Services
Doula Services — Four on staff
Lakeside Natural Health Centre is proud to be the home base for Port Credit’s largest Doula Association.
Doulas are birth assistants. Their task is to emotionally and psychologically support the labouring mother.
With four practicing doulas, LNHC can offer the women of Port Credit, Mississauga, Etobicoke, and area labour support services.
Lakeside’s doulas are able to offer patients added benefits as they are all fully licensed practitioners of other therapies: three are naturopathic doctors (NDs), and one is a registered massage therapist.
NDs are able to adjunct their labour support with pain relief and labour guiding techniques which include acupuncture, homeopathic and botanical medicine, as well as physical therapies. NDs are trained in obstetrics and have a high level of comprehension of pregnancy, labour and delivery. Our NDs also support women both prior to conception to optimize the terrain for a healthy embryo, during pregnancy to help to grow a happy fetus, and post delivery to support both mom and babe, and resolve any difficulties or questions that may arise.
Registered massage therapists are extensively trained and experienced with the musculoskeletal system, and the optimal way in which to relax them to support a smooth and efficient labour.
Please check out the “our team” page to view doulas.
The support of a doula has significant positive impacts on birth outcomes, including:
26% less likely to give birth by cesaerean section
41% less likely to give birth with vacuum extraction or forceps
28% less likely to use any analgesia or anesthesia
33% less likely to be dissatisfied with or negatively rate their birth experience
A doula offers 5 dimensions of support (taken from DONA International):
Emotional support: encouragement, reassurance, and continuous physical presence
Informational support: assistance to families in gathering information about the course of their labour and their options
Physical support: comfort measures, positioning, massage, breathing, relaxation, and non-pharmacological pain relief measures
Advocacy: interpreting the woman's wishes to the hospital staff
Partner support: role modelling, encouragement, and reassurance
What to expect under the care of a Doula:
1-2 pre-birth meetings: to get to know one another, as well as to educate you about the birthing process, and to answer any questions you might have
Continuous labour support: We are on call for you, and are available to come whenever you feel I'm needed
A post-birth meeting to de-brief: to go over your experience, fill in any gaps, and to ensure closure of the event in a positive light
Some important links:
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