OMG WOMEN'S HEALTHCARE

Beth Helme Smith, MS, CNM

Therese Doyle, MS, CNM

Maureen McNamee, MS, CNM

Penny R. Marzalik, PhD, CNM, IBCLC

In collaboration with Dr. Steven R. Daube

DOULA CARE AT OMGWH At OMG Women's Healthcare, we believe women should know their healthcare options and be empowered to make their own healthcare decisions. In line with our philosophy, OMGWH is please to offer yet another option for women seeking natural childbirth-DOULAS! Three birth doulas are now working with our Board Certified Physician, Dr. Steven Daube, and our Certified Nurse Midwives. 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. While a doula is not a substitute for a doctor or a midwife, she can make childbirth an entirely different experience, advocating for you and your family. Women choosing natural childbirth will have the support of a Doula during active labor, delivery and shortly after delivery. This is service is available at no charge to commercially insured and self pay patients, and for an additional fee to patients covered by Illinois Medicaid. Here are some fascinating facts about doulas: -50% Reduction in Cesarean Sections -25% Shorter Labors -60% Reduction in requests for Epidural Anesthesia -40% Reduction in use of Pitocin to augment labor -30% Reduction in requests for pain medication OMGWH doulas are nationally certified and recognized as some of the finest in the industry. We are proud to offer this service to commercially insured and self-pay OMGWH patients who are planning an unmedicated birth. While there is no way to guarantee that a patient will have an unmedicated or vaginal delivery, we believe that the use of a Doula will greatly increase the odds that it may happen. If you are interested in this program, please schedule your next appointment with an OMGWH Certified Nurse Midwife. OUR DOULAS Colleen Curry, CD (DONA), CBRE, LLLI, has been working in this field since 1997, and teaches several different childbirth classes which reach about 200 new parents per year. One of these classes is the 'Your Birth, Your Way' course offered at OMGWH. Colleen also sees new moms at their one week postpartum checkup, helping patients with their transition into parenthood, and offering extensive breastfeeding support as well. The mother of a young son, Colleen and her family live in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. Tricia Fitzgerald, M.Ed, HBCE, CD(DONA), Gentle Beginning, Inc., was most recently spotted on TLC's "A Baby Story" as a doula to one of her clients. She is a Certified HypnoBirthing® Practitioner and Labor/Birth Doula, who specializes in teaching her clients comfortable, relaxing and empowering birthing methods and techniques that positively support the birthing process. Tricia has supported close to 100 laboring moms since 2005 and has taught more than 150 couples HypnoBirthing®. She holds a Masters in Early Childhood Development and Education from DePaul University, where she currently serves as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education. She lives in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago, and she and her husband have three daughters, one son, and one angel in heaven-all born using HypnoBirthing The Mongan Method. Valerie Wezran, B.A., C.D. (toLabor), C.E. (BirthWorks International) has been serving clients throughout the Chicagoland area since October 2009. She is also an active member on the Program Committee of Chicago Volunteer Doulas, Inc. and a volunteer doula. Valerie utilizes a number of holistic modalities in her technique as a birth assistant, including yoga, meditation, aromatherapy, visualization and acupressure. She considers herself well-versed in Hypnobirthing, Bradley and the Lamaze methods. In addition, she is a member of Birthlink, the Northeastern Illinois Doula Association (NEIDA) and La Leche League International. She is a mother of one-her Oak Park family of three is committed to green living and parenting.