Were do you all hold your prenatal appointments. I am thinking most will be done at the clients house, but what if the client isn't comfortable at her house, perhaps because her house is very messy, or something like that? Then were would you hold them, at your house? What if your not comfortable with that though?
Thanks.
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Mama to 2 wonderful boys, Shane 10/04 and Devon 3/07
CD, BW, BF, co-sleeping type of mama. Madly in love w/ Brian!
I would never hold prenatals at my house unless it was for a close friend. My first choice would be at their house. I haven't thought through another location if they weren't happy at their own house. Hmmm. Sometimes the library has small rooms where you'd have some privacy. I'd feel a tad silly carrying a birth ball into the library, though (or just about anywhere for that matter ). It seems pretty important to me to have at least one prenatal at their house for a couple of reasons. One, so you are sure you know where it is for the big day. Two, so you can get a feel for what she has to work with for comfort measure etc. Seem like a good idea to practice labor positions on the furniture she has available. Tricky
Most of all of my prenatals are at the clients house. I would never do one in my own house. If they were not comfortable having it in their house, I would use the library, or perhaps Panera Bread (if it was a first prenatal and we were not practicing comfort measures). Also, we have a local coffee shop with a small "conference room" that I can book for free. It is closed off and private--so that might be an option as well. Hope that helps!
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"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals". ~J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Ideally, the first prenatal is at a neutral place, like a Panera or an Eat and Park. Then I go to a prenatal appointment with her care provider. Third meeting is anywhere... neutral place, their house, LLL meeting, going shopping for baby stuff. In my contract/fee we include 3 meetings.
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Karen, CD(DONA)
Married to my sweet-cheeks
Mom to Im and Zee and baby Charlie
The Community Outreach Center in our town has two really nice cozy rooms besides a conference room. I believe I can meet clients there, if I need to. I am hoping to see if I could use one of the rooms to house some prenatal, birth and postpartum and breastfeeding resource info.
I very well might be able to meet with someone where I work too, depending on the day. I work in the downstairs "living room" area of a building where the administrative offices for the non-profit for which I work, are housed (they are upstairs).
Home visits are the alternative to those locations. I could never receive a client in my home anyhow because I have two dogs and I'd prefer to avoid any potential issue around that fact.
J.
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Goin' for it!
Joyce A. Vanselow, CD (MSTM) Adirondack Birthcraft: Doula Services, Training & More!
Birth Is In Our Nature! Midwife's Apprentice
Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician
Always at their home. If a client cannot be comfy w/me at her house, then perhaps there are issues that need to be discussed. I don't care if a client's house is messy or whatever. We need to develope a trust relationship and part of that is her being comfy w/me at her house.
If there were circumstances that made it impossible to be at her house, I guess we'd go to the library, although it wont be 100% private. I'd prefer privacy to cleanliness anytime!
I haven't had this happen to me as of yet, so I'm not sure what I'd do if we couldn't meet at her home and the library wasn't private enough for her. There aren't many options here in our small town.
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B'earth Angel the absentee doula "He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetuate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."
I always meet at their house. One time, I did have a prenatal at my house, but she and her husband are friends.
IF I couldn't meet at her house, it would have to be somewhere private where she feels she could speak openly. I guess a library(with a private room) would do. Alternately, you could meet at another family member's home I suppose.
Good luck!
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Y v o n n e
Any statements expressed in this forum are mine and are not a representation of any organization I am affiliated with.
Ideally, the first prenatal is at a neutral place, like a Panera or an Eat and Park. Then I go to a prenatal appointment with her care provider. Third meeting is anywhere... neutral place, their house, LLL meeting, going shopping for baby stuff. In my contract/fee we include 3 meetings.
this is usually what i do. i was starting to think i was doing it wrong. {i'm still in training but i'll be finished soon} do you have to do labor positions? i find that the women i've worked with, aren't comfortable with me touching them until they are in labor
). It seems pretty important to me to have at least one prenatal at their house for a couple of reasons. One, so you are sure you know where it is for the big day. Two, so you can get a feel for what she has to work with for comfort measure etc. Seem like a good idea to practice labor positions on the furniture she has available. Tricky
If they were not comfortable having it in their house, I would use the library, or perhaps Panera Bread (if it was a first prenatal and we were not practicing comfort measures). Also, we have a local coffee shop with a small "conference room" that I can book for free. It is closed off and private--so that might be an option as well. Hope that helps! 
and Zee 
and baby Charlie
Goin' for it!
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