Find a Doula in Lincoln Nebraska

Lynette Fries

Status - Active

Level - In Training

(less than 10 births)

"I will encourage you to birth on your own without interventions."

The following information was provided by Lynette to help her couples learn more about what types of support she can provide. Please be sure to email or call with any additional questions you may have.

*General Information*
Name:	Lynette Fries	Primary & Secondary Languages:	English
Email address:	Lynettefries@lincolndoulas.com	Website:	This is the only webpage with information about me at this time.
Where are you located?	Lincoln.	How many miles are you willing to travel for a birth?	40 - I am not traveling to Omaha at this time but Nebraska City is a convenient location for me.
Phone number for initial contact?	(402) 310-3539	Best hours to reach you for the client's initial contact:	Technically I am a stay at home mom and if I can answer your call at any time I will do so or I respond to your message within hours.
How many years have you been providing labor support services?	2	How many births have you attended as of June 2010?	3
Will you attend home labors/births as well as hospital labors/births? Please explain your comfort level...	Yes. I am comfortable with either place. However, if you are laboring at home then going to the hospital and you live out of town, we will need to plan ahead for travel and transport so I will have a vehicle to get home and you will be able to get home with baby.	What is the max number of births you are willing to attend each month?	Right now I have an infant so I am still breastfeeding. Until he is a bit older I will only be planning to attend 1 birth per month. However, I will consider special conditions for 1-2 more per month, and I will be happy to be a backup for other doulas.
*Training & Credentials*
What are your current credentials & individual experiences with doula care & labor support?	I have attended 3 births where I was hands on labor support for the mother. I have attended Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth classes twice and was successful in using this method for both of my natural childbirths. I am signed up to attend the toLabor doula workshop in July 2010, and believe that you can always learn something new with each birth!
Do you have any current plans for additional training?	I have considered attending classes at St. Elizabeth since that is what lots of Moms are taking for birthing classes. I want to be able to know what they were taught so I can explain things to them with the perspective of a well rounded view. I also plan to attend the Gentle Hands Birthing Conference here in Nebraska in 2012. (See http://lincolndoulas.com/gentlehandsbirthconference/)
Do you provide breastfeeding support & what is your basic theory of breastfeeding?	Yes! Your body was built to feed your baby and even though it can be tough at first it is the best thing for your baby. You will never meet a more determined breastfeeding Mom than I am. I struggled with both of my sons, even to the point of being labeled “The worst case of mastitis ever seen in Nebraska” and I still continued. Neither of my sons has ever, nor will ever have a drop of formula. I also believe that we are blessed to have Milkworks here in Lincoln to help Moms like me. I will forever be grateful to them for their support.
Do you typically provide postpartum support to your clients?	Yes, I will be available to Moms for postpartum support. I am also available for postpartum care only.
If yes to the previous question; for how long & what do you feel are your strong points in this area?	I plan to visit your family on day 4 of having baby at home, then again in 2 weeks. Then I will be available by phone, text or e-mail indefinitely. I am a very caring individual and am always searching for ways to help someone. I will provide a meal for each person, can set up a meal calendar for you, will be available to run errands, as well as offer my time. This time can be used in any way that would be most helpful for you. In my case, I would have hired someone to do my dishes, then hold my baby while I took a shower then have a little time to cuddle and play with my 2 year old. These are just ideas of things that I would be happy to do for any family.
*Fees & Payment Plans*
What is your typical fee schedule for attending births?	Right now I am not charging for my birth doula services, however, I will need to charge for basic expenses, such as daycare for 2 sons while I am attending your birth, or mileage if you live outside of Lincoln.
Do you require a down payment?	Yes.	Are you willing to be on a call list for "free" services when low income families contact our website?	Yes, but I will still need to charge for daycare services.
How much do you charge for postpartum doula care?	The 2 visits I provide in the first 2 weeks are included in my birth doula fee. Any hours outside of this will be $20/hour	Do you send a detailed bill to your couples & when is their payment due?	Yes
Do you charge additional mileage when you have to travel outside of your hometown?	Yes	Do you charge "cost" for labor supplies used during a birth?	Yes
Will you provide a sliding fee for lower income couples?	Yes	Are you open to trading or bartering for services	Absolutely. It is always worth asking me.
*Miscellaneous Information*
How many times do you typically meet with couples prior to attending their birth?	I prefer to meet with you twice. Our first meeting to get to know each other, then a second for a whole house rehearsal.	Do you provide a "whole house labor rehearsal" for your couples?	Yes
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?	Yes. Nicci Walla and Jen Thomason are my backup doulas. However, you are welcome to interview and find a backup doula on your own.	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?	Absolutely! I am actually one of those doulas-in-learning right now and would jump at the chance to shadow another. Once I have been trained I would be happy to have a new doula shadow me, but it would have to be okay with the family that hires me.
Is it ok for other doulas to contact you to help secure their own reliable backup?	Yes	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?	I have been wondering about this myself lately and to be honest I think I would rather meet a mother beforehand. I would be more comfortable knowing a bit about the situation and being better prepared to assist you.
How do you describe yourself religiously?	I am a firm believer in Jesus Christ as our Savior.	How does your religion effect how you work with clients?	On my business cards I will have a scripture on the back of John 16:21. It is because I believe that God made our bodies to birth naturally, without interventions, which I have successfully done so twice, and I will encourage other mother’s to empower themselves to do so as well.
Do you provide a doula contract for detailed expectations of your care to be signed by all parties?	Yes	Have you ever worked with same sex couples?	Not yet, but I am open to meeting same sex couples. No matter who I meet it will be because a mother is giving birth, and that is what I genuinely care about.

Final Words From Lynette

Hello! I am Lynette Fries. I’m 31, have been married for almost 9 years to my most excellent hubby, Michael, and have 2 beautiful boys that I gave birth to naturally. It is because of my experiences involving their births that I have become eager to learn as much as I possibly can about pregnancy and birthing and then share this knowledge with every person that will listen – and even sometimes those that won’t!

I have been on this journey for over 3 years now, and there are still so many things that I learn with each birth I hear about or am involved in. Each thing makes me thirst for more knowledge and more experience so that I can in turn help others. This passion is what has led me to want to be a doula, to assist families during their birth experience, and show them that education and preparation are keys to having the birth experience they want.

Client Testimonials for Lynette

Lynette is gathering her testimonials to place here!