doula services

"One of the most amazing things about giving birth is how it simultaneously exposes a woman's greatest power and her greatest vulnerability. She is a source of strength in equal measure to her need of support. This is the awesome paradox of birth."

What is a Doula?

The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period. Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.

Meet Yiska

Yiska Obadia-Gedal is an experienced NYC based birth doula, acupuncturist and massage therapist working to provide nurturing and skillful birth support services for expectant parents-to-be. Having served in over 150 births, I apply my experience and expertise to support families through the multitude of knowns and unknowns of pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. The priority is for my clients to always feel empowered and supported through this major life transition.

My Approach

My primary desire as a doula is to help you feel that you can trust your body, trust the process of birth itself, and trust the choices you’ll make along the way. I aim to support you in having as calm and empowering a birth experience as possible where you can feel confident and safe enough to let go. I spend generous amounts of time prenatally helping you and your partner understand what to expect, how to prepare yourselves, and the ways in which even the decisions you make ahead of time can impact your birth experience.

I have absolutely no agenda for your birth and am completely committed to supporting all birth desires and pain coping strategies. Most importantly, I want you and your partner to feel confident in your own birth choices and to walk away from this pivotal life experience feeling deeply respected and cared for.

My Fees

The fee for my basic birth doula services is $3,450

The fee for my deluxe birth doula package is $4,800.

If I am out of your budget, you may be interested in hiring a Comforting Touch Mentor Doula.

What Doulas Do For You

Basic Doula Services Include

Recognize birth as a key experience the parents will remember all their life.
Understand the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor.
Assist the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth.
Stay with the woman throughout the labor.
Provide emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping her get the information she needs to make informed decision.
Facilitate communication between the laboring woman, her partner and their clinical care providers.
Allow the woman's partner to participate at their comfort level.

Access to unlimited phone, text and email support from the point of hire through birth.
One in-person prenatal visit in your home to get to know you and discuss your birth desires, expectations, preferences and feelings. We’ll clarify my role, prepare you with questions for your care providers, and cover relaxation and comfort techniques, and more.
Being on call from 38-42 weeks.
Continuous emotional, physical and informational support during your birth including massage and/or acupuncture as desired. I will remain up to 2 hours postpartum until your family is ready to bond privately.
One in person postpartum visit helping you to process the birth and establish successful breastfeeding.

Deluxe Doula Services Include

Access to unlimited phone, text and email support from the point of hire through birth.
One in-person prenatal visit in your home to get to know you and discuss your birth desires, expectations, preferences and feelings. We’ll clarify my role, prepare you with questions for your care providers, and cover relaxation and comfort techniques, and more.
1 in-home prenatal massage and/or acupuncture session.
1 private virtual Havening session to process any fears and/or prior trauma.
1 special virtual class to prepare partners in the nuanced practices of Comforting Touch for Pregnancy & Birth, including a complimentary copy of my digital guidebook.
Being on call from 38-42 weeks.
Continuous emotional, physical and informational support during your birth including massage and/or acupuncture as desired. I will remain up to 2 hours postpartum until your family is ready to bond privately.
One in person postpartum visit helping you to process the birth and establish successful breastfeeding.
1 in-home postpartum massage and/or acupuncture session. This may include "mother-roasting", a traditional Chinese medicine practice for replenishing and restoring your postpartum energy and strength.
1 private Comforting Touch for Babies class to learn baby massage techniques to care for your little one.

Alternative Services

Prenatal Birth Prep & Coaching Sessions that do not include birth attendance are also an option to help you and your partner feel better prepared for and capable of creating the birth experience you want. I'll help you prepare emotionally and physically, and provide you with the resources you need to continue making informed choices. $350.

If you're interested, please reach out to schedule a time to "meet" and discuss how I can help you have your best birth!

You can do this.

Testimonials

"I knew I wanted Yiska to be my doula after she took care of me the whole ninth month of my pregnancy when my back was out. She gave me massage and acupuncture twice a week up until I went into labor and I was thrilled that it was she who would support us at the birth. Yiska's confident and soft presence, her knowledge of the body, and her incredible hands is exactly what I wanted for my birth. She knew exactly the right things to say and exactly the right way to touch me throughout it all. The couple of moments when I thought, I can't do this, Yiska's magical words and general way kept me focused. The bonus of course was her writing up our birth story post-labor. What a gift."
Ariel Rosen Ingber

“Working with Yiska as our birth doula was an amazing experience. From the first time we met and throughout our pre-natal visits, we found it easy to relate and communicate with her. She was open to our needs and was a great listener. We quickly felt just as comfortable around her as we would a member of the family. After my water broke late in the evening and my labor progressed rapidly, Yiska came as soon as we asked her to - even though it was around 4 in the morning. We had planned for a home birth, but after about 12 hours of intense active labor and pushing, we ended up needing to transfer to the hospital due to failure to progress. From the time she arrived at our home to after I gave birth at the hospital (about 24 later), Yiska was by my side, working tirelessly to make me more comfortable and feel supported. Her help was crucial throughout the birth process, at home and in the hospital environment. She did an amazing job of working seamlessly with my birth team including my husband and midwife, as well as the hospital staff, to ensure that I never felt alone and always had encouragement. My husband, who wanted to take on an active role in supporting me in my birth, greatly appreciated her instinctive sense of how to work with him. She knew exactly when to step in with her expertise and when to step back and let the two of us work together while offering him advice on how to help me. Her care was diligent, intuitive and steadfast. We would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a doula.”
Josh and Elizabeth Kalin