Welcome!

Welcome to New Creation Doula Services! I am currently taking new clients. I was a full time doula for about 8 years, then took a 'break' for a few years while raising my own baby. Now that he's in school I'm back to taking doula clients on a part-time basis.

I have posted a lot of information for current and prospective clients to use. Take some time to look around. Feel free to call or email me with any questions, or to set up an initial meeting.

I have geared this website towards expecting mothers, so keep that in mind as you read. Please read more about doulas, my services, and birth photography by clicking on topics under "More Information..." in the sidebar. Topics include:

• What Is a Doula?
• Why Should I Have a Doula?
• What Does a Doula Do?
• My Birth Philosophy
• Birth Doula Services
• What Our Meetings Cover
• What My Clients Say
• Birth Photography Services

I'll share a little about me...
I, myself, was born at Shawnee Mission Medical Center back when there were no professional doulas! I grew up in several different suburbs of Kansas City, and graduated from high school at Kansas City Christian Academy.

My husband and I had our son in 2007. We took Bradley Method classes and planned a hospital birth due to some health complications of mine. I had a wonderful 22 hour labor, 18 hours of which were spent at home with family and our doula (of course!). I arrived at the hospital just as I started transition, pushed for about an hour and birthed our baby completely naturally. For me, it was the best of both worlds... despite my health complications, I had the closest thing to a homebirth in a hospital setting. I feel like I experienced a completely natural birth and a hospital birth at the same time! I breastfed the little guy for almost three years, so I love helping women learn to breastfeed successfully.

I have a B.S. in Dietetics and a B.S. in Public Health Nutrition from Kansas State University. I also studied medicinal herbs at PrairieWise Herbal School here in Kansas City for over a year. I like to incorporate my nutrition and herbal education into pregnancy, labor and postpartum care when appropriate.

I love gardening and growing all sorts of interesting vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs organically. I enjoy reading about birth, labor, sustainable living, herbalism, farming, animals, organics, food, and now parenting and education. I also homeschool our three boys so it keeps me busy on a daily basis! I'm definitely a country girl stuck in the city! I like cooking, creating new recipes, eating at authentic ethnic restaurants, knitting and traveling.

I own Kansas City's oldest cloth diaper store, Teeny Greeny, which I started in 2008. We carry natural and eco-friendly baby products like cloth diapers, organic mattresses, custom made ring slings, safe feeding supplies, nursing supplies and wood toys. I have two locations in Overland Park, and I teach cloth diapering classes so ask me if you're interested!

I became a Certified Birth Doula through DONA International in 2004, while pursuing my passion for natural health and realizing my desire to support pregnant and laboring women. I provide emotional, physical and informational support to you during the entire birth process. My goals at your birth are that I support you in all your decisions, that you and your baby are healthy, and that you have a positive memory of your day.

I believe that God created women’s bodies with the awesome, unique ability to give birth, and I love assisting families through this experience. I have seen God carry me through difficult health issues of my own and chose Psalm 139:13-16 as my life verses back in high school. Amazing how well these also relate to my profession as a doula!

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

What Is a Doula?

A doula is a professionally trained woman who is knowledgeable about pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care.

A doula works in cooperation with the mother’s “team” including the doctors, nurses, midwives, partner and family. She does not replace anyone else on the birth team.

She is educated about the emotional and physiological changes that occur during pregnancy and labor and can inform you when making decisions about your birth.

A doula believes that childbirth is a normal, healthy process for a woman’s body and seeks to preserve that process during labor.

She is an advocate for you and your birth preferences. Anyone can use a doula, whether you want a natural birth, medical interventions or a Cesarean.

Why Should I Have a Doula?

In recent studies*, the presence of a doula in the labor and delivery room has been shown to decrease:

• Cesarean section rates by 40%
• Length of labor by 25%
• Epidural requests by up to 60%
• Use of pain medication by 31%
• Forceps deliveries by 34%
• Use of oxytocin by 50%

In addition to those amazing benefits, there are others:

• Having a doula gives you a better chance at having the type of birth experience you want.
• Women with doulas have an overall better perception and memory of their births afterward.
• Your medical expenses may be decreased.
• Parent-infant bonding and nursing are enhanced.
• Postpartum depression is less common and self-esteem and confidence are higher.
• Satisfaction with your partner may be significantly increased after the birth.

*Klaus MH, Kennell JH, Klaus PH. The Doula Book. 2nd Ed. Persus Publishing. 2002. p 98

What Does a Doula Do?

Your doula will provide you and your partner with continuous care, support and encouragement throughout labor and delivery. Specifically, she will provide:

• Prenatal home visits
• Assistance when writing a birth plan
• An objective viewpoint and information about labor and delivery choices
• Suggestions to ease discomfort in pregnancy
• Continuous emotional and physical support throughout the entire labor and birth unlike most nurses, midwives or doctors
• Suggestions and physical assistance for pain management and relaxation techniques during labor such as body positioning, massage, aromatherapy, using a birth ball, hydrotherapy, breathing and focusing, which will help speed labor and prevent unnecessary interventions
• Explanations of medical procedures and terms to help you make informed decisions
• Clear communication between you, your partner and the medical staff
• Comfort and reassurance to your partner so he or she can better love & encourage you
• Postpartum home visits and help
• Breastfeeding support and resources

My Birth Philosophy

My view of birth, as a whole, is that God has created women's bodies with the ability to give birth, and I believe that we are fully capable of giving birth naturally (with a few medical exceptions of course). I love seeing women empowered by the natural birth experience, realizing their abilities, and being fully active in the process.

Our society has medicalized the whole process and views pregnancy as an illness that needs to be treated and messed with. I believe that most of the time, women are able to go through labor without any sort of medical treatment, and the result is the miracle of birth! It's truly an amazing experience!

Having said that, I do not think medicine or interventions are bad or wrong (think how many lives have been saved!), but usually just unnecessary. I fully support any decisions you make prior to or during the birth.

During the birth I feel my role is to help you stick to your birth plan as much as possible, but ultimately support you in your choices. If you go into the birth saying you prefer natural, but might want some pain medicine, I will probably guide you by saying, "Why don't we try one more position first," or, "Let's give it 30 more minutes before we try an epidural." Then if you choose pain medicine, I'll encourage you to look at the positives of that, instead of letting you feel guilty.

My goal is facilitate the best birth experience possible for your situation. This means that I help guide you, based on our discussions, as you make decisions during the birth process, and help you have a positive memory of the whole day. Rarely will a birth stay completely as outlined in a birth plan, but if you have a good experience, and good memory of the day, and feel confident that you did the right thing, and above all, you and the baby are healthy, then it is a success!

Another big emphasis for me is to make sure I am involving your partner (whether husband, friend or mom etc.) in the birth as much as possible. This is a day for the two of you to remember, long after I am out of the picture. I want you to be happy with what he is doing for you, and I want him to feel like he is involved and doing the right thing at the right time. Sure, you will probably take birthing classes, but neither of you will remember all the details when it comes down to it.

I like to coach the dad as to what is helpful during each stage of labor, and what is not, so that the two of you can focus on what is happening... the birth of your child! Instead of focusing on being stressed or upset with each other. I have found that my presence at a birth relieves the dads and family's pressure as much as the mom's since they do not have to carry the full burden of responsibility alone. (See Dads and Birth Doulas)

Also, most people do not realize that your doctor will not be there the whole time, if they are there at all, which ultimately means you will be laboring alone with your partner, with an unfamiliar nurse in and out. Having a doula there is guaranteeing that you will have someone there who you know and trust to help guide you through the process.

Birth Doula Services

My Birth Doula Package Includes:

• Initial interview / consultation - up to 1 hour (free)
• 1-2 prenatal meetings
• Full doula attendance at labor and birth, up to 2 hours after birth
• 1 postpartum home visit
• On call 24/7 for two weeks before and after your due date
• Backup doula services for any times I am unavailable

My fee for birth doula services is $850. To reserve me as your doula, I ask for half of the fee paid as a deposit, and the other half is due by the postpartum visit. In some cases, price negotiation, payment plans or trading of services may be acceptable. Please do not let money keep you from having a doula!

What Our Meetings Cover

At the prenatal meetings I like to discuss your preferences for your birth, help you write a birth plan, and discuss what comfort measures may work for you including:

• Aromatherapy
• Massage
• Oils or lotion
• Touch
• Hydrotherapy
• Hot or cold use
• Music
• Lighting
• Encouragement
• Positioning
• Directed thoughts
• Food and drink
• Using a birth ball
• Coping strategies
• Likes and dislikes

We will talk about pre-labor preparation (stretches, nutrition, teas, etc.), your pain tolerance and level of desire for pain meds or natural birth, and discuss pros and cons of any medical procedures you may be considering. I like to practice a few positions for labor.

I also have a large book of collected resources that I loan out to my clients... everything from local nursing shops to breastfeeding support to cord blood banking. This can help you find information you need.

I have a lending library of pregnancy and birth books and DVDs that you are welcome to borrow between our meetings.

I make one postpartum home visit to check up with you, answer questions about baby or the birth, help with breastfeeding or baby care, and also to review your memory of your birth experience.

What My Clients Say

“Heather's quiet support enabled my husband and me to work together as a united team when my son was born. My husband and I would slow-dance while Heather massaged my back; what a great combination! With their constant support, I was able to get through labor with no pain meds, and it really helped my husband and me bond as we got ready to meet our new baby!”
Rachel Andresen
(2nd birth with Heather as our doula)

"I connected with Heather from our first prenatal meeting. She has a very peaceful and confident attitude which is what I was looking for to ensure a positive atmosphere at my daughter's birth. I homebirthed, and it was wonderful to have Heather show up in the midst of my labor and immediately help me with contractions, offer encouragement, and assist me with whatever I needed. She was a blessing to my husband and me. She also takes wonderful pictures!"
Alexis Losey
(1st birth - home/water birth)

"I can't say enough about how much Heather helped me at my birth. She helped in many ways, but most importantly, she helped me not lose hope when things looked dark. Her arrival really was the moment that turned that downhill situation around. And we now have a wonderful birth to remember, as well as a wonderful baby who got all the benefits of a natural birth."
Linda Wilson
(1st birth)
Read the rest of Linda's story here: Birth Story and Testimony to Doula Care by Linda Wilson.

"Heather was very calm and effective."
Grandmother at the birth of her first grandchild

"Heather is a compassionate, strong, knowledgeable, calm, soft-hearted person. She is great at finding out what you need, how you need it, when you need it. She helps make your birthing experience go the way you would like it to, with wise advice. And, if you want resources, she's got them!"
Merah Wright
(1st birth - birth at a birth center)

"Just Heather's presence at our son's birth was such a big comfort. I know at times there wasn't a lot she could do (since I wasn't allowed out of bed!), but trust me, she really did help. She helped make it a special and relaxing experience. We really appreciated all she did, and it meant a lot to us that she was there."
Ashley Gibson
(2nd birth)

Birth Photography Services

My Birth Photography Services Include:

• Consultation to discuss what types of pictures you would like taken at your birth
• Plenty of pictures taken during your labor and birth
• 20-30 photos printed as 4x6 size prints
• All original photos are put onto a CD for you in jpg format
• Prints and digital CD are given to you at your postpartum meeting

Reasons to Have a Birth Photographer:

• Capture once-in-a-lifetime moments.
• Preserve the memory of your birth for yourself, your baby, and friends and family.
• Get quality photos for albums and baby books without having to worry about taking them during labor and birth.
• Free your partner and family to focus on you during labor and birth.
• Include all of the important people in the photos!
• All printing is done for you and delivered to you, so you can stay home after the baby comes.
• Remember: you can always throw away or delete any photo you do not want to keep, but you cannot go back and preserve those moments after they happen!

Reasons to Have Your Doula Be Your Photographer:

• She will already be on-call and present for your birth.
• It is one less person in the room, and one less person to call when you go into labor.
• As a health professional, she will be more accepted by the medical staff.
• She is familiar with and trained in the process of birth, so she will know when it is okay to take a photo, and when it is not.
• The main action of the day is the actual birth and events surrounding it (for about 15-20 minutes) ~ during this time the medical staff is doing most of the work with the mom and baby, so it is a perfect time for the doula to be taking photos.

Photography Notes:

• My fee for birth photography is $150 if you are using me as your doula also, or $400 if you are just hiring me for birth photography (due to being on-call for your birth). Both prices include printing photos and original jpeg files on a CD.
• I have an album for viewing photos that I have taken at births. Please ask me to bring it to a prenatal meeting if you are interested in photography services.
• I use a digital SLR camera, and I will give you digital copies on CD, in jpg format, of all pictures taken.
• I prefer to print the photos in black and white for births, due to the nature of the event. I find that it is easier to focus on the subject (baby, parents) when the colors are not distracting (nurses clothing, blood, etc.). We can discuss whether you would like your photos printed in color or black and white.
• Photos taken at your birth will not be used anywhere without your permission.