About our staff
Amy Farr
I gave birth to my daughter Maura in late 2005, an experience that led me to become a doula. When my son Ryan was born in April 2008, the process did not work out as well as I had planned, but this only served to reinforce my desire to help as many women have the birth they've always wanted.
My goal is to empower women in labor to have the birth experience they desire. Women need to believe in their bodies and the natural process of childbirth, and nothing makes me happier than to be a part of their blessed arrival.
I am also working to complete a breastfeeding counselor course from the BSC Center for Lactation Education. Once finished, I will be a lactation counselor which will allow me to assist with nursing issues after your birth.
I look forward to speaking with you and answering any questions you may have. I would be honored to attend the birth of your child.
In 2008 my certification with Doulas of North America (DONA) became official.
Brenda Cirrincione
I am the wife of Brant and mother of three children. I became a certified Birth Doula through DONA after taking training five years ago. I served as my sister Amy's doula, and her birth experience inspired her to become one herself. We then teamed up as Blessed Arrivals.
I have also worked at Magee Women's Hospital as a doula for pregnant teens under a grant from the Heinz Endowment, and in a Centering Pregnancy group under a grant from the March of Dimes. Both of these programs provide free doula support.
In addition to working with Amy and Blessed Arrivals, I am also assisting the Birth Circle based in Pittsburgh, which provides doula service to the underserved women in the Pittsburgh area.
I have worked with a diverse group of women, ranging in age from 14 to 40. This rich blessing has allowed me to grow as a woman, mother and doula.
As part of my continuing education, I am working to complete my training as a Lamaze instructor, and I received advanced doula training in Canada in 2007.
My passion is serving women and their families on their journey through pregnancy, birth and beyond. I look forward to meeting you and would feel blessed to serve you through your journey.
Women supported by a doula during labor require fewer interventions and have higher rates of breastfeeding than women without a doula.
- 26% reduction in cesarean rate
- 28% reduction in epidural requests and pain medication use
- 41% reduction in vacuum extraction or forceps delivery
- 33% less likely to be dissatisfied with (or negatively rate) their birth experience
Women with doula support generally experience the following postpartum:
- Lower rates of infection and fever
- Lower reported rates of postpartum depression or anxiety
- Higher breastfeeding success rate
- Greater sensitivity to and awareness of her newborn baby
Statistics from Hodnett ED, Gates S, Hofmeyr G J, Sakala C. Continuous support for women during childbirth. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2003, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD003766. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.
So, what's a doula?
The Greek word doula refers to a woman who personally serves another woman. In modern times, the word has evolved to mean a woman who is experienced in childbirth and provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and after childbirth.
Labor support doulas are trained and experienced labor support persons who attend to the emotional and physical comfort needs of laboring women to smooth the labor process. They do not do clinical tasks such as heart rate checks, or vaginal exams but rather use massage, aromatherapy, positioning suggestions, etc., to help labor progress as well as possible. A labor support doula joins a laboring woman either at her home or in hospital or birth center and remains with her until a few hours after the birth. In addition to emotional support, doulas work as advocates of their client's wishes and may assist in communicating with medical staff to obtain information for the client to make informed decisions regarding medical procedures.
A doula provides kindness and comfort to a woman who is in labor. This is an especially important job, because this friendly care-taker encourages and provides support to a woman when she is giving birth, one of the most vulnerable times in a woman's life. Although doulas provide services first time parents will appreciate, many women who have already given birth one or more times find the addition of a doula to their birth team an invaluable support.
The doula never forgets the important role of the father during childbirth. Our job is not to diminish his contribution but rather enhance it by freeing him from the "coaching" role, which allows him to be at his partner's side to soothe and comfort her during labor.
This video about doulas was an entry in a contest sponsored by Birth Matters in Virgina. The statistics listed at the end are old but you can find the new statistics here.
