Name: Chrissy Haltom
Contact Information:
Text - (607)351-6185
Instagram- @DoulaChrissyHaltom
Email- Christinahaltom@gmail.com
Regions Served: Ithaca and surrounding areas, please inquire.
Type of Doula and focus of care: Birth and Postpartum doula offering support throughout the transitional period of pregnancy, birth and postpartum.
Training/Certification: Birth Doula Certification with Birth Arts International, Postpartum Doula Training with BAI, 200hr Yoga Teacher Training Certification, Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training, Certificate of Completion for Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss from The Institute for the study of Birth, Breath, and Death
General Structure of Doula Services:
Birth Support-
1. Consultation/Meet & Connect: A complimentary meeting where we get to know each other over a quick chat and see if we make a good team. .
2. Once booked, you have access to an extensive lending library of all things birth related (I’ll send you a book list!) and I’m available to you by text, call or email during daytime hours. My on-call period for your birth begins at 38 weeks’ gestation. This means 24 hours a day I will be available to you if you need me to chat or if it’s time for birth!
3. Prenatal Meetings: We'll discuss your goals for your birth, explore your birth options, review/debrief prior birth experiences (if relevant), and develop your birth preferences and intentions. We'll talk about birth physiology to help you better understand the process of labor and building trust in its incredible design. We'll also discuss each person’s role in the birth team and explore your expectations of your labor, birth and early postpartum experience. We will explore possible medical interventions, discuss the process of making informed decisions/Birthing Person’s Bill of Rights, newborn procedures, body mechanics/prenatal movement, and talk through any fears & concerns you or your partner may have. We will also review your birth preferences, discuss your preferred pain management options (natural and medical pain relief), coping strategies, and practice active birth techniques and positions. I will also share handouts on inductions, newborn and hospital procedures (if relevant), medical pain relief (if relevant), coping with labor cheat sheet, and a quick reference for partner support.
4. BIRTH! I will meet you at the location discussed and offer advocacy, physical and emotional support for you and your partner until you're settled in after birth (1-2 hours post-birth).
5. Postpartum Visit: Within the first two weeks, I will come to your home to check in on your wellbeing. We can troubleshoot infant feeding, sleep, and take time to debrief your birth and discuss this new world of motherhood. I can help with things around the house and offer infant support if you’d like to take a shower or get some much needed rest.
Postpartum Care- I offer hourly postpartum care in your home during the times we agree upon. Additionally, I will be available by phone, text or email to answer any questions you may have. My goal for postpartum care is to help soften the transitional period after birth by encouraging calm and effective bonding, well-nourished and confident parents, and a smoothly run home. The dense nutritional, emotional, and physical support needed during this sacred time is best fulfilled with a solid foundation of support. I can assist with newborn care, sibling care, breastfeeding, newborn soothing, physical and emotional healing after birth, and referrals to local practitioners if necessary.
Why are you a doula?
Since a young age, I’ve held true to the mother archetype of nurturer and caregiver. I’ve tended to small children since I was a child myself. Offering comfort and care to children and animals is something that brings me immense joy. Holding space for monumental life shifts of birth and death are also places I feel grounded. Before ever creating a profession with this work, I was called by friends and family to support them during these transitions. I was trained as CNA in 2006 and studied LPN coursework in 2007.
I gave birth to my first child in 2012. Feeling overwhelmed by choices (or lack of) in birth options and confused and horrified by negative birth outcomes in our country, I subsequently started a Birth Doula Certification with Birth Arts International. Dabbling in births between raising my children, in 2021 I made the decision to take on births more regularly. In addition to doula work, I’ve had the great pleasure of occasionally assisting 2 different local homebirth/center midwife practices. Despite completing my doula certification many years ago, I actively seek updated information about the current “birthscape” through webinars, masterclasses, books, and following heavy hitter birth nerds from the global birth community (Dr. Rachel Reed, Michel Odent OB, Gail Tully (Spinning Babies), Stu Fischbein MD, Lindsay McCoy (Body Ready Method), Dr Aviva Romm, Dr Sara Buckley, Nathan Riley OBGYN, Alicia and Meredith from Intentional Birth, Evidence Based Birth, the list goes on…).
As a doula, I’d like to support women in informed decisions about their birth experiences, decisions that aren’t rooted in fear or pressures of modern practice. I want women to know that they have a say in how their birth experience unfolds. I will share my knowledge about evidence-based practices but support all birth decisions, whether they’re evidence based or not. I offer support through a non-judgmental lens and believe that mothers are the experts of their body and hold the wisdom and power when it comes to growing, birthing and nurturing their babies.
Testimonials
“Chrissy has a calming presence, but feels like a strong/solid person to turn to in times of panic/need! And she has a gift with photography- we didn’t even realize/remember her taking photos because she was so involved but captured so many memories. Her pictures are the most wonderful gift I could have gotten- to be able to go back and relive such a wonderful experience that way is something I treasure so much”
“Chrissy’s prenatal visits were SO beneficial. Having someone who helped with different stretches and techniques made me that much more comfortable, along with the mental/emotional side of things.”—KVA
“Christina has been on this journey with me from pregnancy and beyond. Her presence is strong yet gentle, and you feel instantly calm and capable under her care. I am so grateful for her support and her talent as a doula.” -KL
“The most useful during this labor was the peace and calm environment that Christina provided.” -NT
“Having Chrissy as my doula made the whole experience that much easier and enjoyable. With a week long prodromal labor, having her to check in with, discuss how I was feeling, and giving me tip/things to do, kept me in a better mental headspace leading up to everything.” KVA
“She was my voice when I was too exhausted to speak for myself. “ -RT
Photography: Informal photography offered at no extra charge. Reference pictures below!
“Chrissy was a godsend! With my husband working long hours and a toddler to care for in addition to my new baby, Chrissy was exactly what I needed to get through the postpartum stage. Whether cooking me meals, playing with my toddler, doing dishes, folding laundry, tidying up my home or taking care of my newborn so I could get some sleep, Chrissy was always making my life easier. She is so caring, genuine and relatable, it was like having a friend visit who helped those postpartum days feel so much more manageable! She was flexible to meet whatever needs I had as I progressed through the postpartum stage, and was always available to answer questions, provide resources and ideas or just be a listening ear. I'm forever grateful for Chrissy and highly recommend her for any new mom!” -JB
Training/Certification: Birth Doula Certification with Birth Arts International, Postpartum Doula Training with BAI, 200hrYTT and currently doing Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training, Certificate of Completion for Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss from The Institute for the study of Birth, Breath, and Death, Neonatal Resuscitation Certified, Midwife Assistant
Connect with Chrissy:
Text: 607-351-6185
Email: Christinahaltom@gmail.com
Instagram: @Chrissyhaltomdoula