Find a Doula in Lincoln Nebraska

*General Information*
Name:	Nicci Walla	Email address:	Nicci@lincolndoulas.com
Website:	This is pretty much it :)	Phone Numbers:	402-421-6949
Where are you located?	In South Lincoln	How many miles are you willing to travel for a birth?	I have traveled up to 200 miles
How many years have you been providing labor support services?	Going on 9 years now	How many births have you attended as of June 2010?	Not Counting my own, 34 births
Will you attend home labors/births as well as hospital labors/births? Please explain your comfort level...	At this time I am only attending hospital births for repeat clients. I prefer to assist women at home and I am a home birth doula at heart! That being said, I will absolutey follow through with all clients in the event of a homebirth transfer. I will absolutely go with you to the hospital and support your family to the best of my abilities no matter what the circumstances are. I will not judge anyone at any time for making a "choice" for mom and babies best interests.	What is the max number of births you are able to attend each month?	I will let fate decide this one!
*Training & Credentials*
What are your current credentials & individual experiences with doula care & labor support?	At this time my training is as follows... I am certified to teach The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth and have been actively teaching in the Lincoln area since 2003. I have given birth to seven babies; 3 in hospital, 3 at home, this includes one set of twins (3rd hospital birth). Each of these was natural and amazed me completely of the bodies abilities to do its job but also opened my eyes to the amount of support that women need to enable themselves to labor naturally I have created a labor rehearsal guide with over 80 pictures of labor positions to try and prepare families for laboring at home as long as possible. I am responsible for helping to organize doula trainings to Lincoln and helping to support the doula community through Lincoln Doulas.
Do you have any current plans for additional training?	As of right now I am becoming certified in ALACE childbirth education and I plan to also become certified to teach toLabor doula trainings in the near future. We are also trying to make Lincoln Doulas a non profit so we can offer payments to doulas who attend "low income" births and fundraise the money by holding auctions, sales, and birth conferences.
Do you provide breastfeeding support & what is your basic theory of breastfeeding?	I believe that every mother and baby is unique and different and that these two beings much interact constantly from the moment of birth to establish healthy breastfeeding patterns. I firmly believe that babies and mothers change daily in their quest to "master" breastfeeding and need to have access to constant breastfeeding support due to these unpredictable changes. I will provide this type of consistant support to the best of my ability on the phone or in person at any time.
Do you typically provide postpartum support to your clients?	If I can't do it for some reason I will send someone in my place. This is almost more important than any other type of support during the birth of a new baby. Mothers must have constant help during her postpartum period. She must understand her priorities and those around her must "Mother the Mother" during this time. Please do not underestimate the importance of hiring postpartum doula support and even if you have to pay for a few hours a week outside of a doulas normal birth fee, it will be well worth it in the end!
If yes to the previous question; for how long & what do you feel are your strong points in this area?	I typically check in with the parents as soon as they arrive home from the hospital or when mom's milk comes in at a homebirth, and I want them to call me if at any time they need help for ANY reason day or night. If I need to go over to their house to assist them I will keep track of my hours and add it on to their final bill. I will check on the babies latch, help mom with her sitz baths, check her bottom, and the size of her uterus to make sure things are heading towards normal and always assess mom's emotional state and level of support. While I am in the home, if I see a need like a pile of dishes I will fill the need! I have even held a baby for 6 hours one time so a mom could sleep because she was terrified something bad would happen to her baby while she slept and was becoming sick with exhaustion and fear! I would do anything to prevent these types of situations from getting out of hand.
*Fees & Payment Plans*
What is your typical fee schedule for attending births?	I am charging hourly at this time as that is what I typically have to pay in order for me to step out of my life for a period of time. I charge $50 for prenatal visits and a whole house labor rehearsal 2-4 weeks before your due date. I charge $25/hour for the first 10 hours of "in labor" support that starts from the moment of leave my driveway to come to your place of labor/birth. I charge $10/hour for every hour after the first 10 hours until I arrive back in my driveway. I charge $15/hour for postpartum support (the first two hours are always free) So an example for one birth might be... $50 for prenatals, 14 hours of birth would be $250 for the first 10 and $40 for the remaining 4 a total of $290. 6 hours of postpartum would be $60 for only the last 4 hours and supplies used at the birth only exact cost that I pay wholesale. (almost never exceeding $50) ~ TOTAL of $450 for about 24 hours of in person support and supplies and unlimited hours of phone support In reality, I have only gone over $300 twice in 34 births so I must be successfully training my couples to go it alone for as long as possible and only call me in when things are really moving wink
Do you require a down payment?	$50 down to hold your due date... I typically try to not say YES to more than two moms in a two week period on either side of your due date.	Are you willing to be on a call list for "free" services when low income families contact our website?	Absolutely, and eventually we hope to use Lincoln Doulas to pay these doulas at least a minimum fee for their time. They deserve it!
How much do you charge for postpartum doula care?	$15 an hour up to 5 hours a week	Do you send a detailed bill to your couples & when is their payment due?	They receive a bill from me within 30 days of their birth that is due 30 days from the date they receive it.
Do you charge additional mileage when you have to travel outside of your hometown?	Yes, I always charge the standard mileage that is currently recommended by the IRS and I will make sure this amount is recorded in the client/doula contract.	Do you charge "cost" for labor supplies used during a birth?	I do charge "cost" and strongly feel that having key supplies on hand is crucial to a positive birth experience and charge couples accordingly.
Will you provide a sliding fee for lower income couples?	Yes, we plan to have an application up on the site eventually for this very thing but for now doulas pretty much take your word for it if you honestly cannot pay for their services and will not turn you down because of it.	Are you open to trading or bartering for services	Please DO ask me if you have something to offer me in trade! I will make it a part of the contract signed by all parties so we feel good about it.
*Miscellaneous Information*
How many times do you typically meet with couples prior to attending their birth?	Typically 3 times, once for an initial interview, another time for a doula/client prep session and again for an extensive labor rehearsal.	Do you provide a "whole house labor rehearsal" for your couples?	Yes and I feel this is very important for couples to go through two hours of practice labor in their home environment.
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?	I will do everything I can to make sure your birth does not go unattended in the event that I cannot make it. I can almost guarantee 99% that I will find you a backup doula from Lincoln Doulas. This being said, I still strongly recommend that couples interview more than one doula and ask one to be their primary and one to be their backup signing a contract with both doulas to ensure they will recognize the person who shows up at their house while they are in labor and feel good about knowing who this will be ahead of time. Couples cannot be over-prepared for labor!	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?	I would love to apprentice doulas-in-training if at any time my couple is ok with this. Students learn best from mentorship than books or two day trainings.
Is it ok for other doulas to contact you to help secure their own reliable backup?	Give me a call and I will try to do it if my schedule permits... you can especially call me to help you find backup as I am connected with all of the doulas and will send out a mass email requesting volunteers :)	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?	Almost all pregnant moms and her coach must allow total strangers into their birth space under any normal circumstances. I do not view myself any differently than a nurse that the couple has just met. It only takes one time of helping a laboring mom use the toilet and an interpersonal relationship is quickly established. wink
How do you describe yourself religiously?	My family and I are fairly relaxed about religion. I was baptised methodist but am not currently a member of any local church. I do have a peace project called The Bead People that we do locally that teaches us to accept all persons of all faiths equally.	How does your religion effect how you work with clients?	I would never be uncomfortable around any sort of religion however I would not be very good at praying out loud if asked to do this. I have very little experience but would do my very best if asked.
Do you provide a doula contract for detailed expectations of your care to be signed by all parties?	I absolutely do have a contract and would be happy to email it for you to read over.	Have you ever worked with same sex couples?	Absolutely and I find it thrilling to watch same sex couples become parents... against all odds and with limited support from the government. Way to go!