How can a doula help you have a more positive birth experience? Joleen Cullens, a doula, massage therapist, prenatal yoga and belly dancing instructor and infant massage educator explains in this episode.
Joleen developed an interest in massage therapy early in life, following the example of her father and sister. She describes her first experiences with massage and her desire for a healing experience. Over the past 23 years she has developed an array of massage techniques to help her clients. She added to her list of services when she became a doula. She sought training shortly after the birth of her last child. She has been a practicing doula for 5 years and had a variety of birth experiences.
Then she added several more tools to help women during pregnancy, labor, delivery and post partum. She is also a prenatal yoga instructor and she teaches belly dancing, which is a fun and effective way to tone the muscles in preparation for labor. She also provides infant massage education.
Joleen and I discuss the many options women have today in childbirth. There is nothing preventing a woman from designing the birth experience of her choice. We talk about the support people who are available to assist. Women today are blessed to have so many options and so much knowledge and skill available to them.
Are you expecting your first child? Share your plans, hopes and concerns in the comments below.
Have you had a birth experience you would like to share? If it was positive, what made it so successful? If it wasn’t, what would you have done differently? Comment below and subscribe to learn more about having a calm, comfortable and fulfilling birthing experience.
Learn more about Joleen and the services she offers on her website and on her Facebook page.