Chris Cleary, ICCE, CD (DONA), CBE, HBCE, Doula and Doula Trainer (DONA), BDT (DONA)
Chris is the owner and founder of Birthmatters. She has shared her knowledge as a dedicated instructor and advocate for birthing families for more than 20 years. She is Certified as a Childbirth Educator, Doula, Breastfeeding Educator and Happiest Baby on the Block instructor. During those years she has had the privilege of participating in the labors and births of more than 350 babies.
Having taught hospital-based classes for years, Chris felt the need to offer parents more, and decided to start her own birth education organization. Birth Matters offers classes to empower and enable families to make the best choices for themselves for the labor and delivery of their baby. Meet Chris in her welcome video!
Melissa Hall
Melissa is a DONA certified birth doula. She also has completed hypno-doula training with Hypnobabies, and is working on certification. The births of her four children led to the path of becoming a doula herself. She knows firsthand that the birth of a child is a major life event that will stay with a woman the rest of her life, whether it was a positive experience or otherwise. She understands information and education of the birth process and the options available is empowering. Melissa really loves doula work and has a passion for helping families find empowering information and seeing them have a fulfilling birth. Most importantly, she understands and respects the sacredness of birth, and wants to help, encourage, and support moms all the way through their pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum journey. Her doula fee is $750. Meet Melissa in her welcome video!
Crystal Wright, HCHD
Crystal is a devoted wife and mother to 8 children. It was her own births and being there for friends during their birthing time that led her to becoming a doula. She's had 7 vaginal deliveries and 1 cesarean. 5 of those births were VBACs (vaginal births after c-section). She was trained through DONA as a birth doula. She is also a Hypno-Doula and Lamaze certified childbirth educator.
Crystal believes that women were designed to birth no matter how their babies are born. She knows for certain that every single woman deserves educational, emotional and physical support during their pregnancy, labor, and postpartum period and is happy to do this with them! It’s her goal to support not just mothers, but fathers, grandmothers, sisters, and every family member who will be involved in this beautiful adventure. She'd love to meet you and discuss more about her services. Her doula fee is $950. Meet Crystal in her welcome video!
Karolyn Budzek Chowning
Karolyn believes in informed, individualized choice in all reproductive decisions. Her education (Master of Science in personality and social psychology) emphasizes both the unique variance in individuals and the overt power of situations in determining attitudes, behavior and cognitions. Karolyn has taken Gail Tully's Spinning Babies workshop and she is passionate about assisting pregnant women to influence their environment and find their personal peace. A U. S. Army veteran and former college instructor, Karolyn’s goal is to serve families through calm confidence and patient persistence. Meet Karolyn in her welcome video!
Kalli Wolf
Kalli is a trained birth doula who is passionate about helping women become active participants in their reproductive health care choices. She has a bachelor's degree in anthropology, which has led her to look at birth through a sociocultural lens and made her recognize the power of birth grounded in diverse traditions and personal agency. Currently, she is a senior nursing student at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and plans to begin her education as a certified nurse-midwife next fall. Her doula fee is $460. Meet Kalli in her welcome video!
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What is a Birth Doula?
Birth doulas accompany women and their partners in labor and delivery to help ensure that they have the most rewarding birth experience possible. Doulas do not replace active participation from partners. A doula can assist partners by helping them better assist their loved one. This allows birth partners to be involved to the level of their comfort. This takes a lot of the pressure off partners and mothers so that they can enjoy their births more.
Going through labor and birth can have a profound affect on both mothers and fathers. A doula can help provide support to families as they embark on this exciting and sometimes daunting experience. Doulas provide informational, educational and comfort measure support. They are there for you and your family and are hired by you. Their main focus is on you and your comfort and progress throughout your labor. Families who include doulas tend to be happier with their birth experiences.
We are independent and self-employed professionals, working solely for you, and not your caregivers, or hospital.
Having a doula at your birth greatly reduces your stress, helping you have a more positive birth experience!
- Reduces the rate of caesareans
- Shortens labors
- Mothers require fewer interventions
- Fewer mothers requesting medications
- Less use of forceps or vacuum extractors
- Reduction in the use of pitocin
- Fewer mothers who have episiotomies
- Fewer mothers who experience postpartum depression
Finding the right doula can make a huge difference in how your family can experience your birth!
Our Doulas Provide:
- Reassurance and perspective for you and your partner.
- Assist you in creating your own personal birth preferences.
- Information as to what is happening and options you have during your labor. Assist you in finding innovative ways to help your labor progress.
- Assistance with breathing and relaxation techniques.
- Assistance with comfort measures such as massage and positions throughout labor and birth.
- Help you get breastfeeding off to a good start.
- Are on call for you for questions at any time throughout your pregnancy.
- Usually meet with families 2 -3 times prior to labor and stay in contact by phone as your due date approaches.
- Remain with you throughout your labor and birth.
- Suggestions as your labor progresses.
- Remain on-call for you should any problems arise in those first few days after delivery.
- Available (but not limited to) to the following areas: Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Edmond, Guthrie, Noble, Del City, Yukon, Shawnee and surrounding areas.
