Labor Doula and Massage Therapist serving the greater Charleston, South Carolina area.
Doula is a Greek word meaning "servant." It has presently become a term for those who support women and their families in the birth and postpartum period. Doulas love birth and babies and honor this time as an important rite of passage in a family's life.
Birth doulas are trained and experienced in childbirth, although they may or may not have given birth themselves. The doula's role is to provide physical, emotional, and informational support to women and their partners during labor and birth. The doula offers help and advice on comfort measures such as breathing, relaxation, movement and positioning. She also assists families to gather information about the course of their labor and their options. Perhaps the most crucial role of the doula is providing continuous emotional reassurance and comfort. Doulas specialize in non-medical skills and do not perform clinical tasks. Most importantly, doulas do not make decisions for their clients; they do not project their own values and goals onto the laboring woman. The doula's goal is to help the family have a safe and satisfying childbirth as the laboring couple defines it. Doulas approach our role as one to enhance the space of the couple by making you feel more at ease with the process through education, suggesting ways you can support each other throughout the birth process and providing the extra pair of hands so that your precious time together can be spent loving your new baby every step of the way!
Studies confirm the presence of a doula resulted in:
I will not drag you along. I will not leave you alone. I will stand by you and have my hand there for you to hold when you need to. -Author unknown
Doula is a Greek word meaning "servant." It has presently become a term for those who support women and their families in the birth and postpartum period. Doulas love birth and babies and honor this time as an important rite of passage in a family's life.
Birth doulas are trained and experienced in childbirth, although they may or may not have given birth themselves. The doula's role is to provide physical, emotional, and informational support to women and their partners during labor and birth. The doula offers help and advice on comfort measures such as breathing, relaxation, movement and positioning. She also assists families to gather information about the course of their labor and their options. Perhaps the most crucial role of the doula is providing continuous emotional reassurance and comfort. Doulas specialize in non-medical skills and do not perform clinical tasks. Most importantly, doulas do not make decisions for their clients; they do not project their own values and goals onto the laboring woman. The doula's goal is to help the family have a safe and satisfying childbirth as the laboring couple defines it. Doulas approach our role as one to enhance the space of the couple by making you feel more at ease with the process through education, suggesting ways you can support each other throughout the birth process and providing the extra pair of hands so that your precious time together can be spent loving your new baby every step of the way!
Studies confirm the presence of a doula resulted in:
- 50% fewer cesarean deliveries
- 25% decrease in length of labor
- 30% decrease in the use of pain medication and forceps
- 60% decrease in the request for epidurals
- Increase in confidence of the father
- Increased success in breastfeeding
- Greater maternal satisfaction
I will not drag you along. I will not leave you alone. I will stand by you and have my hand there for you to hold when you need to. -Author unknown
