Find a Doula in Lincoln Nebraska

Kathie Smith

Status - Inactive

I would consider doing occasional births and postpartum support

Level - Intermediate

(less than 10 births)

"Birth is normal and any woman could birth all alone if she had to--but, since a woman doesn't have to birth alone, it is greatly helpful to have as much support as possible."

The following information was provided by Kathie to help her couples learn more about what types of support she can provide. Please be sure to email or call with any additional questions you may have.

Name:	Kathie Smith	Email address:	kasmith13@gmail.com
Website:	No	Phone Number:	402-840-0422
What is the best way for a couples to contact you?	phone or email - I will most often respond with one day.	Are you a postpartum doula?	I would be willing to provide postpartum support, but I am not trained as a postpartum doula.
Are you a birth doula?	Yes	Do you provide breastfeeding support?	I've taken the hospital breastfeeding class for my own knowledge, as well as breastfed my own children.
How many years have you called yourself a doula or labor assistant?	Three years	Can a couple call you with anytime day or night?	Absolutely, anytime!
What is the max number of births you are able to attend each month?	1 - 2 per month	How many births have you attended as of June 2009?	I have attended 4 labors as a doula, and helped 3 women to push their babies out. I have also videotaped one homebirth for a friend. I am also going to attend another birth in August 2009.
Who do you personally rely on for backup?	My usual recommendation for backup is Nicci Walla--she was my childbirth educator and doula.	What are your credentials/experience	Please read below this chart for more details on Kathie's training and experience.
Are interested in a meeting other doulas for finding reliable backup?	yes	Do you assist mothers while they labor in their homes and hospital or just one or the other?	Both--I have not yet had the pleasure of attending a mom in her home because none of my clients have called me that early--they all have waited until they were at the hospital. However, I encourage my clients to call me as soon as they think they are in labor, and I will come to them whenever they need me. I have assisted one mom in labor during an hour long car ride.
Do you have any preference for the types of births you attend?	I believe I am most comfortable in a hospital setting, since that is what my experience is so far. However, I think homebirths are very beautiful and peaceful, so I would be open to attending a homebirth. I seem to attract women who are concerned they might have a c-section, so I guess that is something I am not afraid of--in fact, the reason I became a doula is to help women avoid having unnecessary c-sections, since my first c-section was unnecessary.	What is your religious preference?	I am Christian (Lutheran), but I only provide spiritual support to those clients that request it.
Are there any local childbirth classes that you personaly recommend to couples.	I adore Bradley classes and have also found Hypnobabies to be useful. I have also taken Lamaze classes, which can be useful for some women.	Can you give potential couples an idea of how much you charge to attend births as a doula?	I charge a flat $200 fee. Half of my fee is due prior to the birth, when you select me as your doula. The other half of my fee is due within one month of the birth--typically it's easiest to pay this at your postpartum visit with me.
Will you provide a sliding fee for lower income couples?	Absolutely. If a couple cannot afford my rates, I would gladly work with them either for a payment plan or reduce or waive my fees. I love attending births.	Are you open to trading or bartering for services	It would depend on what is being bartered, but I'd be open to discussing it.

Training / Credentials / Experience

I have completed the training for DONA certification in 2006 (which includes a 3 day training, reading numerous books on childbirth, and attending a series of childbirth classes), and have taken Bradley, Lamaze, and Hypnobabies childbirth training. I have also attended women in four births. Each of these births was very different, so I've had some range of experience. One of my clients had a planned c-section for breech baby, but she wanted me to attend her in labor (since her doctor was willing to let her go into labor)--she did fabulous and labored very well; another client of mine had hoped to go without pain meds but had a medical condition which made labor more painful than normal, plus she had some induction, so she had pain meds to take the edge off, but still labored beautifully before and after having the pain medication. Another client of mine had some augmentation of labor with pitocin but refused pain meds and was a total warrior princess laboring through pitocin contractions, and another birth I attended was completely natural, and the mom used water to manage her labor pressure. All of these moms did great, and have taught me that each and every birth is completely unique. No two are the same, ever.

You may ask, why am I NOT certified as a DONA doula? That is a simple easy answer. The answer is, I had another baby of my own and by the time I was able to attend my third birth that would have qualified me to be DONA certified, it had been too long since my other births and my training, and I would have had to begin all over again and pay for another training. I chose to not pursue certification at this time because I do not have frequent enough clients to guarantee certification.

So far all the births I've attended as a doula have been hospital births. I personally have 2 children, with whom I went through labor to complete dilation and pushed (moreso with the first child than the second) and then had emergent c-sections. So I've experienced every aspect of birth except the joy of my own baby crowning and shooting into the world. :-)

One other point: I've attended births for moms who have husbands, life partners, and moms who have no partner.

Final Words From Kathie

I am a mom of two boys, still hoping for that elusive girl baby. I have had all c-sections, but the two labors were as different as can be. My first c-section is what led me to being a doula--I was left emotionally distraught and felt that my c-section was unnecessary. I feel called to help women in labor, so that they feel empowered and in control as much as possible. My goal is to prevent women from experiencing the distress I felt, whether they have a drug-free birth or a scheduled c-section. Every woman must choose for herself the birth she wants to have.

Here is my philosophy as a doula: Birth is normal and any woman could birth all alone if she had to--but, since a woman doesn't have to birth alone, it is greatly helpful to have as much support as possible. Husbands, life partners, children, parents, doulas, care providers--everyone provides support in their own way. The advantages of a doula is experience, gender (yes, men just don't do this birth thing so they don't have the same perspective), and education. As a doula, I am trained and knowledgeable, and a wonderful resource for you as a birthing mom. I provide physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual support as necessary. I love working with dads--both those dads that know what they are doing and just need a little support, and those dads who might want to sit back and let me do the hands-on stuff!

Regarding support, I typically meet with you once for an interview, to see if we are a good fit, and then we do two prenatal appointments to prepare for attending your birth. Then, when you are in labor, I attend you as soon as you wish and provide continuous labor support. I will not leave (except for short bathroom breaks!) until an hour or two after the birth, when you and your baby are settling in and have tried to breastfeed (if that is your preference). Once it seems that you are settled, I will leave you to rest. I will visit you about two weeks after your birth, to answer any concerns you have and check in on you and baby. I also am available for pregnancy or postpartum questions, anytime day or night. If you want more extensive postpartum support (housecleaning, laundry, baby care, etc.) I am willing to do that for an additional fee, although I am not trained in postpartum doula support. (I think I can manage a little laundry and I know very well how to care for babies, though)

Client Testimonials for ???

"I asked Kathie to attend my homebirth during her initial doula certification time frame... her main duty was to video tape my birth but she did much more than this. I know that Kathie does not count my birth as one of her "official" births but she really should, and here is the reason why... being a doula is about supporting a laboring woman in any way that she needs on her very special day... and knowing that Kathie was going to take care of the birth video was extremely important to me. I had tried very hard to have my three previous births caught on tape and this never happened for one reason or another... I remember a huge sense of relief and comfort the first time I heard Kathie in the room at my 4th birth. I had planned for her to be there, in my mind her presence was just as important as my husband or the midwife, and I was able to have my perfect birth because she followed through for me and did what I needed her to do! Furthermore; after the birth when the baby needed to be "cup fed" colostrum, Kathie was the only one to step up and help get the job done properly... thank you so much for being an invaluable part of my day and doing exactly what I needed you to do... you were my doula that day and you were very good at it, my experience would not have been the same without you! ~Nicci W.~

"Kathie was the perfect doula for my birth. I was looking for someone who understood natural childbirth, but also had experience with c-sections since I had some risk factors. Kathie’s understanding of both helped ease my mind in the event that we would end up with a c-section. I also needed someone who was comfortable working in a hospital setting with an OB. When we arrived at the hospital, Kathie educated the nurses on the use of the birthing bar and helped me make informed decisions when pressured for intervention by the doctor. She was supportive of my decisions and helped my husband advocate for me, but was also able to keep tensions between our wishes and the hospital to a minimum. She was very “hands on” when I needed help with the pain and knew just where to push on my back through transition. With her help, we were able to have a natural birth for our beautiful daughter. My husband was initially a little uneasy with the idea of a doula, but Kathie worked well with him and allowed him to have some much needed rest. He’s sold on having a doula for our next birth. Thank you Kathie!" ~Donna G.~