Elemental Beginnings - Adelaide Doula Services
Name: Kelly Harper
Services: Birth Planning & Coaching, Private Childbirth Education Classes, Birth Doula
​Website: http://www.elementalbeginnings.net
Location: All Adelaide metro & hills locations, Mt Barker, Gawler, Flinders Medical Centre, Women's & Children's Hospital, Lyell McEwin Hospital, Ashford, Burnside, Calvary, North Eastern.

Enlightened Birth and Beyond
Name: Edriana King
Services: The Hypnobirthing Australia Positive Birth Program provides expecting mothers and their birth partners with knowledge, tools, techniques, support and preparation for a more positive birth experience.
Website: http://enlightenedbirthandbeyond.com.au
Location: Para Hills West

During pregnancy and birth, one of the biggest decisions you will need to make is who you are going to have supporting you and present in your birth space.  That decision includes the possibility of hiring a doula to provide information, resources, physical comfort and emotional well-being.

Often it is the mums-to-be from around Adelaide who will contact me first.  We'll have a bit of a chat and then they'll take some time to discuss it with their partner.  Sometimes I'll have a chat with the other parent at the same time and often their questions or concerns centre around what role a doula will play.  Will I take over their role?  Why do they need a doula if they have a midwife or obstetrician taking care of them? Why should we invest in a doula when I can support my wife myself?

To help answer these great questions, I thought it might be best to hear from those I have worked with so you can get first-hand information.  I sent out some interview type questions for Dads to answer to hopefully make things easy for them.

Thanks to Simon for being the first Dad to share his thoughts on hiring Elemental Beginnings as their doula.

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1. What were your honest thoughts when Kate first mentioned hiring a doula?  
My first thoughts were very positive. I knew a bit about Doulas before we looked further into it.
I knew that Doulas are quite simply an added set of safe hands who have a lot of experience and knowledge with birth, labouring and after birth care. I knew that having a Doula present before/during and after the birth of our son was always going to be valuable source for us.

2. If you had any initial questions or concerns about working with a doula, what were they?
I had no concerns at all. We had an instant connection with Kelly so I (we) knew it was the right thing to do.

3. Could you talk a little about our work together, both during the birth and before and after, from a partner's perspective?  
Reassurance was the key. This was the first time I was involved in the birth of a child. I was nervous but with all our preparation I was fairly confident. I was nervous that I was going to do or say the wrong thing, especially in labour. Kelly was gentle, and her presence was always felt. She knew when to be involved and when to step back. Her subtle guidance just reassured me that I too was doing a good job.
 

4. If your birth didn't quite go to plan, how did having me there or our prenatal sessions make a difference for you?  
Our plan/preference was to have a home birth, surrounded by love and support instead of machines, bright lights and interference. The labour was very long (24 hours) and our son was a little stuck by the end of it. My wife’s heart rate was getting higher and higher so the midwives called an ambulance. We always knew that our ‘plan’ might not go perfectly so we were prepared for the hospital.
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Having Kelly there, especially after the call was made to go to hospital, made me feel comfortable knowing that this is something that can happen and that everything was going to be ok. She reassured me that this was normal procedure and our midwives had my wife and son's health as their top priority - something that can be forgotten about in the heat of the moment.
 

5. How would you explain a doula to your best mate?  
A Doula is someone who has a lot of experience in childbirth, someone who offers knowledge, comfort and ongoing support with child birth and after care.

6. What is your advice to other dads and partners who may be considering hiring me, now that you've experienced birth with a doula?  
My advice is do it. It is a guarantee that someone will be working with you. Someone who has experience, a safe set of hands, and someone who will help you have a memorable and empowering birthing experience.

During your pregnancy it is common to experience various discomforts such as morning sickness, hemorrhoids, prenatal anxiety and heartburn. You can speak to your doula and ask for recommendations about who to see and of course check with your care provider about your concerns.
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Below is a list of frequently recommended professionals who support pregnant women around Adelaide.

The Little Oak Studio
Redwood Park
Rachel specialises in Maternity, Newborn and Family Photography in her home studio in Redwood Park. She will be launching 'Fresh 48' sessions in hospitals soon too!
www.thelittleoakstudio.com.au

Evolve Chiropractic & Wellbeing
Walkey Heights
​www.evolvechiroadelaide.com.au

Climbing Tree Chiropractic
Chandlers Hill
​Facebook

Lea Papworth Acupuncture
Hilton
www.acufertility.com.au/

Health & Harmony
Gawler
​Facebook

Well2
Norwood
​well2.com.au/

Essence of Yoga
Valley View
essenceofyoga.net.au/

The Yoga Centre
Adelaide
www.theyogacentre.com.au/

Coast Yoga
Glenelg
​www.coastyoga.com.au/

Nest Yoga & Wellbeing
Walkerville
A beautiful boutique studio for pregnancy, postnatal and well woman yoga and chiropractic in the eastern suburbs of Adelaide.  Services include prenatal yoga, mums & bubs yoga, Birth planning, Childbirth education and active birth workshops and chiropractic for pregnancy, postnatal and children
PH: 0431051031
http://nestyogawellbeing.com/


Paediatric & Perinatal Centre
Tusmore
Psychological support for families from pregnancy planning through birth, postnatal and early childhood. We provide evidence based clinical psychology for anyone in this period who could benefit from professional assistance with fertility issues, worry, poor mood, difficulty adjusting to parenthood, traumatic birth, relationship stress in this period, concerns about relationships with baby and everything else!​
www.paediatricperinatal.com.au/

Breathe Stretch Float
1/153 Flinders Street, Adelaide
www.breathestretchfloat.com
We provide flotation therapy, it allows a mother to float in 350 kg Epsom salt and take all the weight from their joints.  We also provide salt therapy and have Adelaide's only salt cave. Salt therapy is very relaxing and is a great drug free way to alleviate symptoms of cough, cold, hay fever, asthma and other respiratory conditions as well as skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis.
Lastly we conduct havening technique a psycho-sensory technique to remove or reduce fears, phobias anxieties and the bodies reaction to traumatic events. Very helpful for mothers suffering anxiety about the birth.​


Healthful Women's Wellness Clinic
Seacliff
www.healthful.net.au

Integrative Health Solutions
Belair
www.integrativehealthsolutions.com.au/

Women's & Children's Health Network
Pregnancy and birth information
​Website

Pregnancy - SA Health
Government information and fact sheets on pregnancy topics and related policies
​Website

If you provide services to pregnant women around Adelaide or the hills and would like to be included in this resource guide, please contact me and send through your details.

I've worked with a couple of families who have traveled back to Adelaide specifically for the birth of their baby.  Navigating a health-care system you aren't familiar with can add another level of uncertainty to your situation and may mean you are away from your family, friends or usual support network.

Hiring me as your doula provides you with a level of continuity of care and a support person who is there just for you and your family.

Thanks to Kate, Craig and their delightful daughter for sharing this with me.

As you can see from my client's own words, birth is unpredictable.  Sometimes it doesn't matter if you've taken all the classes, read all the books and blogs and even hired a doula.  Mother nature can have her own plans.  But what can you do when your birth takes an unexpected turn?

Everyone has some kind of plan, hopes, preferences or wishes for how they want the birth of their baby to go.  Which is great.  Hopefully it means that you've thought about your options and your family's values and made a communication document for your care provider.

If you're a client of mine, we will also talk through your back-up plans while you are still pregnant.  This includes what your preferences might be if you change your mind about something, pain relief for example, or if your body or baby have their own plans and you need to consider an instrumental or surgical birth.

So what can you do if your birth is deviating from your original plan?

1. Think about why you chose those options originally.  What was your motivation or goal?  Now, can you still achieve your "why" even if it looks a little bit different getting there?  Can you arrive at the same destination via a different journey?
2. If you are feeling disappointed, then there were expectations.  Examine your expectations.  Are they realistic in your particular situation?  Perhaps there have been changes to your circumstances but your expectations haven't evolved along with them. Have you put in the work that might be reasonably expected to achieve your expectations?
3. Ask the questions and get the information you need so that you feel comfortable with the new decisions you have to make.  What are the benefits and risks to you and your baby, now and in the future?  How will making this decision change how you are cared for?  For 10 great questions to ask during your pregnancy and labour, read this other post of mine.  You can also download and print a free copy to keep with you and refer to as needed.  
4. Take time to discuss your options with your support team once you feel you have enough information.  Unless it is an emergency, there is always time to think things through with your partner, doula or birth support.  Don't be afraid to ask the midwives or doctors to give you privacy while this happens.  
5. Ask for a second opinion if you want to.
6. Hopefully you've gone into labour knowing that the unexpected can happen and are prepared to be flexible.  Sometimes the randomness of birth prevails. This doesn't mean that you have to compromise on your values or your rights to autonomy and informed consent.

If you are interested in a birth planning session that covers all this and more, you can work with me here.  You'll soon see that I do things a little differently when it comes to birth plans and expectations!  Birth planning and coaching sessions are available to anyone and can be done over Zoom or Skype.  They can be single sessions to help you prepare for your birth.

This post is not intended to cover what to do if your birth has left you feeling traumatised in any way.  If you need support and resources for a bad birth, please use this link or the resources on Pinterest board below.

My approach to birth-planning with clients draws inspiration from different areas.  One of them is goal-planning.  Setting goals can be fun, exciting and also stretch you to consider different areas of your birth you might not have previously thought of.

Through my Clarity Sessions, you (and your partner) get up to four hours of one-to-one time with me. What do we go through:

1. Your previous pregnancies and births.  Let's see what worked for you and what didn't.

2. The power of emotion - how do you want to feel during your labour, birth and immediate postnatal period?

3. Defining your biggest, juiciest goals. 
WARNING: you might be surprised that these are different to what you originally believed.

4. A reality check - are your current actions in-line with your goals and circumstances?

5. Action steps - finally we will nut out specific actions you can start taking straight away and make achieving your goals one step closer.



How do you make your birth-plan unique to your circumstances, powerful yet flexible?

In this infographic I share 5 tips to help you to develop a fabulous, meaningful birth plan.  If you'd like to delve deeper with me and get crystal clear on what you want from you birth, book in a Clarity Session asap.



Which of these 5 tips most INSPIRES you? 
​Let me know in the comments below.