Exciting news! I have teamed up with Healthy Moms, Happy Babies!

Check out the website: Healthy Moms, Happy Babies

Healthy Moms, Happy Babies offers Doula, Lactation and Counseling Services for expectant and postpartum Mamas!

"The Essential Ingredient: Doula"

"The Essential Ingredient: Doula"

A new video by DONA International

"You go to the moon when you're at a birth"

I attended a Labor Doula workshop a couple days ago and one of the things the teacher, Judith Halek, said really stuck in my head. She said "You go to the moon when you're at a birth...if you don't know and feel that, you shouldn't be attending births." If only everyone who attends birth (moms, dads, sisters, OBs, midwives, nurses, doulas) could see it as this sacred life changing experience, maybe they would treat themselves, women, and babies with more compassion.

Part of my job as a doula is to teach both men and women about the miracle of childbirth so that they and their partners can achieve their goals for the birth of their baby with a supportive team by their side. It is possible to have a safe, happy, AND healthy birth!

A Joyful Birth Video

Some people may think doulas aren't unnecessary, but in today's society, there is a major lack of support for pregnant, laboring and new mothers. Doulas can provide this very important support to help make your experience the best it can be. Every woman deserves that.

Read an article about how doulas can provide this lost support.

Birth Made Simple

The fact of the matter is that birth is SIMPLE. It really is. With all of our modern technology, we have forgotten how simple birth can be. Our culture has created this fear centered perspective on birth. BUT there are ways to undo this fear. Educating yourself about the birth process is the first step. Changing the way you see birth can make a huge difference in your own pregnancy, labor and delivery. Helping yourself see birth from the perspective that it is a normal, natural, beautiful process can even help your labor and delivery go more smoothly. After all, your brain is one of the most important and useful parts of your body during birth.

BIRTH MADE SIMPLE

-Birth is NORMAL, NATURAL, and a true miracle
-Women (and many other mammals) have been giving birth vaginally forever
-You and your baby are made to birth
-Surrounding yourself with people who also believe you are a strong woman who can birth will help keep a positive attitude
-Connect with your baby; Pregnancy and birth are a team effort, you and your baby are both contributing to the process
-If you can create a beautiful being in your body, you can do anything
-Create a comfortable setting for birth, your body will be able to do what is it meant to do when you are in a safe, supported environment
-Support during labor is key: your partner, mother, sister, friend, doula, or anyone who believes in you will help keep you feeling safe and strong
-Eat, drink, use the bathroom during labor
-Use your body: moving around during labor will do wonders for progress
-Stay off your back unless it is the most comfortable position for you and baby
-Listen to your body - it knows what you need and what it's doing
-When things in labor change: work with it - stay in control of your mind

Educating yourself about how to make labor go as smooth and natural as possible will contribute to a positive birth experience. Pregnancy and birth is a miracle, and something we are LUCKY to have the opportunity to go through. It is not a burden, it is not scary, it is a blessing. Make it YOURS!

doulas get some press

I found this article in published in local San Francisco publication. Press for doulas is always an exciting discovery!!

What is a Doula? - Free informational evening

What is a Doula, anyway?

I am having a free information "What is a doula" night at Full Circle with a couple other doulas. Please join us!

Tuesday Feb 23rd @ 7pm
Full Circle Family Care
1241 Mamaroneck Ave
White Plains NY

Woman's Way Doula Group

Woman's Way is coming along!!

Our group is now offering birth doula services to women and families in Westchester and NYC. Please visit our website here.

chilling with my 6 month old friend

Seeing a baby being born is an amazing gift. When I have the opportunity to see them grow, I am filled with joy and amazement. Mom, Mary, has been so great about keeping in touch with me and has given me the chance to become her friend and we've gotten together several times since Ben's birth. I feel a special bond with Mary and Ben and am glad to be a part of their life and want them to know how special they are to me!

Woman's Way Doula Group

We've started a doula group - Woman's Way Doula Group. I am super excited to get back into doula work after 5 months of not doing anything doula related! I miss helping women through this amazing time and have realized it is definitely a passion that is not going away. Check us out: Woman's Way Doula Group

Laura Gigantino, CD(DONA)

Finally! I am a certified birth doula(DONA International)

I am so excited that my certification is complete. It took just over a year to finish my certification process and I couldn't be happier. The only sad thing is that I'm not practicing at the moment. Hopefully I will be practicing again soon!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. Especially Celeste R., Aya K., Genelee and Cody S., The PATH Clinic of Honolulu, Tara, Mike and Dylan B., Annie R., Suzette L., Herbert and Akeem H., Dr. S. Hartman, Rina C., Uta M., and all of my family and friends for the support!

doula-ing on hold

Unfortunately, I have made the decision to put doula-ing on hold as I have accepted a job at a property management company in CT. I'm excited about the job but very sad to be taking a break from doing what I love - supporting women and families through labor and delivery. I hope to pick it up again soon...

Epidurals....

So, why wouldn't I get an epidural? Many people might think that doulas are anti-epidural. I recently read a NY Times article titled And the Doula Makes Four which gave doulas some negative press, I think. I would like to clarify some points about myself as a doula because I can obviously only speak for myself.

As a birth doula, it is my job and goal to provide unconditional, continuous labor support to my clients, epidural or not, planned c-section or not, au natural or not. When I sign on for a job, I commit to offer educational support to the woman so that she can make her own informed decision. I strongly believe that the choices made before, during and after birth are a woman's right and if she has the resources to make an informed choice, we should respect that.

I am proud to be a doula who can support a woman through many different types of labors and births. I respect the woman who chooses to have her baby at home, intervention free. I also respect the woman who decides that she wants some pain relief from an epidural.

So, why are some against epidurals? My guess would be that when a person learns and believes that labor and childbirth are natural processes that occur for a reason, it makes more sense to not mess with that process. Birth is often described as a miracle and some may feel that to intervene or interrupt this miracle would be disrespectful and inhumane. I agree, birth is a miracle and natural is always best. However, what we must remember is that birth is something that occurs within a woman and we must leave the choices surrounding childbirth up to her because after all, it is her body and her birth.

Fear not; it is a miracle

Fear not; it is a miracle

by midwife Jan Tritten

Well written and so true!!!

Rebozo in action!

This shot was taken when I was using my newly purchased rebozo at my 4th and most recent birth. I love it! Thanks girl.

Mommies love to meet their babies

In my recent poll I asked "What is the best part of pregnancy/childbirth" and the most popular answer was "meeting my baby". This part is my favorite, too, even though I myself have not been pregnant or given birth. I LOVE to see a new moms face when she sees her baby for the first time. Seeing a mom fall in love at first sight with her newborn after what can sometimes be a long, strenuous labor and delivery is for me, the ultimate reward of being a birth doula.

Every woman deserves a doula!!

There are always newly trained, or newly certified doulas who are looking to take on clients who cannot, for whatever reason, pay for a super duper experienced doula (their prices can range anywhere from $800-$1,500). *Contact DONA international for a list of doulas in your area who might offer their doula services for a price reasonable for you.

*If you live in New York City or Westchester County, please contact me directly if you are interested in a lower cost doula at 914-374-1523 or doulaura@gmail.com

Laboring Positions

Standing with foot resting on something sturdy is a good position for opening up your hips and pelvis. You can sway back and forth or just rest with your leg raised and bent.


Sitting on the ball with pillows on a chair, couch or bed to lean on is a very comfortable position and allows the hips to stay open and wide.



Leaning against the ball on a wall or chair can provide a gentle pressure massage against your back. If you are having trouble balancing, try leaning forward on your partner or doula for support.


The ball provides support so leaning on it while resting in childs pose can be quite nice. Ask your partner to rub your back.




Just resting on the ball is always a great position for laboring. If you would like, ask someone to massage your back or to just stand behind you for comfort, it's a great way to stay relaxed.










Slow dancing or just standing and leaning while swaying is a good way to stay in a supported stance for labor. This will gravity to help bring your baby down.





Squatting with the help of a partner can be a comfortable and effective position.






Leaning with your back against a partner can help you into a slight squat. If your partner feels its comfortable to have his or her back against the wall, that might help keep both of you in this position for longer if it is working.




Simply relaxing by sitting backwards on a chair is nice for labor.







Pressure on your lower back while in labor can relieve back pains and pressure.

Early labor...stay at home, if you can

Staying at home where you are most comfortable, as long as possible can help a woman get to the hospital when her labor is active and can lead to fewer interventions. Here are a few things you can do while you are at home in early labor to keep busy, kill time, progress your labor while staying comfortable:

-eat a meal
-hydrate yourself
-take a shower or a bath (if your water has not broken yet)
-take a walk
-read a book
-play a game
-ask your partner for a massage
-dance (slow dance, hula, anything that keeps your pelvis and hips moving)
-watch TV or a movie
-do some yoga
-smooch with your partner
-urinate frequently
-relax!

If I go with a midwife, should I still hire a doula?

Many people might think if you are seeing a midwife, hiring a doula might be redundant. However, midwives and doulas complement each other nicely and hiring both can make for a wonderful birth experience. The responsibilities of a midwife differ from those of a doula.

So, what is the difference?

A midwife is not always there to provide the continuous support that a doula can offer. Her responsibilities are more clinical and it is therefore important for the midwife to have full energy and focus. She also might be tending to more than 1 laboring mother if you are in a hospital. A doula can help the mom and her partner stay comfortable during the early stages of labor by providing suggestions about how to remain in good spirits while practicing techniques that help the labor progress.

A doula can provide a gentle touch and kind words during your labor and delivery, keeping the mother and her partner in a well informed, calm place. It is reassuring for mom to know there is someone there for her who is educated in childbirth and can offer physical support, emotional, educational support when it is needed.

Keeping a mom comfortable is a doulas main priority during labor and delivery. Doulas can help a mom have a satisfying birth experience by honoring her wishes, respecting her decisions while allowing her to feel that she has the information she needs to make the right decisions for her body, her birth and her baby.

See below for a midwife's opinion on this subject:

Click here