Just like any other service, you have choices when it comes to who you choose for childbirth education, doula care, lactation support, and placenta encapsulation. And we LOVE that our community has options, especially since historically the Pensacola area has not had as many birth options as other places. This is why we brought BEST Doula Training to town in February--and eleven new doulas entered the community as a result! 

We get a lot of questions about what makes BTC different--and why we might be the right choice for a family's birth team. Obviously, a personal connection can't be created through a blog post, but we'd like to share a few things that we feel make us different from other options, and knowing those differences might help YOU narrow down which options are right for YOUR birth!

When you hire one BTC team member--you're automatically hiring an entire TEAM of birth professionals. We take our clients seriously, and cooperate to provide each client with whatever support they need. If you’re taking our childbirth classes, you’ll have access to more than one instructor who are familiar with our area options, but who will provide unbiased information. If you’re a doula client, this means that you are GUARANTEED that one (or more) doulas will be by your side for as long as you need, whenever you need. Our lower priced On-Call doula care option provides you with access to FIVE doulas for the same price some companies charge for one!

​This dedication to teamwork also means that one of our IBCLCs will touch bases with you and be available to answer questions or schedule a visit with you after your baby is born. As a postpartum client, questions or concerns that go beyond your postpartum care provider's range of knowledge will be fielded by one of the experienced doulas. Utilizing a single service still means you're OUR client. This gives you the option of starting out with one service and expanding to other services later if you discover you love the care you're receiving.

It's no secret that birth services can be pricey--but with BTC you get what you pay for! By setting our prices a little higher than you might pay elsewhere, we are able to sustainably provide undivided attention to fewer clients within a more condensed service area--which means more time and attention for YOU! We have doulas on-call 24/7, 365--the moment you sign your contract we are on call for you immediately. If you were to go into labor at 27, 35, or 42 weeks, we will be there. And there is no time limit for your care once you need labor support. While we may encourage you to labor on your own as long as your are able (to save the good stuff for when you really need it), as soon as you indicate you need your doula's support, she will head to you and stay with you as long as you need her.

​While some doulas may have a time limit on this continuous support before charging you more, we believe the last thing you need is to have to watch the clock in labor. As a result, your doula might be with you at your birth for 4 hours or 24 hours--your baby will decide that for us! If your labor is unusually long, no worries. Your doula has the ability to bring in a relief doula for a few hours to provide you with fresh support while she recharges, at no additional expense to you. On average, our doulas spend over 24 hours providing the combination of your prenatal, birth and postpartum support. This doesn't include the innumerable on-call hours waiting patiently for your phone call.

If you've chosen Essential Doula Care, your doula will make every effort to attend your birth--which includes making sure that her own family and personal obligations are taken care of well in advance so that she can focus on YOU when you need it. This may mean that your doula drops everything, cancels appointments, postpones plans, or doesn't commit to certain things so that she come to you in labor. Your birth becomes our personal priority once you hire us. And rest assured that if something unexpected prevents your doula from attending your birth, that your care will be taken over by someone as amazing as she is! This doesn't just apply to our doulas--our IBCLCs are always available, making last minute appointments because we understand that feeding your baby is one of the most important, and also one of the most overwhelming, things about your postpartum experience. Working as a cohesive team means that every single one of our clients receives timely, continuous, consistent care--whatever it takes to make you feel special and well cared for.

Talking about prices--who wants to contact a company just to find out what their prices are?! We love to save prospective clients time, so we aren't afraid of being transparent about our prices so that you can decide right away if we are a good fit from a financial standpoint. And our transparency doesn't end with our pricing. We have always prided ourselves on clarity regarding our philosophy, services, and service abilities. This means that we commit to uncovering your expectations for the services you’ll receive early in the relationship, being clear about what your money is paying for, and what to expect from whichever team member you hire. We also love sharing what’s going on with BTC with the community! What you find on our website and Facebook page is the most up-to-date information possible.

Your Birth is one of the most important events of your life—and having long-lasting relationships should be a natural extension of this amazing time in your life. BTC provides you with a ready-made community of trusted care providers and resources in addition to the ACTUAL community we’ve built for all of our clients. This includes our vibrant, active Facebook group and our regular Mom-Tot Playgroup. Whichever team member you work with will also be in touch from time to time to check in and see how you’re doing! The end of your contractual arrangement doesn’t mean your relationship with BTC is over—not by a long shot!

The first time I saw an animal give birth, I was in kindergarten. My kindergarten teacher--a gangly, kind young man named "Mr. Bob"--had misdiagnosed our class pet mice as both being female. Unbeknownst to our five-year-old innocence, this fact was discovered one fine morning when one of my classmates screamed "Mr. Bob! Pinky is killing Gracie!" We all ran horrified to the site of Gracie's apparent murder, where Pinky was furiously jumping on poor Gracie. Mr. Bob promptly pulled Pinky out by "her" tail and separated "her" into another cage. But alas, it was too late. Gracie was pregnant.

Three weeks later, another pleasant kindergarten morning was once again punctuated by a classmate screeching. "Mr. Bob! GRACIE IS DYING!!" Once again, we all rushed over to Gracie's cage, where she was barely visible under a pile of pine shavings...with a tiny pink squirmy thing slowly emerging from her hind end. Gracie gave birth to ten eraser-sized babies that morning as fourteen mesmerized five-year-olds stood around her cage. Poor Mr. Bob. 

I will never forget how after each of her babies were born, Gracie would lick each one, examining it in between her little paws, nudging it with her little nose. Gracie the Mouse imprinted on me that morning.

Now, as a doula, I can't help but think about physiological mammalian birth whenever I attend a birth. Think about it yourself: how do ALL other land mammals give birth when left alone to do so? They:

• Find a safe place that is generally dark, quiet, and undisturbed.
• Create an environment in this safe place--a "nest" so to speak.
• Are alone.
• Don't ask for help.
• Follow their instincts.
• Most of the time give birth PERFECTLY with no interference.
• Are the first and usually only other being to touch their young.
• Feed their baby/babies immediately.
• Are never separated from their young.

Now, how many humans do this? Not many. In fact, modern birth pretty much directly contradicts almost every single one of these instinctual things. If a momma is giving birth in the hospital she may:

• Give birth in a foreign place with bright lights, a loud intercom, and hospital staff barging in her room every fifteen minutes.
• Wear a shapeless, flapping gown worn by who knows how many before her; lay in a creaking bed with puzzle-piece mattress and bedding that could give you paper cuts (and pillows covered in plastic!) under florescent lights that make even the freshest of us look like crypt keepers.
• Be surrounded by people she may or may not have invited to her birth.
• Be given "help" whether or not she asks for it--one or more people who have no intimate connection with her may stick their fingers inside her on multiple occasions.
• Be pressured at some point to go against her instincts. And what happens when instincts are contradicted? Physiology and hormones create the "fight or flight" mechanism, depriving the core organs (one of which is the uterus!) of oxygen and blood flow which can cause increased pain and labor dystocia (stalling or lack of progression) and even cervical regression (decreased dilation--most people aren't even aware this might be possible)! If the mammalian brain thinks something is hostile or unsupportive of the birth process, the mammalian body responds by stopping labor to protect the baby from the hostile environment. I have witnessed labor completely stopping when something caused a mother fear, anxiety, frustration, or anger. 
• Have her baby be "delivered" by one or more caregivers. 
• Not be the first, or even the second or third, person to touch and speak to her baby.
• Be separated from her baby for minutes or hours after birth.
• Be separated from her baby for tests, exams, or other routines for hours at a time in the days that follow.

Okay. So that's a stark contrast. And it bears the question--is physiological birth truly possible in the hospital setting? Keep in mind, while out-of-hospital birth sounds like the perfect answer to this, a home or birth center, or mossy woodland birth is not something many (most) women can have. So for those mommas, who can only give birth in the hospital--what options do they have to have a truly natural birth in a truly unnatural setting? In my experience, yes, this is possible. But it relies on several key components.

First, your caregiver has to be on board. And this means that this caregiver is willing to follow YOUR cues. Which also means YOU have to be willing to call the shots. It sounds easy enough to take responsibility for your birth, but actually doing it is another. There must be an open dialogue and respect between you. In my case, this meant I was eating chicken Cesar salad and chocolate chip cookies a few hours before birth, during which my midwife never turned on the overhead light, and at one point was laying awkwardly on the bed, so I could stay in the hands-and-knees position I had assumed naturally while pushing. One of many examples of how SHE followed MY lead that day, instead of her telling me how to give birth for her convenience.

Second, you have to sharpen and FOLLOW your instincts. If something doesn't feel right DON'T DO IT (or let it be done to you). And if you feel like something is necessary, DO IT (or ask that it be done).

Third, choose your hospital wisely. Choose a hospital that gives you autonomy when it comes to what you will wear, where and how you will labor, what interventions you will choose, and will provide you with a comfortable space to make your own. 

Fourth, HIRE A DOULA! Part of my job is to help create your birth nest, and then to shelter that nest while you work away at birthing in it. And then I will continue to protect your nest as you welcome your little one into it and spend the first hours of your life together snuggling in it instead of being separated by the artificial light and warmth of the newborn warmer. 

So, the answer to the question...is physiological birth possible in the hospital setting? Well, there will not be a daisy-studded field, or a pile of soft leaves, or a crystal clear pool from the water of an Alaskan glacier...but, you CAN have a self-directed birth which will translate into the closest thing possible inside a hospital.