Empathic, individualized care for mamas-to-be.
“For women in labor much of the birth process is about permission: feeling total permission to be themselves and feeling free to let down emotional and physical barriers and to release expectations—those yardsticks or measures of performance that women carry with them into the institutional environment. Feeling completely safe with another human being creates a kind of freedom that enables a woman to begin to test the limits of her own capacities and to experience capacities possibly not recognized before—or perhaps recognized but not risked. This freedom to be one’s true self produces feelings of empowerment, of creativity.”
~ Klaus, Klaus, and Kennell, The Doula Book
Birth doula services for the whole family.
Packages are customizable based on individual needs; I currently offer two standard packages (full service + pre-labor coaching). Working together always entails:
Phone and email availability from the moment we begin working together through 1-2 weeks postpartum.
Informational and practical resources. When questions arise, I provide evidence-based, trusted sources so that you don’t have to dig through mountains of Internet overload.
Planning assistance. I provide the structure, information, and tools so that you can make plans for birth and postpartum that you feel great about.
Emotional support. A neutral, knowledgeable third-party to discuss options with, enhancing your ability to tap into your intuition when it comes to various courses of action.
Perinatal self-care strategies. Individualized techniques including stretches, strength work, and other movement practices garnered from my extensive background in yoga, barre, and dance. Breathing exercises, meditation, visualization, and other relaxation modalities so that you can enter birth feeling calm and centered in mind, body, and spirit.
Hands-on training and coaching for non-laboring support partners.
Individualized childbirth education to complement and build upon class(es) already taken or offered by your care provider.
A postnatal visit in which we debrief the birth, I help you write your birth story (if desired), and discuss your own transition into motherhood.
$750
Pre-Labor Coaching
Three in-person prenatal visits of 1-2 hours in duration. Virtual also available. Full phone and email availability throughout your prenatal journey. Virtual assistance in the weeks, days, hours, and even minutes leading up to the birth.
$1,050
Full Package
Two in-person or virtual prenatal visits. Agreed upon meeting time and place during labor for live support through 1-2 hours post birth. Backup doula provided in case of emergency, so you never have to worry. Date dependent by availability; DC-area only.
Prenatal Yoga.
Weekly, small-group offerings and privates in Washington, DC.
I have found the process of birth and yoga to be highly complementary, as both involve tapping into reservoirs of internal strength you may not have realized you have, as well as letting go and allowing the body and mind to surrender. Group classes incorporate community + connection, while privates focus on individual needs as your body changes. Both group and individual classes delve into yogic movement, breath, and meditation, with techniques taught specifically to aid in the process of birthing and instill a sense of deep inner calm and wellbeing during the prenatal phase.
What others are saying.
Julia and Trevor Diaz:
“Bretton is an incredible resource and exactly the kind of support we needed. I was so impressed by how evidence-based she was and how she was happy to answer (and, if necessary, research) any question I threw her way. She seamlessly transitioned to remote support during our pandemic pregnancy: making personalized videos to respond to a question about stretching and exercises, offering us an additional prenatal session to train my husband on hands-on birth support, FaceTiming through labor in the middle of the night, you name it and she did it. She truly has a heart for empowering women in their birth choices and experiences and is a great sounding board. Her help made all the difference!”
Joanna:
“Bretton put our mind at ease with her calm, kind approach, and her true joy for this work. She answered all of our questions and helped us feel prepared before the birth. And during the birth, she brought a quiet strength and provided encouragement (or a good laugh) when I needed it most. I am forever grateful we chose her to be our doula. She helped us bring our most precious gift into the world and we wouldn’t have wanted anyone else by our side!”
Sarah:
“I met Bretton at a prenatal yoga class, and when I found out that she was a doula, I knew I wanted to hire her! Bretton has a calming presence, while still being up-lifting. While I was pregnant, her support was invaluable. She was always available for me—by both providing helpful information when I wasn’t sure about my choices AND being a great sounding board when I just needed to talk things through. The individual yoga classes were amazing and she even sent over some personalized videos for me to work on my pain points! While she couldn’t be with us at the hospital due to COVID, she taught my husband how to physically support me in the hospital and she was available by video chat—even when we drove to the hospital at 3am! Bretton made my difficult pregnancy and labor so much more manageable and calm. I would highly recommend Bretton for any mother-to-be!”
Ashley, new mama in Washington DC
“Prenatal yoga was perfection. It was the only consistent interaction I had with other pregnant women (from whom I learned so much!) and I was able to continue my practice until I gave birth. Bretton is thoughtful, warm, and smart and I’d take any class of hers!”
Erica S:
“I loved Bretton's class while I was pregnant. It was such a great community of other mamas-to-be, the movement was exactly what I needed, and Bretton was always there to answer questions and help us work through ailments and needed adjustments as our bodies changed with pregnancy. I had fairly severe pelvic pain toward the end of my pregnancy, and Bretton not only helped me figure out how to adjust my yoga so I could still practice, but helped me with some exercises that actually made most of the pain go away.”
Katie Hauser:
“I began taking prenatal yoga at about 20 weeks. Before my pregnancy, I used fitness to manage generalized anxiety and to just feel good all around, and it was right around 20 weeks that I hit the point where I could no longer comfortably go on a run. I started Bretton's prenatal classes and they saved me! Bretton's hands-on style and community-oriented classes helped not only to keep me moving but also gave me the connection with other's that I so needed as a soon-to-be first time mom. The community circles she opened classes with allowed me to hear from others and share my experience, and Bretton's nurturing teaching style made me feel right at home and welcome in every class, learning new poses that kept me strong throughout different stages of pregnancy and beyond. I even took her guidance with me to other yoga classes and was able to modify, with her help, to continue my practice almost daily until birth. I credit her classes with the maintenance of my mental and physical health throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum (all during the pandemic!). Thank you, Bretton!!”
Polina:
“I took Bretton’s weekly prenatal yoga at Yoga Heights and then virtually once Covid hit from the beginning of my second trimester until I gave birth, and I loved it! Her classes were always just the right amount of challenging, not too much and not too little of anything. I also took Bretton’s virtual barre class twice a week while pregnant and always felt like a got a great workout. Bretton has a wonderfully cheery personality and is great about taking requests and making modifications for people.”
Rachael:
“Bretton’s prenatal yoga class was exactly what I needed during my pandemic pregnancy. She opened every class with check-ins, which provided some much needed community with others who were pregnant during this strange time. The yoga was at just the right level and I found it easy to adapt to what I needed most as my pregnancy progressed. Bretton even worked with me on some stretches I was finding especially difficult. Her class also had a really warm, come-as-you-are vibe. My labor ended up being mercifully short and so far my body seems to be rebounding well. It’s impossible to say how much of that to attribute to Bretton’s class, but I know it helped!”
Steph:
“Bretton’s prenatal classes contributed in such a positive way to my mental and physical health during pregnancy. As an avid runner before pregnancy, I really struggled with not being able to exercise at the same level during the second and third trimester. Bretton’s prenatal classes allowed me to continue exercising in a way that worked for my pregnant body, helped prepare my body for the birthing process (love the two minute squats!), and allowed me to feel connected to my baby. I also loved that Bretton begins each class with a group check-in, helping to build a sense of community but also opening up an opportunity to slow down and check in with myself in the process. I would highly recommend her prenatal classes to my pregnant friends.”