1.
What is the difference between a doula and a maternity coach (Pre/postnatal educator & coach)?
A doula is a person who is primarily focused on the delivery of a baby and offers emotional support and practical guidance around labour and childbirth. Whereas a maternity coach is involved in the preparation, education and planning aspects of pregnancy, and the post birth period, including the transition into parenthood. A maternity coach is also able to organise and make referrals as and when needed as well as inform and provide information on anything required.
Frequently Asked Questions
2.
Will the maternity coaching/education sessions replace prenatal/antenatal preparation classes?
No. The maternity coaching sessions are in addition to birth preparation classes to help prepare you in other ways for the total life change that awaits. Antenatal classes are generally more focused on the actual birth. There is currently not enough focus placed on the transition period after. I help couples to look beyond that as the modern parent of today are subjected to an enormous amount of pressure without the support they would need for this huge life change, especially due to the fact that families have increasingly become isolated from each other, as they scatter all across the globe...
3.
Do I provide "Sleep Training"
I don’t like to use the term "sleep training" as that term is super loaded and it can mean very different things to many different people. It is exactly that word that gives the sleep coaching industry a bad rap! I prefer the term Sleep Shaping because when I work with a family, I evaluate the entire context for sleep – the physical, emotional, social, developmental and environmental factors and I see the family as an interdependent unit.
I believe sleep is a natural function of the human body that does not need to be taught or “trained”. It's a matter of addressing the things that are interfering with the body's natural rhythms and inviting a lifestyle for the whole family that supports sleep.