Ayla Birth - Quick Look
Overview - A Better Birth
Ayla Birth, Inc. is a non-profit community doula program located in Aloha, Oregon. The company provides care for women throughout their pregnancy with childbirth education, prenatal visits at the client's home, continuous labor support at home and/or hospital and postpartum care for up to six weeks. In keeping with the company's goal of a healthy and happy birth for every family, the company provides 24/7 education, support and advocacy specialized for each individual family allowing them to make informed decisions regarding their care and the care of their child.
History and Scope of Doulas
Doulas are professional complementary caregivers for pregnant women and new mothers. A doula is an expert in normal childbirth and is aware of the normal variations during labor as well as an understanding of the standard medical treatments given at the hospital.
A doula does not provide any medical treatments and should not be confused with a midwife. A midwife is a skilled practitioner who provides primary prenatal care for a pregnant woman, and monitors the woman and baby's health during labor and delivery. Doulas on the other hand, focus on the physical and emotional comfort of a woman during pregnancy and labor. A doula works with medical team, often explaining procedures and providing comfort measures and non-medical pain relief during labor.
The professional doula first appeared in the early 1970’s around the same time as the natural birth movement. The demand for doulas has steadily risen and since eclipsed the natural birth movement, with women now hiring doulas for medicated and cesarean births. DONA International, the largest professional doula organization, began in 1994, there were 750 members, by 2007 there were over 6000. Educational Requirements
Currently there are no uniform national or statewide qualifications for doulas. Ayla Birth doulas are required to have completed a training program from certifying agencies such as DONA, Birth Arts International, Birthing Way or CAPPA. Although many doulas at Ayla Birth have been certified by their schools, new doulas are encouraged to apply and participate in the community doula programs.
Benefits of Doula Care
In randomized trials relating to the benefits of doula support during labor, the presence of a doula during labor proved to be beneficial to everyone involved, reducing the need for both an epidural and cesarean section.
Mainstream medical care has become increasingly positive towards doula care, often employing doulas or doula programs to assist their patients during labor and delivery. In fact Dr. John Kennell, Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus of Case Western Reserve University, and author of over 200 medical publications in the field of prenatal and newborn care, has been repeatedly quoted as saying:
"If a doula were a drug, it would be malpractice not to use it."
When a woman chooses the support of a doula, there can be little doubt as to the increased benefit for both mother and child during labor without any additional risk of adverse drug reaction or medical error.
Clients
The main clientele of Ayla Birth are families within vulnerable populations correlating to poverty, drug use, DHS involvement, or underage pregnancy.
Board
Founded in 2009, the board of Ayla Birth consists of Anne Lenzi, President; Cheri Peccia, Vice President; and Ronald Lenzi, Jr., Secretary.
Anne Lenzi, President
Ms. Lenzi is the founder of Dragonfly Doulas, and actively practiced as doula from 2007 to 2009. She brings not only her knowledge of childbirth, but over a decade of paralegal experience making her uniquely suited to deal with the legal advocacy issues surrounding informed consent, HIPPA and EMTLA. In addition to her work with Ayla Birth, Ms. Lenzi is active in Foster Care Recruitment in Washington County, Oregon. Ms. Lenzi has one biological son and two foster children.
Cheri Peccia, Vice-President
Ms. Peccia is the mother of three children, one with special needs. She brings detailed knowledge of parenting the special needs child and has been involved with Special Olympics for several years. Ms. Peccia also has several years of legal experience as a paralegal and is currently with Sims & Sims in Portland, Oregon.
Ronald Lenzi, Jr., Secretary/Chief Technology Officer
Mr. Lenzi has been a telecommunications engineer for over a decade and brings the technical and business expertise to Ayla Birth. Mr. Lenzi has been involved in technology for over 20 years and is currently a staff writer for Gaming Trend as well a Wager Operations Technician for TVG. Mr. Lenzi has one biological son and two foster children.
Ayla Birth, Inc. is a non-profit community doula program located in Aloha, Oregon. The company provides care for women throughout their pregnancy with childbirth education, prenatal visits at the client's home, continuous labor support at home and/or hospital and postpartum care for up to six weeks. In keeping with the company's goal of a healthy and happy birth for every family, the company provides 24/7 education, support and advocacy specialized for each individual family allowing them to make informed decisions regarding their care and the care of their child.
History and Scope of Doulas
Doulas are professional complementary caregivers for pregnant women and new mothers. A doula is an expert in normal childbirth and is aware of the normal variations during labor as well as an understanding of the standard medical treatments given at the hospital.
A doula does not provide any medical treatments and should not be confused with a midwife. A midwife is a skilled practitioner who provides primary prenatal care for a pregnant woman, and monitors the woman and baby's health during labor and delivery. Doulas on the other hand, focus on the physical and emotional comfort of a woman during pregnancy and labor. A doula works with medical team, often explaining procedures and providing comfort measures and non-medical pain relief during labor.
The professional doula first appeared in the early 1970’s around the same time as the natural birth movement. The demand for doulas has steadily risen and since eclipsed the natural birth movement, with women now hiring doulas for medicated and cesarean births. DONA International, the largest professional doula organization, began in 1994, there were 750 members, by 2007 there were over 6000. Educational Requirements
Currently there are no uniform national or statewide qualifications for doulas. Ayla Birth doulas are required to have completed a training program from certifying agencies such as DONA, Birth Arts International, Birthing Way or CAPPA. Although many doulas at Ayla Birth have been certified by their schools, new doulas are encouraged to apply and participate in the community doula programs.
Benefits of Doula Care
In randomized trials relating to the benefits of doula support during labor, the presence of a doula during labor proved to be beneficial to everyone involved, reducing the need for both an epidural and cesarean section.
Mainstream medical care has become increasingly positive towards doula care, often employing doulas or doula programs to assist their patients during labor and delivery. In fact Dr. John Kennell, Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus of Case Western Reserve University, and author of over 200 medical publications in the field of prenatal and newborn care, has been repeatedly quoted as saying:
"If a doula were a drug, it would be malpractice not to use it."
When a woman chooses the support of a doula, there can be little doubt as to the increased benefit for both mother and child during labor without any additional risk of adverse drug reaction or medical error.
Clients
The main clientele of Ayla Birth are families within vulnerable populations correlating to poverty, drug use, DHS involvement, or underage pregnancy.
Board
Founded in 2009, the board of Ayla Birth consists of Anne Lenzi, President; Cheri Peccia, Vice President; and Ronald Lenzi, Jr., Secretary.
Anne Lenzi, President
Ms. Lenzi is the founder of Dragonfly Doulas, and actively practiced as doula from 2007 to 2009. She brings not only her knowledge of childbirth, but over a decade of paralegal experience making her uniquely suited to deal with the legal advocacy issues surrounding informed consent, HIPPA and EMTLA. In addition to her work with Ayla Birth, Ms. Lenzi is active in Foster Care Recruitment in Washington County, Oregon. Ms. Lenzi has one biological son and two foster children.
Cheri Peccia, Vice-President
Ms. Peccia is the mother of three children, one with special needs. She brings detailed knowledge of parenting the special needs child and has been involved with Special Olympics for several years. Ms. Peccia also has several years of legal experience as a paralegal and is currently with Sims & Sims in Portland, Oregon.
Ronald Lenzi, Jr., Secretary/Chief Technology Officer
Mr. Lenzi has been a telecommunications engineer for over a decade and brings the technical and business expertise to Ayla Birth. Mr. Lenzi has been involved in technology for over 20 years and is currently a staff writer for Gaming Trend as well a Wager Operations Technician for TVG. Mr. Lenzi has one biological son and two foster children.
