Doula Services
Leonora's desire to become a doula unfolded out of teaching prenatal yoga. Helping students throughout each stage of their pregnancy to prepare for labor and the birth of their child created this desire to continue to serve them through labor preparation, labor itself and the postpartum stage on into parenthood. Being a doula is an act of service, service to the individual moving through one of the most life-changing transitions one can experience, becoming a parent, and it is with great reverence and appreciation that Leonora fulfills this service. Leonora was trained within the Roots of Labor Birth Collective in 2018. If you are looking to engage me as your birth or postpartum doula, sign up for a free 30 minute zoom consultation! We'll chat, you'll receive a copy of my standard birth doula contract and receive contact information from previous clients of mine.
Rebozo Workshop - Techniques for Pregnancy, Labor, Postpartum Bodywork + Babywearing
The use of the traditional textiles and fabric like the rebozo of Latin America for supporting pregnancy and birth is based on the ancient knowledge and technology of wise women, mothers, grandmothers and midwives of Latin America. In this workshop, birthworkers as well as birthing people and a birth partner will gather together to learn how to respect, honor and learn more about this tradition, to support a birthing person, a parent-in-the-making, a new parent and an infant.
We’ll cover rebozo use that can help:
* Increase support partners’ knowledge and confidence in their labor support roles
* Alleviate stress and common discomforts in pregnancy
* Improve alignment and create muscle relaxation for babies’ optimal positioning
* Relieve discomfort during labor
* Support upright positioning for a shorter and easier labor
* Help heal in postpartum pains with bodywork techniques
* Wearing/carrying an infant in cloth material to support bonding, healthy feeding, baby's growth and better infant sleep
Format:
A 2 hour long group workshop with discussion, education and hands on practices. I will offer some evidence based education about fetal positioning and how to achieve and optimal fetal position for birth.
Recommendation for registrants and the sliding scale: Individuals to pay lower rate, couples to pay the higher rate.
Participants are welcomed to bring their own textiles and cloths if they wish as they also learn how to support the pregnant birthing person in labor, sometimes with hospital blankets/sheets, towels, sarongs.
Rebozos will be available for purchase after the workshop for participants who feel drawn to using them through the practice of working with them and respecting their indigenous origins and uses.
My use of fabrics in my birthwork, fabrics like the rebozo comes from my doula training with Roots of Labor Birth Collective: https://www.rootsoflaborbc.com/, midwife Tema Mercado of La Matriz Birth Services: https://www.lamatrizbirth.com/, colleague birthworkers and in my experience as a birth worker.
Sign up in early. Space is limited.
Partner Prenatal Yoga w/Pregnancy and Labor Comfort Measures
I hold this in-person workshop monthly at the Daughter of Samoa Yoga studio and headquarters. The workshop is ideal for pregnant people between 31 and 39 weeks of pregnancy and a labor support partner. The class focuses on body scanning to read a birthing person's body cues, internal breath awareness and attuning to another's breath, movement, visualization and meditation with affirmations and some partner yoga poses as warm-up. Some poses and techniques learned will help alleviate pregnancy discomforts and is most definitely used during labor as comfort measures with assistance from your support partner, a chair, rebozo, yoga ball. Support partners will also learn massage techniques that will support relaxation during pregnancy and labor.
Cost: $125/couple
15% off for those with a Prenatal (Yoga) Membership. Email [email protected] for the discount code.
Workshops are in person in West Oakland. Preregistration required as these fill up quickly! Add yourself to the waitlist as well and I may open up another workshop within a month.
Workshops are currently scheduled through June with next available below. Please visit my booking platform, Momence, to see all workshop dates.
This workshop material can can also set up an in-home session and I will help you create a labor circuit. Email me at [email protected] or sign up for the free 30 minute consultation to discuss further.
Next available public group workshop is below. I look forward to helping you and a birth partner provide you with comfort during pregnancy and in labor.
Individualized, One-on-One Childbirth Education and Birth & Postpartum Envisioning Sessions
Why sign up for these sessions? Hospital childbirth education courses teach you how to be a good patient, with the institution's perspective and directives in mind. Why not instead, learn from a birthworker who is outside of the system within which you are birthing your baby and learn about what you can expect from your birth location staff and care providers, from labor, from yourself, your body, from your birth team partner(s)? Feel empowered in your labor and birth to make informed choices about your pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey.
Why do I want to provide you with this opportunity? I'm an experienced birthworker who is passionate about helping people become attuned to their bodies and the physiologic process of pregnancy and birth, to know about their birth options within any birth location, so they can feel informed, confident, empowered, sovereign and autonomous as they birth their babies into the world.
What do these sessions entail? I cover nearly two hours' worth of material for each topic, leaving for Q&A time after. Each session is a maximum of two hours and set for a meeting time that convenient for you and your schedule as well as your birth team members. If you find that none of the proposed time slots work for you and your birth team, notify me and we can set up an alternative meeting time. You will receive a google form to complete before we meet, helping me to understand what it is that you are most interested in learning about concerning the individual topics as well as what your current birth and postpartum vision is. Select any of the subjects below: anatomy and physiology, hospital protocol and policy, birth preferences planning, lactation and the early postpartum education, to view some of the individual topics therein.
What can I expect to happen when I sign up? These sessions are best don ein the order that you see them in below, but when you sign up for any of the sessions below, you’ll receive a short google in-take form from me with questions that will help me get to know you better and also to help you discover more about your desired pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey. You'll receive infographics and toolkits by The Educated Birth as tools for you to use beyond our sessions together. It's all a journey for you with me as your guide.
Be informed! Feel empowered and confident! This is your birth, your baby, your body and your vision!
AAPI Women Lead
In this interview, Leonora shares her role as a doula during COVID-19 as well as what pregnant people can do to create the kind of birth they wish to have in any time, circumstance and location. #aapiwomenlead #everyonedeservesadoula
Book a free 30 minute consultation session with me.
Learn more about my doula offerings