By Amanda Estes
    Staff Writer
    Julianne Paris believes birth should not be a medical event. As a Certified Birth Doula, Paris provides mothers to be and their partners with prenatal to postnatal physical, emotional, and informational support. On May 6 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Paris and other local doulas will host a Doula Tea at Scarborough Family Chiropractic, located on 144 Rte. One. The teas are held once a month and provide couples with the opportunity to listen to guest speakers discuss a variety of birth related topics, ask questions, and meet doulas.
    “I liken it to being a Maine guide,” said Paris of a doula’s role in the birth experience. “Our job is to help support parents on an emotional and informational level.”  Paris is part of Birth Alliance, a group of professional doulas, providing childbirth services in the greater Portland area.
    Paris said doulas typically meet with the mother to be and her partner two to three times before birth to determine the best methods of support. A doula does not take the place of the partner in the delivery room, but rather Paris said she gets to know the partner to determine how much he or she wants to be involved. For example, Paris, a licensed massage therapist, said she might teach the partner massage techniques or how to locate pressure points.
    Doulas are on call 24 hours a day from 36 weeks on. Once in the delivery room, the benefits of working with a doula have been outlined in a set of impressive statistics. Among these statistics is a 50 percent reduction in the cesarean rate, 25 percent shorter labor, and a 60 percent reduction in epidural requests. Paris attributes the numbers to the mother feeling emotionally safe. She said there is a connection between the mother’s stress level and complications with the birth.
    “Fears in the mind lead to tension in the body,” Paris said. She said doulas can help mothers overcome the Fear-Tension-Pain Syndrome. Tension in the body causes muscles in the uterus to constrict, which restricts the flow of oxygen to the baby.      HypnoBirthing is one technique mother’s can use to relax and encourage positive thoughts so the body will release endorphins, Paris said. A Certified HypnoBirthing Practitioner, Paris said she “gives women a tool belt” of visualizations and relaxation techniques to combat the “surges,” or contractions. In the absence of fear and tension, Paris said childbirth should be a natural event.
    Paris said her group works with “mother friendly” care providers, who will support her choices including whether or not she wants to walk around during labor, or use a tub or birthing ball to relax and relieve pressure. She said doulas are becoming accepted as part of the “birth team.” At her last birth, Paris said one of the nurses said ‘Oh, great you have a doula!’ 
    Jason and Kim Worcester of Portland, who gave birth to a daughter Ella last Monday morning, said they would highly recommend hiring a doula to other couples after their experience with Paris.
    “She was just a huge support…like the peace in the room, “ Kim said last Friday. She also said Paris was a “huge advocate for (them)” in terms of helping them achieve their ideal birth plan. “I didn’t want any coached counting,” Kim said, “and Julianne knew that (and) was right in my ear saying ‘you can do this’ and ‘you’re almost done.’”
    Hiring a doula, he said, is “like hiring a wedding planner-you don’t have to immerse yourself in the details.” He said Paris sent them on walks and encouraged Kim to use the tub. She also knew when Jason needed a moment to relax.
    “Where she was in labor for 20 hours, I wasn’t actually able to be there rubbing the small of her back for 20 hours,” he said. “She could recognize when I hadn’t eaten for five hours.” Jason said he has encouraged his twin sister to hire a doula to the extent that he may help her pay for it.
    Paris said the average costs in the Portland area for hiring a doula is between $500 and $1,000. She said some organizations work on a sliding scale basis and parents also have the option of hiring a doula in training.
    For more information about HybnoBirthing or Doula Teas, contact Julianne Paris at 207-415-5536 or birthalliancedoula@hotmail.com. Doula Teas are free, but pre-registration is appreciated.