"Becoming a Doula is something I just had to be" said Fiona Cottrell at her home in Saugerties.

Doula is a Greek word that has come to mean a woman helping another woman through labor and birth, and during the postpartum period.

Fiona learned about this profession in 1999 when a friend asked for help after the birth of her third child. A few phone calls later Fiona was on her way to Florida for training

." Everything just seemed to fall into place, " Fiona said. While in Florida she received a phone call requesting for her postpartum services as soon as she returned home.
"I was thrilled!" she said. "I've been busy ever since"

As a birth Doula Fiona provides physical, emotional and informational support for expectant parents."Labor and birth can be an overwhelming experience for firstime parents, so my goal is to help ease the transition from couple into family." During labor Fiona stays with laboring Moms and suggests positions to help the baby decend thus shortening labor and offers comfort measures to help ease contractions. "I encourage partners to get involved as much as posible, most often I just give them a 'smidge' of encouragement and off they go! It's not my postion to dictate how a woman labors. I'm there to help. I tell partners that they know their wives likes and dislikes best and if she likes her back rubbed a certain way then go for it!"

If a Cesarean birth is necessary Fiona helps there also."The key to labor and birth is relaxation, even when a woman chooses medication or has a Cesarean birth." She will help a laboring Mom relax with guided vizualization while the medical staff are busy doing their work and take pictures of the baby during the first precious moments.