South Bend Doula

Why do I need a doula?

According to Dr. Christine Morton, author of the book Birth Ambassadors, a birth doula is a companion who supports a birthing person during labor and birth. Birth doulas are trained to provide continuous, one-on-one care, as well as information, physical support, and emotional support to birthing persons and their partners.

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it's evidence based

There have been 26 randomized trials that tested the effects of continuous labor support on more than 15,000 people giving birth. Overall, people who receive continuous support are more likely to have a normal vaginal birth and less likely to have pain medication, negative feelings about childbirth, and Cesareans. In addition, their labors are shorter and their babies are less likely to have complications at birth or be admitted to a NICU. In these studies, the best results occurred when the continuous support was provided by a trained doula—someone who was not a staff member at the hospital and not part of the birthing person’s social network.

When continuous labor support was provided by a doula, women experienced a:

• 31% decrease in the use of Pitocin

• 28% decrease in the risk of Cesarean

• 12% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth

• 9% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief

• 14% decrease in the risk of newborns being admitted to a special care nursery

• 34% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience

Source: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/

continuous support

A doula is there with you from the moment you call until an hour or two after the birth of your baby. This is true even if your labor is over 24 hours long. I will meet you at home and help you decide when it's time to go to the hospital or birth center. You don't have to go through a contraction alone. Nurses are an asset to your birth team and are extremely helpful too. But, they are usually tending to many other patients as well. Rarely can they spend more than a few minutes per hour in the room and when they do, some of this time is spent doing clinical tasks rather than providing one-on-one support. Your partner may need to take a rest or need guidance on how to be the most helpful to you. Having a doula ensures you have effective continuous support through your entire labor.

judgement-free information

Your birth experience belongs to you, your partner, and your baby. If you decide to go pain-medication free, great! A doula can be of assistance for that. If you want to opt for an epidural, she can be very helpful with positioning and other techniques to keep your labor progressing. Home birth, hospital birth, formula feeding or breast...these are all your preferences, no one elses! A doula's job is to support and empower you, through evidence-based resources and education, to make these decisions for yourself. It seems as though we are always letting others make these choices for us, when we should be informed to make our own decisions. I am educated on routine prenatal, birth, and newborn procedures.  I provide unbiased information on many of these subjects to make these choices easier. If you are a first time mom, or even if you're seasoned in motherhood, there are sure to be times when you think..."Is this normal?", "Am I in labor?", or "Did I just lose my mucous plug!?" rest assured that I can answer most of  these questions, and I'm probably the least squeamish person to ask!

About Me

My name is Amber Salvagni. I'm a holistic-minded doula in the heart of South Bend, Indiana. I am a student of Birth Arts International. I'm a mother, avid recycler, and birth nerd. I live with all boys, so my house is almost always a state of chaos. I probably spend too much time looking at photography of placentas and should spend more time folding laundry. I am passionate about women and our ability to bring forth new life. I believe every woman has the innate wisdom inside her to give birth with very little outside intervention. I believe birth can take place safely at home, hospitals, birth centers, and in water.

Every woman regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or sexual orientation deserves unbiased information and constant support through her pregnancy and birth. Our modern birth culture lacks this. This is robbing mothers of a well kept secret: birth is enjoyable!

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I decided to be a birthworker after my son Leo was born. His birth took place at home in an inflatable birth pool with an attending midwife. He was born ten days "late"-- no cervical checks, no induction, no drugs, no epidural, and I enjoyed it! I now have two sons. My youngest, Lincoln, was also born at home in the same way--all 8 lb 2 oz of him--in less than 3 hours start to finish! (And I am 4 ft 11 in tall and 110 pounds. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it!) These transforming and empowering experiences made me set out to put birth back in the hands of women.

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In addition to pregnancy and birth, I also love supporting women with breastfeeding, baby-wearing, and cloth diapering.