Doula

What is a Birth Doula/Professional Labor Companion?Doula in Regina - Tranquil Journeys

A Doula provides non-clinical, personal, private care for a woman (single or with partner) during the pregnancy, labor and birthing phases. A Doula provides emotional and physical support and can make suggestions for labor progress, helps with relaxation, massage, positioning and other techniques for comfort.

“If a Doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it” Dr. Marshall Klaus

What are the Benefits of having a professional Doula?

  • 60% reduction in epidurals
  • 40% reduction in oxytocin use
  • 30% reduction in analgesia use
  • 25% shorter labor
  • 50% reduction in cesarean rates

*From Mothering the Mother, Klaus, Kennell and Klaus

Why would you want to hire me as your Birth Doula/Professional Labor Companion?doula in regina-cheryl lloyd

I love my work as a Doula. I have a passion for helping parents-to-be whether you choose a natural birth, or an epidural/medicated birth. It gives me great satisfaction in being able to assist and help Moms (single or with partner), Dads/Partners throughout your pregnancy, labor and birthing experience. It is such an honor to be a part of your incredible journey.

My philosophy is simply “Whatever makes Mom happy.” This is your birth experience, not mine. My work as a HypnoBirthing® Instructor/Practitioner and a Clinical Hypnotherapist will also assist you in achieving a wonderful birth experience. Call or email me for a consultation. Consultation fee of $35 to be applied towards your doula fee.

What do I offer in my Birth Doula package?

  • Two prenatal Birthing Hypnosis sessions (Also available if I am not your doula. See Hypnotherapy page).
  • Attendance at your labor and birth.
  • Remaining with you for one to two hours after the birth to help you get settled and to establish breastfeeding (if required).
  • One postpartum visit to discuss the birth and with any luck, I get to hold and snuggle your baby.
  • Birth record.
  • Welcoming as many emails and phone calls that you may require with any questions or concerns that you may have before or after the birth of your baby. Sometimes it just feels good to chat and talk about things.

    Doulas in Regina

Doula in Regina-Tranquil Journeys

Rate

My Fee for my Birth Doula service is $1690.00 for new clients. My previous doula clients will be discounted $125. Feel free to ask about an interest free payment plan if required. Please note that 10% of your fee will be donated to a local charity.

Note–Postpartum Doula Services may be available upon request.

To see the answers to some of the Frequently Asked Questions about Doula’s, click here.  

Testimonials

Dear Cheryl, You were my birthing angel, whispering the right things at the right time. I had an unforgettable birthing experience and am so grateful to you for it! Warm hugs.

Words cannot express the gratitude that I have for you Cheryl. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support and strength you gave me during labour. Having you as my doula during my labours was the most valuable part of it all! You were there for me and my family when we needed you, at all hours of the day and night. Thank you for guiding me through all the hard parts and sharing in the greatest moment of my families lives. Your gift of security will forever be in my soul.

Words cannot express the gratitude that I have for you Cheryl. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support and strength you gave me during labour. Having you as my doula during my labours was the most valuable part of it all! You were there for me and my family when we needed you, at all hours of the day and night. Thank you for guiding me through all the hard parts and sharing in the greatest moment of my families lives. Your gift of security will forever be in my soul.

My husband and I had finally made the decision to use/practice HypnoBirthing® to help our first baby enter our world calm and safely. During our classes we learned of the services Doula’s provide, and were very excited to research more. (well, I WAS… my husband was letting me make decisions at this point so i was calm and feeling well supported) Anyways I went to the Doula’s of Regina website and looked at all the profiles and called and spoke to quite a few of them. I narrowed it down to two doula’s and decided to meet up with them to interview and get a feel of what their believes and techniques were. A lot of the Doula’s I spoke with were VERY friendly and quite qualified.. but the thing that convinced me of Cheryl was her professionalism! She is VERY friendly, qualified, talented, and calm.. BUT .. she is very professional at the same time. This is what I decided I needed. I needed someone who could be very calm and easy to hang out with but also someone who could take charge of any situation and run the show if I felt out of control or scared at any point… as this was my first pregnancy and had no idea what to expect, as any first time mom feels.
It was the best decision we have ever made! Our labour was beautiful! I completed my goal and wishes of having a pain-medication-free birth and let me tell you… 90% of that was because Cheryl stuck by my side every minute of the long labour we had. 25 hours of labour and a few “complications” (un planned for events is a nicer way of thinking) along the way, I KNOW I would have probably caved for drugs and would have been super scared at some points if it weren’t for Cheryl stepping in and “script reading”, massaging, and helping change positions! Our daughter was born Dec 7, 2009, it was the most amazing day of my entire life, and we are SO PROUD to say that Cheryl was a part of it!
PS.. One of my favorite parts of Cheryl is that we keep in touch on facebook and she gets to see Emily grow up.. and she gives advice along the way too! It’s almost as if I went shopping and got to hand pick out a new friend, have her at the most important event or our lives, and chat about anything to everything!
I HIGHLY recommend you meeting with Cheryl, you will love her!

Love you Cheryl. Thanks for everything!!!

My Husband and I made the decision to have a Doula with us for the birth of our baby because he is quite often out of town for work and my family all live in a different province.  We felt it would be of great comfort to have one person we could definitely count on to be by my side.  We are so grateful that we made this decision and feel so blessed to have had Cheryl Lloyd as our Doula.  We could not have asked for a more kind, gentle, intuitive, supportive and knowledgeable person to guide us along this journey.  On the day of our little boys’ birth, Cheryl was there every step of the way making sure that I (along with my Husband) was comfortable and at ease while being well informed about everything at the same time.  She had me up and walking at certain times when needed, snuggled up in warm blankets when rest was required and so much more.

Along with having Cheryl as our Doula, she was also our HypnoBirthing® Instructor/Coach. We worked with Cheryl on a weekly basis leading up to the big day learning and practicing all of the beneficial focus and relaxation tools and techniques that HypnoBirthing® offers. Not only were these tools useful during the actual delivery, they were also extremely helpful in guiding my Husband and I in relaxation throughout the entire pregnancy. When people comment on how laid back I was throughout the entire pregnancy and even afterwords, I feel that the biggest reason for this is the HypnoBirthing® method. I have often found myself using these same tools over the past six months of our sons’ life.

I would highly recommend working with a doula for any pregnancy (first, second or even fifth pregnancy). I would also recommend considering HypnoBirthing®. And if you are lucky enough to have Cheryl on your team as your Doula/Instructor/Coach and friend, you will experience the miracle of life in the most supportive, positive and enjoyable way possible. She is one in a million!

My husband Milton took his new job offer in Regina when I was 6 months pregnant with our first baby, Skye. Though I always wanted to have a natural birth, I was not quite sure what to do. Luckily, I discovered HypnoBirthing® on the internet. Milton and I moved to Regina when I was 7 months pregnant. We started taking HypnoBirthing® classes with Cheryl right away. After meeting her for the first time, we knew we have found the right person. She was calm, knowledgeable, positive, and very supportive. She always made me feel I was capable of giving birth naturally and happily. My surges started at 4:00 am on the big day. Cheryl met us shortly after we admitted into the hospital in the afternoon. The nurse didn’t have much to do until after baby was born, because Cheryl kept me calm and focused through out the entire evening. She would make sure I was hydrated by giving me water frequently. She gave me massages to relax my back and shoulder. She helped me by suggesting position changes whenever I felt uncomfortable. She kept reminding me to breathe properly when my body was tense. When I was 6-7 cm dilated, Cheryl suggested that I get into the tub. I felt more relaxed instantly. She would take turns pouring warm water on me when Milton and my mom were tired.
There is no doubt having Cheryl as my doula was the best decision I made during pregnancy. Her support allowed for a more positive and beautiful birth. I strongly recommend Cheryl, because she cares.

Knowing I wasn’t the only support for my wife and that Cheryl was there supporting both of us allowed me to relax and be more confident in my role during labour. Cheryl was so positive and supportive throughout the whole experience it truly made all the difference and the birth experience could not have been the same without her.
This being our first HypnoBirth®, I was a little concerned at what the nurses/doctors reactions to some of the HypnoBirthing® techniques may be. I was worried about being able to be a strong enough advocate for my wife if we ran up against a strong willed or pushy nurse/doctor. Having Cheryl there gave me the extra confidence I needed to be that strong voice and ensure we did everything possible to stay true to our birth plan and minimize interventions.

I remember very clearly the moment I walked into the hospital after my labour had started. I couldn’t believe how calm and confident I felt. Before my hypnotherapy session with Cheryl, hospitals were always a trigger for anxiety and stress. But, after working with Cheryl, I was able to cope with these feelings and put aside any worries I had about arriving at the hospital and losing my focus.
I can’t imagine what labour and birth would have been like for us if it wasn’t for Cheryl’s
presence. She is so professional, yet has the warmth and spirit of a long-time friend. We always recommend her to friends and look forward to having her present at the birth of our future children.

Thank you so much for being our doula! When people ask about labor I am always sure to say what great support I had! You were absolutely right—the birth of your child is something you remember for the rest of your life. I will always remember the 25+ hours you spent by my side. You helped Zac and I through the most challenging and yet wonderful hours of our lives. You were such an important part of Wrens beautiful birth. You believed I could do it when I didn’t. And then you helped me breathe through each surge and do what I didn’t think was possible at the moment, what I didn’t think I had the strength for—giving birth to our baby naturally (and of my own steam!). Thank you! I know we couldn’t have done it without your support.