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General Information
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Name:
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Kristen
Kloepping
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Primary
& Secondary Languages:
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English
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Email
address:
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kristenkloepping@lincolndoulas.com
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Website:
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Where
are you located?
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Lincoln,
Nebraska
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How
many miles are you willing to travel for a birth?
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60
miles at this time, but if you live further away, just ask!
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Phone
number for initial contact?
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402.430.5581
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Best
hours to reach you for the client's initial contact:
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I
am usually available throughout the day. Just leave a message if you happen to miss me!
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How
many years have you been providing labor support services?
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Since
February of 2010
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How
many births have you attended as of June 2010?
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5
births as of August 2010 |
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Will
you attend home labors/births as well as hospital labors/births? Please
explain your comfort level...
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I am happy to
attend births wherever mother/couple are most comfortable. I believe that any
location is a good location as long as it is researched and that is where the
mother wishes to give birth. This includes homebirths as well as hospital births.
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What
is the max number of births you feel comfortable handling each month?
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At
this time I would like to attend no more than 2-3 births a month. But, I am also open to additional
births if I feel that we are a great fit and that I am meant to be there for
the mother/couple.
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Training & Credentials
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What
are your current credentials & individual experiences with doula care
& labor support?
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I have very heavily researched natural childbirth through my journey
to VBAC in 2008/2009. Following
the birth of my son in March of 2009, I began researching my path to becoming
a doula. In September of 2009, I
founded the Lincoln, NE chapter of ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness
Network). It has become my
life’s passion to assist women in achieving their ideal birth experience and
help avoid unnecessary interventions imposed by care providers. Interventions are welcomed when
necessary and I do believe that cesareans are a blessing when needed to save
a life. But, the overuse of
interventions and surgical births has led our country into poor maternal and
fetal outcomes. Education on the
part of the mother/couple is key in avoiding unnecessary surgeries and interventions. I attended the toLabor (formerly
ALACE), doula training in July, and am looking forward to finishing my
certification process as a professional birth doula. Through ICAN, I hold monthly support
and educational meetings for the public. I have also attended both a home birth and hospital births
at this point. I look forward to
continuing to grow on my journey and help others achieve their ideal
experience, whatever that may be.
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Do
you have any current plans for additional training?
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I
would love to also seek out more training in regards to lactation support as
well as possibly in the future achieving more training in childbirth
education.
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Do
you provide breastfeeding support & what is your basic theory of
breastfeeding?
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I
feel that breastmilk is the best possible food/nutrition for babies and
toddlers. I practice extended
breastfeeding and feel that it is extremely important for baby to be skin to
skin and at the breast immediately following birth. There are tremendous benefits to the mother, child and
family in regards to breastfeeding. I currently have no extended education in breastfeeding support, but
do have my own experiences to help in offering support for the nursing
relationship.
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Do
you typically provide postpartum support to your clients?
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Yes,
I feel that the time following the birth of your child is just as important
to the time leading up to the birth. The mother needs constant support from everyone around her. If there is anything that I can do to
help in the transition at home, I would be happy to do so.
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If
yes to the previous question; for how long & what do you feel are your
strong points in this area?
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I
would be happy to help for as long as the couple felt like they needed the
support. It is so easy for a new
mother to forget to take care of herself as all of her focus is now on the
care of her newborn. She needs
to make sure she is taking it easy and getting her rest and maintaining good
nutrition to aid in the success of breastfeeding. I am happy to help during this transition time!
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Fees & Payment Plans
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What
is your typical fee schedule for attending births?
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I
would love to discuss my fee schedule with you.
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Do
you require a down payment?
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To
secure my availability for you at the time of your birth, I request a $50 deposit. This ensures that either myself or my
backup will be available at the time of your birth.
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Are
you willing to be on a call list for "free" services
when low income families contact our website?
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Absolutely! I will be happy to help out as time
allows me to.
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How
much do you charge for postpartum doula care?
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Please discuss this with me!
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Do you
send a detailed bill to your couples & when is their payment
due?
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I
would be happy to provide an invoice/bill after the birth. Payment would be due within 30 days
of the invoice date.
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Do
you charge additional mileage when you have to travel outside of your
hometown?
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Yes,
if I’m required to drive outside of Lincoln, I will charge for my basic
expenses.
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Do you charge
"cost" for labor supplies used during a birth?
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I
will only charge the exact cost of any supplies I purchase for the birth.
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Will
you provide a sliding fee for lower income couples?
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Never
let cost stand in the way of having the labor support that you deserve. I would be happy to discuss a sliding
fee/barter/trade to cover my basic expenses.
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Are
you open to trading or bartering for services
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Absolutely!
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Miscellaneous Information
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How
many times do you typically meet with couples prior to attending their birth?
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I
would like to meet with a couple at least two times prior to the birth. At least one meeting to get to know
one another and ensure that we are a good fit for one another. And, a few weeks before the due date
to touch base once again. I am
happy to meet with the mother/couple more than that if requested. If you would like me to attend any
prenatals, I would love to do that as well.
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Do
you provide a "whole house labor rehearsal" for your couples?
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I
think a labor rehearsal is very important for each couple if time
allows. It not only gives me a
chance to suggest laboring positions, etc throughout your personal home, but
it also helps me familiarize myself with where to find things in your
home. This allows me to be an
even greater support during labor, and keeps interruptions at a minimum. It also gives the couple a great time
to practice with one another prior to labor beginning.
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Do
you guarantee backup services in case you are unable to attend due to
illness or sudden conflicts?
If
not, would you encourage your couple to find a 2nd choice doula for
backup?
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Yes, I will always make sure that I have a backup available if
I am unable to attend the birth due to illness, etc.
If you have a backup already in mind, that is great! If possible, just let me know her
contact information so that I can help in any way that I can while you are in
labor.
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If
it felt "right" to you & your client, would you ever
consider working as a team with another beginning doula to help her gain
experience?
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I
would be more than happy to work as a team with another doula at this time if
the mother/couple wishes to have the additional support. Everyone always has different and
fresh ideas, so I think this could be very beneficial to those welcoming to
the experience.
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Is
it ok for other doulas to contact you to help secure their own reliable
backup?
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Absolutely! I would love to further network
within the local doula community.
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How
do you honestly feel about attending a birth for a couple you have never met
either as a last minute doula or backup doula?
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I
have done this before and the relationship really bonds quickly during the
initial meeting. I felt very
comfortable at the birth. I
prefer to have the chance to meet the couple first and discuss their birth
plan and wishes, but if that is not a possibility I would still love to help
any mother/couple in any way that I can.
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How
do you describe yourself religiously?
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I
am a Christian and a believer in God.
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How
does your religion effect how you work with clients?
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I
believe that it is our job to educate ourselves and that we can’t leave
everything solely up to faith and God’s Will. But, I also believe that while you can educate and prepare
yourself extensively, we do not have complete control over everything that
may happen, and that your faith in God or nature, or whatever your belief may
be plays a big part in the whole experience of life. While I believe in God, I also accept
and welcome other belief systems.
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Do
you provide a doula contract for detailed expectations of your care
to be signed by all parties?
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I
am currently in the process of working on this.
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Have
you ever worked with same sex couples?
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I
have never at this point, but would be completely honored to do so.
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Kristen Kloepping
