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Choosing a doula who is right for you is essential in your pregnancy and labor journey. This commitment you and your doulas make to each other is truly one of trust and compassion; a sacred bond. It is our passion and goal at Birth Freely to provide you with the support and/or education you are looking for. I and other Birth Freely doulas offer different types of packages to suite your individual needs. The Premier Package is detailed below as well as the bios of our doulas! Please contact me to see what other options are available and how Birth Freely can meet your needs.
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If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it. ~ John H. Kennell, MD |
Birth Freely's Premier Doula Package is below
(on call doula services)
An exploratory phone call or in person meeting is always free and welcomed to see if we are a good match.
The Premier Doula Package includes:
- Monthly check-ins starting in your second trimester
- 1 or 2 prenatal visits in your home - typically around 32 and 37 weeks
- Individualized Birth Plan support and formation
- Lending library full of great reads
- 24/7 email for questions, exciting news, concerns from date of hire
- Warm line for questions, news, concerns from 32 weeks onward
- 24/7 phone access beginning at 38 weeks through 42 weeks
- 24/7 emotional, physical, and informational support during your labor and delivery
- 1 Postpartum visit within 2 weeks of birth
- Ability to add on workshops at a discounted rate!
**Premier doula clients will also receive complimentary access to EBB Savvy Birth Prenatal Visits, valued at $240. The valuable online component to your care is COMPLIMENTARY to clients who enroll in the premier doula package.**
**All doula clients and private childbirth class students will receive discounted rates the Savvy Birth Workshop brought to you by Evidence Based Birth® Workshop of their choice**
**All doula clients and private childbirth class students will receive discounted rates the Savvy Birth Workshop brought to you by Evidence Based Birth® Workshop of their choice**
"Cat exceeded all our hopes and expectations. We cannot imagine having journeyed through the birth of our son without her." - Samantha
Meet the Birth Freely Preferred Doulas!
Kim is a South Jersey native who has been a practicing doula for two years. She is certified as a labor doula through CAPPA, a trained post-partum doula, and a lactation counselor-in-training through the Healthy Children Project. She has worked with the Philly Doula Co-op, the Philadelphia Alliance of Labor Support and has been active in parenting communities like the Holistic Moms Network. Before working as a doula, Kim taught middle and high school for eight years, serving in the public schools and through online education. Becoming a doula has combined her greatest passions - evidence-based education, wellness, gentle parenting, and of course - babies!
Kim has been married for 11 years and has three children, ages 9, 5 and 3. Kim is passionate about reading, running, and road-tripping with her family around the country when she is not “on-call”.
Kim also has a wealth of knowledge on a variety of pregnancy and parenting-related topics and resources. She organizes free baby and kids goods swaps in her community, cloth diapering informational workshops, and parenting support/play groups. She homeschools/teaches at a homeschool co-op, and considers herself a theater, baseball, and soccer mom to her own children.
Kim believes that every parent deserves the birth they desire and she considers it an honor to be included in a families’ journey all the way through the “4th trimester”. She is thrilled to be included in the Birth Freely community and looks forward to meeting you soon!
Kim has been married for 11 years and has three children, ages 9, 5 and 3. Kim is passionate about reading, running, and road-tripping with her family around the country when she is not “on-call”.
Kim also has a wealth of knowledge on a variety of pregnancy and parenting-related topics and resources. She organizes free baby and kids goods swaps in her community, cloth diapering informational workshops, and parenting support/play groups. She homeschools/teaches at a homeschool co-op, and considers herself a theater, baseball, and soccer mom to her own children.
Kim believes that every parent deserves the birth they desire and she considers it an honor to be included in a families’ journey all the way through the “4th trimester”. She is thrilled to be included in the Birth Freely community and looks forward to meeting you soon!
On May of 2016, I gave birth to my son Enzlo. Our experience was nothing short of incredible, and downright ethereal. My vision of birth before him was never a pleasant thought. Birth seemed full of unknowns, pain, and fear. But something changed during the course of my pregnancy journey. While taking a childbirth education class, I met a doula. Through her I learned so many valuable things. Things that could be applied to not only my pregnancy, but to help guide me through my labor, and ultimately to the birthing of my baby boy.
At the beginning of my pregnancy, I was terrified of what birth could bring. As such, I was planning on having every intervention in the book. I wanted to feel nothing, yet 8 months later my son was born naturally into water. I know in my heart that, without my doula, this wouldn't have been possible. Her presence at my birth brought me strength, comfort, and a feeling that is difficult to describe. I will settle on calling it "empowerment."
Our culture has brought unnecessary fear to the birthing world. Yet with what I learned through my birth expierence, I walked away with a fresh new babe in my arms, wanting to yell at the top of a mountain to all mothers letting them know that this can be beautiful, this can be amazing, you can birth without fear. I knew then, that I wanted to be that support for Mothers. I wanted to help Mamas walk away from their births feeling empowered. I wanted them to look back on it as a positive experience...even if it didn't go as planned.
No matter how you envision your birth to be, whether it's a planned cesarean or a natural home birth, I will be there to support you. I will be there to help you make informed, evidence-based decisions. I am a passionate Mother, and I am a passionate Doula. I am here to help bring confidence, power, knowledge, and comfort to birth. One Mama at a time.
Beyond being a Doula, photography has enveloped my life. Even more specifically, Birth Photography. Capturing your power through labor, the first time your eyes meet your baby, the excitement of bringing new life into the world, there’s nothing more exhilarating and satisfying for me. Being able to hand mothers heirlooms to cherish for years is something that has become very close to my heart, and something I want to be able to offer all those who wish to have them. I am forever expanding on what I can bring fourth into your birth space, from Doula work, to photography, to workshops on creating space and comfort for your labor as well as evidence based information, and will soon be a Certified Lactation Consultant.
I am thrilled to be on the Birth freely team and I’d love to sit and talk with you about how I can support your goals and vision for your birth!”
At the beginning of my pregnancy, I was terrified of what birth could bring. As such, I was planning on having every intervention in the book. I wanted to feel nothing, yet 8 months later my son was born naturally into water. I know in my heart that, without my doula, this wouldn't have been possible. Her presence at my birth brought me strength, comfort, and a feeling that is difficult to describe. I will settle on calling it "empowerment."
Our culture has brought unnecessary fear to the birthing world. Yet with what I learned through my birth expierence, I walked away with a fresh new babe in my arms, wanting to yell at the top of a mountain to all mothers letting them know that this can be beautiful, this can be amazing, you can birth without fear. I knew then, that I wanted to be that support for Mothers. I wanted to help Mamas walk away from their births feeling empowered. I wanted them to look back on it as a positive experience...even if it didn't go as planned.
No matter how you envision your birth to be, whether it's a planned cesarean or a natural home birth, I will be there to support you. I will be there to help you make informed, evidence-based decisions. I am a passionate Mother, and I am a passionate Doula. I am here to help bring confidence, power, knowledge, and comfort to birth. One Mama at a time.
Beyond being a Doula, photography has enveloped my life. Even more specifically, Birth Photography. Capturing your power through labor, the first time your eyes meet your baby, the excitement of bringing new life into the world, there’s nothing more exhilarating and satisfying for me. Being able to hand mothers heirlooms to cherish for years is something that has become very close to my heart, and something I want to be able to offer all those who wish to have them. I am forever expanding on what I can bring fourth into your birth space, from Doula work, to photography, to workshops on creating space and comfort for your labor as well as evidence based information, and will soon be a Certified Lactation Consultant.
I am thrilled to be on the Birth freely team and I’d love to sit and talk with you about how I can support your goals and vision for your birth!”
"Even my husband agreed that no amount of prior education and advice from others / books compare to what Cat did for us." - Maria
Alicia decide to become a doula after birthing her daughter in 2016. The decision she made to make continuous labor support her career began with her certification through International Doula Institute and, to this day, she believes it was the best decision she has made!
Alicia is a self proclaimed tree hugging, crocheting, yogi and a mother of two. She is fascinated by pregnancy and birth and has a strong belief that empowering women through birth is the most rewarding thing she could do, not only for herself but for the birthing community. At times, she has found that issue arise when mothers to be are not aware of options they have and believes that if more women were to know that their birth experience is personal to them, that they have the right to make decisions; then more women and the babies they birth would be happier.
Alicia wants to support your birthing choices. So, if you want a natural birth, she can help. If you want a medicated birth, she can help. Even if you want to give birth in the comfort of your home, she can help. Alicia believes its her job as your doula to inform and educate you while supporting you each and every second of the way.
Alicia is a self proclaimed tree hugging, crocheting, yogi and a mother of two. She is fascinated by pregnancy and birth and has a strong belief that empowering women through birth is the most rewarding thing she could do, not only for herself but for the birthing community. At times, she has found that issue arise when mothers to be are not aware of options they have and believes that if more women were to know that their birth experience is personal to them, that they have the right to make decisions; then more women and the babies they birth would be happier.
Alicia wants to support your birthing choices. So, if you want a natural birth, she can help. If you want a medicated birth, she can help. Even if you want to give birth in the comfort of your home, she can help. Alicia believes its her job as your doula to inform and educate you while supporting you each and every second of the way.
Stephanie Lemke was born and raised in the South Jersey area. She has always had a passion for pregnancy and birth, but was surprised that the passion only grew with the birth of her first child. Stephanie prepared for her first birth by attending classes with the Bradley Method, but this was just the tip of iceburg for her learning. The experience Stephanie shared with her husband, Bryce, during labor and immediately after was what pushed her to pursue doulaing. 'There is an intimacy and a bond that I got to share with my spouse that was unlike anything we had experienced as partners. My hope as a doula is to help other mothers experience this bond with their support teams and babies,' Stephanie shared.
Stephanie has pursed being a doula since 2016 and is now certified as a labor doula through CAPPA. She has been a part of the Philadelphia Alliance for Labor Support since early 2017 and continues to pursue her learning through various workshops and trainings. Her goal is to grow her knowledge of pregnancy, birth, lactation, and newborn care to continue to bring moms evidenced based information for this amazing time in their lives.
Beyond being a doula Stephanie has been married to her husband, Bryce, for 7 years, has a 2 year old son, Brody, and is welcoming their second child in mid-November. She loves the Phillies and Eagles, and enjoys any type of family days outside!
Stephanie has always been driven by people and relationships and feels that caring for and supporting new and expecting moms is the niche she has always been searching for.
Stephanie has pursed being a doula since 2016 and is now certified as a labor doula through CAPPA. She has been a part of the Philadelphia Alliance for Labor Support since early 2017 and continues to pursue her learning through various workshops and trainings. Her goal is to grow her knowledge of pregnancy, birth, lactation, and newborn care to continue to bring moms evidenced based information for this amazing time in their lives.
Beyond being a doula Stephanie has been married to her husband, Bryce, for 7 years, has a 2 year old son, Brody, and is welcoming their second child in mid-November. She loves the Phillies and Eagles, and enjoys any type of family days outside!
Stephanie has always been driven by people and relationships and feels that caring for and supporting new and expecting moms is the niche she has always been searching for.
Amanda is a birth doula, postpartum doula, and lactation educator. With experience working as a home care aide for people with Alzheimer’s and Dementia, as well as having worked in a doctor’s office and emergency room, her medical background and knowledge has prepared her to be able to work well in a hospital setting. Amanda uses her past experiences to aid her in assisting the communicating with doctors and nurses and their pregnant patients and families to help navigate their choices within this space.
As a labor doula Amanda sees her role as a person who primarily provides non-biased emotional, physical and educational support for you and your partner. Her goal is to help you in any way that she can to provide assistance while you are listening to your body and birthing your beautiful baby.
Amanda is a trained as a Labor Doula with the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA). She is also a nationally Certified Lactation Consultant (CLC). Amanda is looking forward to having the chance to meet with you and talk to you more about how she can support you in having your best birth!
As a labor doula Amanda sees her role as a person who primarily provides non-biased emotional, physical and educational support for you and your partner. Her goal is to help you in any way that she can to provide assistance while you are listening to your body and birthing your beautiful baby.
Amanda is a trained as a Labor Doula with the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA). She is also a nationally Certified Lactation Consultant (CLC). Amanda is looking forward to having the chance to meet with you and talk to you more about how she can support you in having your best birth!
Dara Belcher is a certified birth doula with DONA International as well as a postpartum doula and lactation counselor. She was called to birth work after being blessed with her daughter in 2016. Dara is knowledgeable about pelvic space dynamics and optimal birthing positions. She strives to promote an environment where families are comfortable and confident enough to have the birthing experience they desire. Prior to becoming a doula, Dara was a mental health therapist with a passion for supporting individuals with a history of trauma and substance abuse. She is a graduate of Spelman College and earned a Masters in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Chestnut Hill College. Dara values diversity and her family is from Trinidad & Tobago, which is where she spent her childhood summers. Dara makes sure that the support and resources provided to families are individualized to meet their specific wishes and needs.
Did your plan change suddenly? Do you need extra help on your birth plan?
Birth Freely is pleased to announce Skype consults at $45 an hour! (One hour minimum.)
Sit down for an hour or two with Cat in the comfort of your own home and ask questions, develop your birth plan, learn all about the normal birth process, discuss how to advocate your desires for your birth with your provider and learn your rights -
The sky is the limit on Skype Consults!
Email Cat at birthfreely@yahoo.com today to book your session!
Not only did my husband and I love her, my OB said she was the best doula she has ever seen. - Lindsey
* A one time travel fee is added to Birth Education and Birth Doula packages should the area traveling to require tolls or exceed 30 minutes in distance.
** I do offer Military and Educator discounts as well as provide payment plans for my services. Please contact me to discuss your options!