Below are some of the services that we offer. To meet the women who work in a collaborative effort as independent contractors with Labor of Love, click on Meet Us.

Sometimes people ask if they don't take the childbirth class, could they benefit from labor doula services. The services are separate entities and offer benefits alone or in conjunction with other services. So, if you are taking classes elsewhere but are interested in labor doula services, let us know. If you are desiring a postpartum doula, but do not want any prenatal services, that is also fine. View these services separately or in combination, whatever works for you and your needs.

Labor Doula Services
Birthing in Awareness Childbirth Education Classes
Antepartum and Postpartum Doula Services
Lactation Services
Massage Services
Belly Casting/Maternity Photography

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Our Labor Doula Services:

We are available for unlimited telephone and email support throughout pregnancy.

• We offer prenatal meetings- one minimum, usually two to discuss your birth ideals and to get to know each other more.
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• We provide unlimited labor support- one fee no matter how long your labor may be. Usually we will attend you during early labor in your home, depending on location and distance to the hospital.
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• We offer massage, guided imagery, some reflexology, position suggestions, and guidance during labor.
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• We take photographs and write a birth story for your review after the birth.
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• We stay an hour or so after the birth to assist with breastfeeding. Most of our doulas have personal breastfeeding experience to share with you in helping you also breastfeed successfully. We offer a postpartum meeting to help you with any problems and for the doula to see "her baby," once you are ready to get out and about.
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• We back each other up in case of an emergency that does not allow us to attend your birth, but you choose your primary doula.

Our labor doula fees range from $450 for less experienced doulas to $650 for a more experienced doula and is all inclusive of the services above. To see more about our fees, click here. It is paid by initial retainer of $200 and the balance being due two weeks before your due date. We also offer payment plans.

Read about our apprentice program here.

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Birthing In Awareness Childbirth Education Classes:

Our classes are based on our training with Pam England and her book, Birthing From Within. (You can read more about her method at her web site- www.birthingfromwithin.com ). They are open for non- doula clients as well as doula clients. Both hospital and home birthers are welcomed.

Our classes are held for six consecutive weeks. Teresa teaches on Saturday mornings from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. We limit our class size to keep it intimate and personal. There are two classes that are taught quarterly in addition to the consecutive classes. They are infant massage and preparing for parenthood.

Teresa teaches the classes at 2100 Riverside Parkway, in the Mail and Business Store off or Riverside Parkway near 316 in Lawrenceville. It is easily accessible from I-85 and 316.

Each childbirth class offers three components: learning to listen to your instinctive voice; a holistic, basic childbirth information unit; and techniques to build a pain-coping mindset.

This is ideally a couples' class, but we are glad to accommodate mothers who attend without a birth partner. We usually have an apprentice attending each series who can stand in as a mother's birth partner during class .

No children can attend, since they are a cute distraction and would interfere with your ability to learn.

You will receive ~18 hours of instruction for $165. For information regarding the curriculum of these classes click on the Birthing In Awareness link. We now also offer private classes in your home. The full program which includes four modules is at a cost of $190.

We provide other classes outside of these classes . Birthing Again classes are sometimes available as well. The series curriculum can be viewed on the class link. This series is only four weeks and can act as a refresher type class at a cost of only $85. And the two postpartum classes can be taken in addition to the four weeks at no additional cost. Contact Teresa if you are interested in learning more about them.

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Antepartum and Postpartum Doula Services:

Antepartum or postpartum doulas are "mother's helpers." Their role is to "mother the mother." For women who are restricted to bed rest before the baby comes, assistance may be needed. And many times our own mothers cannot come to us after a birth. Or perhaps they can only come for a short time to help us during the adjustment period. A postpartum doula acts as the person who fills in at this time.

She is knowledgeable about bed rest situations, new babies, breastfeeding, newborn care and learning to meet your baby's needs as well as your needs. You may need education before the baby arrives and she can offer this or assist you in arranging to have an educator come to offer private classes while you are on bedrest. She can assist you in learning how to bathe, massage, feed, and care for the baby. She knows comfort measures and safety issues as well as swaddling and more.

In the antepartum period, her job is to take care of the needs of the mom who is restricted in the activities that most moms are able to accomplish. After the baby comes, the postpartum doula does not take over the care of the baby. Her job is to help the new mom to learn how to do this herself. Although, during naps she will take care of the infant so you can get those much needed naps.

She also takes care of the mom. Doulas do light housekeeping, errand running and cooking. Her role is to help make this waiting period for the anticipating mom and the adjustment period after the baby's arrival, one that will be as smooth as possible.

A list of things an antepartum and postpartum doula may do is:

• provide emotional support
• help parent infant bonding
• assist and demonstrate infant care
• provide relaxation
• accompany mother and baby to appointments and outings
• take care of household tasks
• prepare nutritious meals and snacks
• listen and honor your birth experience
• support and encourage new parents
• help and teach feeding techniques
• provide encouragement and support for breastfeeding
• help tend to and support siblings of the new baby
• provide comfort measures and light massage
• answer phone calls and field visitors
• provide mother with freedom and help
• run errands and shopping as needed
• cleans dishes, tidies the home- doing minor chores &laundry
• respects your confidentiality

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Lactation Services:

We now have several certified lactation consultants available to assist in this area. They are trained and specialize in helping to get a mom and baby nursing happily. They come to your home for an initial visit to help ascertain how to best help you establish a wonderful nursing relationship with your new baby. This cost begins at $125. This initial visit allows some follow ups by phone and if additional appointments are needed they can be determined from there. We also have certified lactation educators who can assist in less critical ways to help get breastfeeding off to a good start.

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Massage Services:

Amy Holaday, Vikki Clark and Regina Elvis are certified massage therapists that Labor of Love uses and is thrilled with. They have been massaging pregnant women for a number of years and understand the needs and concerns of women in all stages of their pregnancy. They have their own studio where you go to get a wonderful massage.

To understand all of the benefits to pregnancy massage, here is a wonderful link that shares the benefits as well as the contraindications for pregnancy massage, http://www.healthychild.com/database/pregnancy_massage.htm

Labor of love offers a home visit rate for a personal massage. There is nothing better than having a massage therapist come to your home where afterwards you can curl up on your sofa or slip into your bed. The hustle and bustle of driving in traffic home is removed. You can choose an individual massage of an hour length or you can choose a package of massages to be done prenatally and saving some for after the birth. All packages are prepaid at the time of scheduling your initial massage. But if you get a massage and decide to add the package at that time, you can certainly do so.

If you choose to go to the massage therapists studios, please let them know we referred you to them. They love working with our clients and many times can work you in a bit quicker if you drop our name! If you want a personal in home visit, you can contact Amy who is in the metro area of Atlanta at 404-931-2639. Vikki is in a burb near Athens and can be reached at 779-725-6810. Regina is in her Gwinnett studio and can be reached at 770-366-9438.

For more information regarding massages, contact Teresa Howard at 770-923-6914 or email us at teresa@alaboroflove.org.

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Belly Casting and Photography:

Teresa began doing belly casting with some of her clients for fun and for a memorial of their pregnant profiles! But over time the artistic side of her came to find it enjoyable and something more people were interested in doing. So, it has been added to the list of services we offer.

Preserve a memory of your belly when it was about to bear the fruit of your child in an artful form! A basic casting is $80, a casting and full decoration of the finished cast begins at $160. Take a look at some of our castings by clicking on the image at the left of this paragraph.

Tracey Bond and Julie Moon offer pregnancy and maternity photography services. The prices depend on location and what services you desire.

If you are interested in scheduling a belly casting, maternity photo shoot, or would like to discuss the idea more with me, contact me at teresa@alaboroflove.org . Or call me at 770-923-6914. Thanks!

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