Birth Doula Services
Birth is an essential transformative experience - a baby is born, and so is a mother, a parent, a family. As a doula, I accompany and support families as they pass through the transformation of birth with the love, respect, acceptance, information, and autonomy that all families deserve. Each birth takes its own course, and I strive to help birthing people and their families prepare to navigate the unknown waters of birth in a way that resonates with the core of their being and desires. With a background in science, I am versed in evidence-based birth, while at the same time I deeply treasure the magic and unexpected gifts that every birth offers us. I have a passion for art and song that I love to weave into my doula practice as well - birth is incredibly rich.
I offer:
3 prenatal visits to develop your vision for your birth, define birth preferences, answer questions and provide supplemental information, address fears, practice comfort measures and labor positions, discuss postpartum topics, help your partner (if you have one) learn how to support you, and additional topics
Availability throughout by text/email/phone to address any questions or provide additional resources
Optional guided art-based practices
A due date walk together if you reach that point, to discuss topics that often come up at this time
On-call for continuous support during your labor until baby is born and ~2 hours after your birth
2 postpartum visits to support transition to home and nursing/feeding, address any postpartum needs or concerns, and explore how you are integrating the experience.
Additional postpartum doula services for interested birth clients can be discussed
Training/Education
Before becoming a mother, I had essentially no exposure to birth. I was open to having children but had no real conception of myself in pregnancy, giving birth, or as a mother. I was truly surprised by the experience and in awe of what my body could do. Becoming a mother cracked me open in positive ways I had never imagined. I feel strongly that experiences in pregnancy and birth can set the tone for early mother/parenthood, and consequently have ripple effects throughout the family, community, and society. I loved the birth zone and signed up for a doula training after the birth of my third child just to spend more time in it, and turns out, that’s where I wanted to stay.
Certified Birth Doula - Natural Resources San Francisco
Racism and Privilege in Birth Work - Sabia Wade
Postpartum Doula training - Cornerstone (in progress)
Birth Story Listener training - Birth Story School with Pam England
Spinning Babies Workshop - Gail Tully
Volunteer birth doula - Zuckerberg SF General Hospital (2020-present)
Homebirth for Birthworkers - Cornerstone
Experience supporting hospital births and home births
PhD - Organic Chemistry - Caltech (2006)
Additional languages: French, German, some Spanish
Birth Story Listening
Have you experienced or witnessed a birth that was difficult, disappointing, or traumatic in some way? Do you have mixed emotions about the birth that feel unresolved? Are you still thinking about that birth, ruminating over it, reviewing the same details, feeling stuck in it or haunted by it, even years later? Are your feelings about that birth (or pregnancy) negatively affecting your experience as a parent? Do you wish to change how you relate to a previous birth before experiencing another? You may benefit from a Birth Story Listening session. Learn more here.
Inquiry Form for Doula Services
Please complete the form for inquiries. If I am available for your birth we can schedule an initial interview to see if we are a good fit
Testimonials
“I am truly not sure how anyone gets through childbirth without someone as calm, experienced, and intentional as Raissa by their side! Raissa was an invaluable part of my birthing experience: both in how she helped my partner and I feel prepared beforehand, and in how she supported us through every stage of labor and delivery, including follow-up visits. She anticipated and took care of our physical and emotional needs over the course of many, many hours, helped us make decisions without judgement or agenda, and worked very effectively with our medical team.”
“Raissa was an amazing doula for the birth of our first child, Xander. She won us over from the introductory call with her calming demeanor and clear passion for the work of supporting birthing families. She was a great source of education prior to birth, asking probing questions to get at the birth experience we wanted to have, following up with numerous resources, and helping us develop a well-thought out birth plan to get there. The three pre-natal visits were invaluable to help us prepare mentally and emotionally and grow comfortable with one another. Raissa was essential in the hospital for the actual birth, helping to navigate and reassure us throughout the process. She helped set up the room to be a more calming setting, advocated for us with hospital staff (which was more needed than we anticipated!) and guided us through the hardest parts of labor with care and kindness. Raissa came to visit our new family of three after the birth to reflect on our experience as well as share delicious and nutritious food. If you’re considering a doula, we strongly support working with one and especially choosing to work with Raissa.”
“Our birth experience and early postpartum time were transformed by Raissa’s compassionate presence and steadfast support. The early part of my labor did not go at all as planned, and Raissa was right there with me as I navigated difficult decisions and struggled to accept our new path. During labor and immediately after our baby’s birth, her support was wide ranging and flexible: she sent reassuring texts to my anxious mother, she brought an unfailingly calm and grounded energy to the room as I weathered the surges, she suggested and facilitated different positions to help me open and bring the baby down, she offered comforting touch and light massage, she pulled my hair back from my face, she consulted with my husband, she gently encouraged me to eat to keep up my energy, she took photos (with our permission) of the triumphant moment when our baby entered the world, she held my hand when our baby needed to be taken to the NICU and my husband went with him, she dutifully packed up all our things so we could easily transition to our postpartum room. Through it all, she was reassuring without ever minimizing the intensity of all we were experiencing. When her in-person duties were over, she followed up frequently via text, checking in on our mental health while our little one received care in the NICU. Once we were home with the baby, she brought nourishing and delicious food and sat with us to begin the process of remembering and integrating the story of our baby’s birth.
I felt so comforted by Raissa’s loving care that I could not imagine parting ways just yet, and we agreed that she would continue to support us with weekly visits. During these times, she asked all the right questions and listened well, never once offering unsolicited advice. She cooked nutritious and warming foods and fostered our developing confidence in our ability to handle the baby and respond to his needs. At a time when we were fairly overwhelmed and without family nearby, Raissa provided the kind of warm and sturdy holding that every new family needs and deserves. We are so lucky to have found her and to have counted on her during the most important moments of our lives!”
“Raissa served as one of our doulas during the global pandemic. My son, Ronan, was born in July 2020, and when the pandemic hit, we changed our birth plan from a hospital birth to a home birth. Raissa has a calm, non-judgmental, and gentle presence. She taught my partner and I several comfort measures to use both before and during labor. She helped me tap into my power by drawing/visualizing what I’d like to experience during my birth. And then of course, she was an incredible support during the labor and birth. She has a quiet and steady presence that centered me during an intense 2 hours of pushing. Even more, she took countless photos and videos during the birth, and her quickness meant she caught the surprising moment our little guy entered the world—a video I’ll treasure for life! She offered us the most tender yet practical postpartum support and makes the best lactation cookies! I highly recommend her as your doula.”
“I would strongly recommend working with Raissa, even if you’re on the fence about whether you even want to work with a Doula at all! I had already done a lot of research/reading and drafted a birth plan before we first met with Raissa (I was already 36 wks at the time), but she still had lots of good complimentary information and exercises to practice. Being aware of one’s individual body’s best birthing positions was quite helpful. I was interested in having an unmedicated birth (if I could), and I knew that having a Doula present improved those chances, so I was grateful we connected.
Raissa well-understood my goals and priorities for labor which helped relieve some of my anxiety about being potentially able to communicate them during the process. She served as a great advocate in communicating with the myriad of medical staff which enabled me to put more focus into riding out the contractions, and having her there enabled my other support people (husband, mom) to take breaks (labor can be long!). We’re now expecting our second, and I would work with Raissa again without hesitation, except that we’re living in another part of the state.”