
Calming Nature Doula Service & Center
Who are we
OUR HISTORY
Calming Nature Doula Services opened in 2014 as an independent Doula service. I founded this organization after giving birth to my own children. I did not receive the personalized assistance I needed in my own birthing experience. Soon I learned that several others in my community shared the same story. This started my journey assisting multiple friends and family members with their births. This is when Calming Nature Doula Services was birthed. In 2017 I added the component of the non-profit Doula Center. This allowed me to provide assistance to those in the community that desperately needed Doula support, but were not financially able to afford the service. Our full and partial scholarships were income based and available to Erie and Niagara county residents. We aim to assist women in obtaining quality care with a focus on achieving a happy healthy birth experience. In 2019, The NYS Doula Pilot Program was implemented for Erie County residents. Since that time we have been providing Doula support to Medicaid recipients.
ABOUT US
Calming Nature Doula Services and Center consists of Certified and Community Birth Doulas, Postpartum Doulas, and Childbirth Educators that advocates, educates, and provides physical, emotional and motivational support to expectant families in the Western New York area. Our services are designed to provide mothers with comfort measures and pain management stemming from pain associated with childbirth. We also provide education, resources and referrals, to families during their pregnancy as well as the postpartum stage.
It's very important for mothers to have a great birth team supporting her during one of the most intense and precious moments of her life. Our goal is to empower, encourage, and motivate families to have the best birth experience possible for every birth. We want all moms to feel courageous and valid.
Our current program includes three prenatal sessions that encompasses comfort techniques, labor and birthing positions, and breathing patterns. Other topics we cover include nutrition and diet, an ideal birth plan, and where the mother would like to give birth. The Postpartum assistance includes in home and hospital breastfeeding support, proper latching education, understanding and identifying hunger cues, light house work, developing a new daily normalcy and lifestyle adjustment. Emotional support is provided for the mother during all phases of the pregnancy, labor and postpartum interaction. Support is available from early pregnancy and continues through the first 12 months after the birth.
We offer five unique packages to fit the needs of our clients. Our Princess package is also our scholarship package. We offer full and partial scholarship to low-income families who meet eligibility requirements.
We understand the value in having a strong support team by your side. Their presence alone can give you that little something extra to keep you going. Let us be apart of that team!
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to lower infant and maternal mortality and morbidity rates, increase breastfeeding rates, and eliminate inequalities and racial disparities in low-income and BIPOC communities, with a strong emphasis on the African American population.
Data shows, the United States currently has the highest rate of maternal mortality and morbidity of all developed countries. Women in the U.S. die from pregnancy related deaths, more than any other. Sadly, Black women in the U.S. die at rates 3-4 times higher than non-Hispanic white women and more specifically for black women in New York State, that rate is 5 times higher.
SUPPORTIVE LINKS
https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/chac/birth/b27.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/infantmortality-cdcdoing.htm
https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=4&lvlid=23
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4463913/
http://www.cochrane.org/CD003766/PREG_continuous-support-women-during-childbirth
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/