Ep. 22: How is a Doula like a Sherpa for child birth? with Katie Hope

Have you heard of a Doula before? Did you know you have options to you when you are delivering and there are ways to help you feel safe, heard and calm during a pregnancy that you may not have known. Katie Hope is dedicated labor doula and a childbirth educator with 20 years of experience providing personal and professional care. She is passionate about evidence-based information and informed consent for all birthing people. A mother of three and former nationally certified massage therapist she became interested in doulas and all things birth after her first pregnancy in 1999.  She now provides virtual consultations and childbirth education to pregnant people around the U.S and provides doula support for the birthing people of Delaware.  Katie believes education and doula services improve the birthing experience not only for people desiring to have a natural birth, but also for those planning on a medically managed birth, home-birth, VBAC, or planned cesarean. She is a certified Lamaze childbirth educator and DONA doula living in southern Delaware where she loves spending time with her family and friends on the beach, hiking in the state parks, and traveling. In this episode Melissa and Katie discuss: *How Katie got into being a doula and child birth educator *What is a Doula? *What are the differences between an OB, Nurse Midwife, Lay-Midwife and Doula *Katie shares some of her techniques to help women stay calm during birth *The #1 thing she hears is that women have conflicting information. She tries to provide information not as judgement on what you decide to chose. *How to shift how you ask questions to someone in labor so that they can stay in the zone with their body and breathing. What do you need? Vs Offer something. Would you like….or …? *Postpartum mood and anxiety disorders *Self-reflection of what is important to me…there is no everybody, there is specifically you and what is important to you *You have the right to say no thank you If you are looking for a community of amazing mommas and would love support and encouragement, join our FB group and share what you gained, learned, felt in this episode. Free Reawakened Mom FB Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/reawakenedmom You can find Melissa at: FB https://www.facebook.com/mclampitt/ IG https://www.instagram.com/melissa.clampitt/ You can find Katie at: http://www.delawaredoula.net https://www.facebook.com/KatieDelawareDoula TWTR @KWDelawareDoula https://www.instagram.com/delawaredoula/ Enjoy the conversation!