Christa Corsaro Tyson ~ Yoga Instructor & Birth Doula
Serving Rochester, NY and surrounding areas

"Christa was truly a gift sent from heaven to our family. She was our Doula and Prenatal Yoga Instructor. Having been doing yoga for 6 years, and recently moving to Rochester, I searched for a long time for a great instructor. The benefits of her prenatal yoga class were so good for my baby and I. I remained flexible, got rid of aches and pains, and most important took time for myself and the baby, and relaxed. Christa is one of the most positive people I know. She got my husband and I ready for a beautiful natural birth. She gave us confidence, support and helped us recognize the amazing things we can do when we put our minds to it. I cannot say enough good things about her. She has become a true friend."

Esra Krause, Prenatal Yoga Student and Doula Client

Birth Doula Services

As you probably know, a Birth Doula is a person trained and experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth. A doula who accompanies a woman in labor mothers the mother, taking care of her emotional needs throughout childbirth. A doula also provides support and suggestions for partners that can enhance their experiences of birth. A postpartum doula continues that valuable emotional support and guidance, helping a family make a smooth transition into new family dynamics.

If you are looking for more information about doulas, please see links on the right.

Doula Services ~ What I can do for You

Developing a Birth Plan
During one of your prenatal visits I will help you understand the lingo of labor and assist you in developing your birth plan. A birth plan is usually 1-2 pages of valuable information you can share with your midwife or doctor regarding your choices for care during your birth experience. When the time comes you will be able to make informed decisions about your birth experience. We will use visual aids and interactive games to go through all the choices available to you.

Developing a birth plan,

• can help you make informed decisions during your labor and birthing process
• will increase your understanding about the processes of labor and birth, and the medical options available to you
• can lead to a better birth experience and memories of your birth
• will help you feel confident and in control, as much as possible
• will help you to be part of the decision making process, even when unexpected events occur

Birthing Postures and Comfort Measures
Using various birthing postures and comfort measures during labor will help you relax during this natural yet challenging time. Relaxation during labor has many benefits, many of which can facilitate a better birth experience. Learning tools for relaxation will not only help your labor and birth experience run more smoothly, but will also help you cope with postnatal stresses.

Together we will discuss and physically explore relaxing postures for pain management, birthing positions, back-labor pain, and tools to help facilitate the labor process. I can also show you poses that help alleviate many of the discomforts of early and mid-pregnancy such as low back ache, sciatica, hemorrhoids, headache, edema and insomnia. Having one or two support people with you will make some of the poses even more accessible.

Comfort measures we will review include various breathing techniques, visualization exercises, mantras or vocalizations, water therapy, massage and touch therapy. Experiencing these techniques beforehand will help you access them easily during labor.

• reduction in intensity of pain during contractions
• conservation of valuable energy
• your body may progress more easily
• you will cope with the labor process better

• it is easier to settle your baby when you are calm
• relaxation encourages the "let down reflex" during breast feeding
• staying relaxed helps your body rest during a time when you will be sleeping less
• chances of shaken baby syndrome are lowered when caregivers practice tools for relaxation

Having a doula as part of the birth team decreases the overall cesarean rate by 50%, the length of labor by 25%, the use of oxytocin by 40% and the request for an epidural by 60%.

Continuous care during early and active labor and during the immediate postpartum
As your birth doula I will be there from the time you feel you need me until after the baby is born. I am on-call for you 24/7 the two weeks before and after your due date. Once you are in labor and request me by your side I should be able to get to you within an hour. I am there to meet your needs during labor. I do this by helping your partner show you relaxation and pain coping techniques, suggesting position changes, massage, filling everyone's basic needs (food, drinks, bathroom breaks, etc), helping you acquire additional information about interventions if they become necessary, and making sure your labor and birth go as smoothly as possible-whatever you need. I am also available to take birth photography. If you don't have a partner or your partner is not going to be involved with the birth, you can expect that I will give you all the one-on-one support you need. Think of me as a sister, mom, and best-friend rolled up into one caring, supportive person.

A recent Cochrane Review, Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth, revealed a very high number of positive birth outcomes when a doula was present. When a doula was present, women were less likely to have pain relief medications administered, less likely to have a cesarean birth, and reported having a more positive childbirth experience.

24 hour on-call availability
I will be available 24/7 day or night by phone, in person or by email two weeks before and two weeks after your due date. Earlier in your pregnancy we will set up 2 prenatal visits and I will be available by phone and email during the day. After the birth of your baby I will be available by phone or email and meet with you once for a follow-up visit.

Infant Developmental Assessment and Activity Plan
Recent scientific studies have found that the human brain does much of its development in a childÕs first three years of life. Using a curriculum-based developmental assessment tool we will work together to develop play-based activities for you and your child. Each activity will help develop specific areas of your childÕs development. We will cover regulatory/sensory organization, cognitive development, receptive and expressive language development, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, social-emotional development and self-help skills.

All activities in the plan will be play based so your child will have fun. You can lead the activities yourself or send them to daycare with your child. Once a curriculum plan is set it should only take about 15-30minutes each day to complete. Your child will need to be reassessed every couple months to update his/her activity plan.

Please call me at 512-289-2554 or email Christa@YogaDoulaRochester.com to find out more about Doula Services