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• • Labor Support Doula (34+ years experience, attended over 1,100 births):

Judith Elaine Halek is a “labor specialist” supporting a mother and her partner during pregnancy, labor, and birth. Labor doulas advocate information between the couple and the medical caregivers.

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Statistics have proven the assistance of a labor doula: an analysis of 12 clinical studies* on the effects of uninterrupted labor support, such as a doula provides, identified the following improvements over births that lacked continuous support:

• 51% reduction in cesarean births
• 25% reduction in labor length (average of 98 minutes)
• 35% reduction in analgesia
• 71% reduction in oxytocin augmentation
• 57% reduction in the use of forceps/vacuum

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Below are examples of continuous labor support benefits for mother and baby. Mothers who have labored in the presence of a doula report:

• greater satisfaction with childbirth
• more positive assessments of their babies
• less postpartum depression
• increased self-esteem of their babies:
• have shorter hospital stays
• are less likely to be admitted to special-care nurseries;
• breastfeed more easily
• receive more affection from their mothers postpartum.

Taken from Article: Childbirth Education and Doula Care During Times of Stress, Trauma and Grieving, by Debra Pascali-Bonara, Bed, CD(DONA), A Lamaze International Publication, Jperinat Educ. 2003 Fall:12(4): 1-7, copyright 2003.

Services Include:

• An initial interview to get to know each other and answer questions regarding the doula services ($50 fee to cover my meeting you. If we work together, that $50 will go toward the total fee.) If clients live out of town (NYC) interview will be at Birth Balance home office. Includes an envelope of pregnancy-related product samples.
• A Letter of Agreement signed along with the full Doula fee. (Unless other arrangements have been made.) Payment is requested in full before the labor/birth.
• A commitment of five weeks “on-call” for labor, pre/postal-natal telephone counseling. (3 weeks before the estimated due date and 2 weeks after the date, unless a home birth situation where the on-call post dates could go longer than 2 weeks.)
• Check-in calls after every pre-natal meeting with your medical caregiver.
• Numerous email contacts with the latest workshops, counsel, resources, support, birth plan development, or answering questions during pregnancy.
• SKYPE or telephone DreamBirth® Imagery for pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum exercises: 2-5 sessions.
• 1 or 2 prenatal meetings, which will cover: an extensive package with various forms, history intake and discussion, birth plan development, and DreamBirth® Imagery exercises.
• Early labor telephone coaching.
• Go home before transferring to a hospital or birth center if time permits.
• Physical, emotional and spiritual participation during active labor, in the home, birth center, or hospital.
• Stay with clients until in the post-partum room.
• Telephone assistance after birth.
• One post-partum visit to review the labor and birth outcomes at the client’s home.

Judith’s Skills:

Pre/post-massage, Childbirth Educator, natural breech versions, natural inductions, tub rental, placenta encapsulation and tinctures, DreamBirth® Imagery and Calm Birth™ Practioner, Birth Consultant and Counselor, aromatherapist, herbalist, pregnancy/labor/birth photographer, east coast waterbirth resource center, 26+ years experience and over 1,000 births in attendance.

• •  Placenta Encapsulation and/or Life Time Tincture and Salves (34+ years experience):

The placenta increases milk production, reduces pain, increases healing, alters and balances hormone levels, counteracts post-partum depression, supports energy levels, lessens post-partum bleeding, curbs baby blues, and has been known to cure a child’s blood disease. Services include: prepared within the first week of birth in Birth Balance’s office,125-200+ capsules, placenta print, cord preservation in a medicine bag, numerous articles, and a baby’s gift. Additional services include a lifetime herbal/homeopathic remedy from the placenta and salves. Tincture takes six+ weeks to prepare. We then meet in person to go over the details of how to incorporate and continue to make the herbal and homeopathic tinctures from the Mother Tincture. Herbal tincture includes a dropper bottle and homeopathic tincture include a dropper and spray bottle for travel. The salves can be made and delivered when the placenta pills are picked up. Check out the Birth Balance Blog on Placentas The Trees of Life.

Research Studies Supporting Placenta Encapsulation
The placenta is composed of beneficial hormones, chemicals, iron, and proteins. More:
http://www.placentawise.com/research-studies-supporting-placenta-encapsulation/

REVIEW: The services from Birth Balance was beyond expectation. It was evident that love, passion, and time is put into this wonderful experience of making my placenta into pills and saving my umbilical cord for my newborn.  Even more so, the presentation of the packet was extremely impressive and the information packet on the use of placenta encapsulation included in the packet provided even more details on why it is so valuable. Birth Balance values all aspects of new life because she even asked around and referred me to a lactation consultant!!  I would refer to Birth Balance without hesitation!
S. Moore – Psychiatrist (2013)

• •  Pre/Post-Natal Massage:

Massage helps to reduce stress, edema, lower blood pressure, and in some cases assist to bring on labor if one is past their due date. Aromatherapy, organic creams, and DreamBirth® Imagery can be utilized to help de-stress, prepare for labor, or heal after birth. Treatments are an hour and a half with hands-on and give yourself a 2-hour window for the visit. A pregnancy table is used or a body support system for pregnancy. Visits can be in the privacy of your home or in my office. Different fees apply.

• •  Induction & Breech Versions:

This is an extensive, detailed, two-hour treatment utilizing stimulation of acupuncture points with band-aid beads and moxibustion,  go through various inverted postures, discuss homeopathic remedies, counseling regarding the stressors you are going through, and DreamBirth® Imagery to assist the baby to turn with natural remedies. Partners are welcome to attend the sessions and learn the techniques and assist the mothers at home. A package of articles on breech presentation as well as materials to work with at home will be given to you at the end of the session. We will discuss the ‘optimal fetal position’ through ‘belly mapping.’ You will receive an extensive article that will help you know where your baby is positioned.   If you need to go for an ‘external version’, we discuss setting up a SKYPE or phone conversation to go over DreamBirth® Imagery Exercises to help prepare you for a smooth, easy version.

• •  Birth Consultant:

We discuss practitioners and facilities available in the New York and New Jersey area that support water immersion or birth in homes, hospitals, or birth centers. This could include specific information on water birth caregivers and facilities as well as resources and information regarding differences between labor support doulas, postpartum doulas, and baby-nurses. The discussion can be orchestrated according to the couple’s needs. Sessions run from one hour to an hour and a half to two hours in my office.

• •  Birth Counseling:

Through Calm Birth and DreamBirth™ Imagery Exercises for Childbirth, short-term counseling for mother and/or partner, preparing for labor, birth, and parenting. Get in touch with fears, blockages, and utilizing concrete tools to move through the process with ease, clarity, and empowerment. Supportive tools include Body-Centered Hypnosis, Calm Birth, and DreamBirth™ Imagery Methods. Sessions can be done in person, on the phone, or through SKYPE. 45 min to 1.5-hour sessions.

• •  Private Childbirth Preparation Classes:

If busy schedules do not permit a couple to attend group classes over a period of weeks, this is a perfect alternative to acquire the skills and knowledge to prepare for labor and birth. In the privacy of your home or my office, we spend 2 days: 3 hours, discussing the ‘nuts and bolts of childbirth’ from alternative to allopathic approaches. There is an extensive folder of information and articles. We will cover, coping strategies, terminology, alternatives, and allopathic approaches to labor including the benefits and deficits of each approach. A ‘loaning library’ of labor/birth films is available for your usage.

• •  Waterbirth Tub Rentals:

There are two tub options:  Tub #1, “Pool In A Box” (if you have a larger space to set up tub).Both packages include pumps/hose/liner plus more, 5-week rental fee. $25/week beyond 5 weeks. Includes 1-hour personal tutorial explaining how to set up/clean/takedown the pool, plus valuable tips and suggestions and short cuts you will only hear from Judith, is provided with the rental fee. Couples will pick up and drop off the pool at the designated area where the tutorial will take place. For more information on tub rentals please visit these sections of my website:  Tub #1, “Pool In A Box” plus accouterments.

REVIEW: Judith really cares about making sure her clients have the knowledge, skills, and practice to have the birth experience they want. She spent an hour going over how to set up and break down the tub and went over everything in the birthing tub kit so we would know what it is for. She also recommended doing a test run to make sure that we really understood everything. The preparation really paid off! By the time I went into labor, my husband could set up the tub by himself in next to no time while our doula kept me company. The tub itself was wonderful. I labored in it for hours and it really took away much of the pain. We’re so grateful to Judith for helping us have the birth we wanted.
-Carolyn, attorney

• •  Pre or Post-Natal Photography:

Secure time with your baby inside or outside with memorable moments that last a lifetime. Clothed, nudes or semi-nudes, in the privacy of your home or in my studio. Weather permitting, pregnancy or post-natal outdoors photos blend well with nature. The session includes digital low-resolution photographs: approximately 200-300 on a CD, colored proof sheets, +3 (8 X 10) black/white, color or sepia digital prints, or one larger print. Details will be discussed with regard to your choice. Car Service or a rental for travel outside NYC will be covered by the client.

• •  Labor/Birth Photography:

Having a baby is often a once in a lifetime miracle. Secure this experience with labor and birth photographs to share with your child as he/she grows. The photographer is on call three weeks before the estimated due date and two weeks after the due date (longer if it is a home birth). There is a meeting to sign a ‘Letter of Agreement’ firming up details before the birth and a meeting after the birth to preview the photographs and discuss the package. The photographer owns the negatives and legally cannot do anything with them without the permission of the parents. Included are approximately 300-600 digital prints, a low-resolution CD, a color contact sheet including all the photographs, and +5 (8 X 10) black/white, color, or sepia digital prints. Parents agree to cover the cost of transportation out of New York City during labor and birth.