Doulas in Gippsland - any?

Im looking but havnt been able to find any!

[bronners]

Hi there,
I am in Gippsland too and know of one doula, and two trainee doula's. I also have been in touch with a very experienced doula who is immigrating shortly from South Africa.
Just PM me and I will pass on the contact info

All the best!
Bron

how do I PM? I have no idea?

[bronners]

Oopps sorry I didn't realise private messages (PMs) weren't on here. Please give me an email and we can talk that way

Hi there...
I'm finally all settled in...
Here if you need me...
Love Gill
from South Africa now in Traralgon

[Mumble]

Hi Gill,

I'm also from SA and in Traralgon. Let me know if you'd like to meet for a cuppa.

latsky at optusnet dot com dot au

Sanette

[Dedicated Doula Gillian]

Hi all...
Latrobe Hospital said they'll gladly support moms who choose to have a doula.
So to get the ball rolling and to allow me the chance to work with my moms in the hospital,
I'm willing to do one or two FREE doula care births for any mom who are due SOON and plan to labour at Latrobe Regional Hospital - so put the word out...

Sanette would love to catch up some time.
Loving it here!!!!

Hope you guys can help let others know that they can call on me to attend births...
I'm also going to be running some Active Birth Workshops in September most likely at the neighbourhood house - offical dates to follow...

Dedicated Doula Gill

[Ella'sMum]

Hi Gill,

I have been trawling the Internet trying to find a doula in the Latrobe Valley and can't believe there is one now in Traralgon.
I would really appreciate any info you might be able to give me in regards to your services.
I'm currently 15 weeks pregnant with my 2nd and am hoping to vbac after making an uninformed decision for an elective csection due to breech positioning.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stacey

[Dedicated Doula Gillian]

Hi Stacey
Great to hear from you.
Wonderful to know that you are making an informed choice! Having been a doula for many years now, I love it when my moms are keen to learn and find out all their birthing rights and in turn make an informed choice.
With me being new here and not knowing any other doulas to possibly support me I have a very open policy to my doula care. So I generally will support moms when and where I can.
I'll gladly email you info if you like re: the finer details, such as cost and type of care.
If you keen to maybe meet up for a cuppa that will be great too...
Keep in touch
Gill

[edaj84]

Hey, I am in Thorpdale and also studying and more than happy to pass on my details to people who are birthing at either LRH or Warragul I am doing births for free at the moment (and will be for a while since i am studying part time)

I am a 24 yr old mum of 2, and the eldest of 8 children. My son was born at the Royal Brisbane Hospital and my daughter was born in my bedroom with a midwife.

[edaj84]

Gill, I jsut read your post as I am not qualified i would absolutely jump at the chance to assist you with your work

[Dedicated Doula Gillian]

Fantastic. Are you studying to be a doula or a midwife.
I so badly would like someone to back-me up.
I used to run "The Village Doula Workshops" in South Africa where I taught and mentored doulas. It was great! But we had to find mothers & hospitals willing to have both a doula and student within the labour ward, which did have a few issues but we managed to do plenty homebirths with an Independent midwife and we eventually had a fantastic hospital who open up their birthing unit to private midwives as well as doulas so it was great!!!!!
I'm going to be running some Active Birth Workshops on the 19th and 26th Sep 09 so if you have any business cards I'll gladly hand them out. Thanks for contacting me. We must seriously get together!!!!

[edaj84]

I have only just begun my study as a doula and at the moment am trying to work out how and when i do my double nursing/midwifery degree. but i am incredibly passionate about women and birth. I am a second gen homebirther and although homebirth is not right for everyone, the ideology behind it is imperative in all settings (hands off, working with bodies etc)

[edaj84]

I just thought i should add that my "study" may have only just started, but my learning began when i attended my first homebirth at 6. I have attended 4 homebirths, 1 hospital birth and accidentally talked someone through a birth over the phone so, not qualified but have some experience.

would LOVE to meet you sometime

my email is jatz84@hotmail.com

cheers Jade

[edaj84]

I also wanted to add tht for any mums out there who can't afford a doula, i am quite confident in my ability to support you at no (or minimal) cost.

[Dedicated Doula Gillian]

Hey edaj84
How long will it take for you to do your studies till you are qualified as a doula? Could they speed it up by crediting you with the births you've seen/been at already? Or how does work here? I studied as an Advanced Doula in South Africa. But I see that 'Advanced' Doula's are not recognised at all now and that we are all classed as 'Doulas' regardless...?

I had 2 homebirths and my midwife's daughter also came to my second birth.
It becomes a way of life for our kids, which is just brilliant!!!
You must have had such an amazing childhood.

Well if you or I have any moms who are willing to take us both on then it would be great!!!!!!

Keep in touch.
Doula Gill

[edaj84]

well the next time i have a baby i will certainly be looking for a doula, but right now i don't want another baby cause there is NO way that i want to go back to that craphole they tell me is safe to deliver my babies in (aka hospital). Although, i have considered the other 2 options, freebirth, and finding a "friend" who just may happen to be a mid who is still happy to attend, i kknow of at least one \

and as for speeding up my studies, yeah there is a way i can do it and i probably will (won't let all the details out here but if you wanna email me i would be more than happy to disclose my lil scheme :P)

[Dedicated Doula Gillian]

Hey edaj84

Having a homebirth with a qualified midwife and doula is by far the best way and safest as long as the mom has no 'serious' medical problems. I have had a few births where the mothers haven't disclosed all their medical history and we've almost lost a few moms which is really so unnecessary (fortunately having a qualified midwife with the right equipment and knowledge and a lot of praying "saved the day") and at another birth we almost lost the baby because the mom lied to us as to how much she was smoking and the baby needed resus' and we rushed her off to hospital - so it's vital to know the whole history and have the right support systems in place.
I also dealt with a pregnant lady who had a previous freebirth, but once again there was a complication - which had there been a midwife with her she could have easily have had avoided the problem - but the child landed up having server Cerebral Palsy cause by this compliction. And in turn this story made so many waves that it gave homebirth a bad name for a while in our area...

I to only really wanted to do homebirths when I first started, simply because I had done it and felt 'so can every other women'- till I came to realise that it's more important to inform our moms of ALL their options, and allow them to make an informed choice and then I can support them to the best of my ability within my field of practice with their decision - and to make use of the whole multidisciplinary team to make sure our moms have THE BEST CARE possible.

I had to learn it wasn't about what I felt was right or good or best but what the mother felt was right and best for her. I still would love every woman to at least try a homebirth but that's me. And like you said "homebirth is not for everyone" you are absolutely right.

I feared having a hospital birth and if push came to shove I wonder if I'd have done a freebirth. But having done many years of doula care I feel the safest is with a midwife next to my side. I have gained much respect for our midwives, and yes ,you will get the odd 'oger-midwife' -- but to work with a midwife who is just as passionate about birth as we are is a rare but wonderful gift.

You are more than welcome to chat via email at bengil21@gmail.com . I'm looking forward to hopefully meeting you in the near future.

Keep me posted and if I have a mom willing to have you join her birth I'll let you know ok.

Love to all
Doula Gill