Our Services
Professional Birth Doula and Postpartum Support in Pittsburgh, PA
We offer a range of compassionate doula services throughout Pittsburgh and the greater Pittsburgh region, supporting families through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with personalized and heart-centered care, unique birth documentation, and creative educational resources.
birth is a threshold, birth is a door, birth is a journey, birth is a labyrinth, birth is a cataclysm, birth is an opening, birth is sacred, birth is honest, birth is raw, birth is ordinary, birth is holy, birth is intense, birth is real, birth is personal, birth is human, birth is true
Birth Doula
Personal and heart-centered support that includes two childbirth preparation sessions, text/phone support anytime during pregnancy, continuous birth support, and one postpartum visit.
$1500 with sliding scale pricing available
Serving Pittsburgh, PA and the surrounding region.
I also offer birth doula services with Riverbend Birth! Check out their packages to see if they’re a good fit!
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Think of a birth doula as an informed companion as you walk through birth. My job as your doula is to be there for you — doing everything in my power to help support your wellbeing as you do the hard work of getting your baby home. I am not here to make choices for you, rather to help you find your way to the choices you want to make. I will not replace your partner’s support, but rather support your partner and you as a team.
In most modern birth scenarios, care providers do not continuously remain in the birth space during labor. You are left alone quite a lot, which can lead to stress and confusion. (At least that’s how I felt at my first birth without a doula). Once you bring them in, a doula stays with you continuously, throughout your whole labor. They know your context, your hopes, your fears. A doula stays, and is there for you. That kind of continuous and steady presence means so much, and is clinically proven to improve birth outcomes.
During your birth, I can offer physical support like counter-pressure, calming touch, position changes, and pain-coping strategies. I can help keep your birth space calm and tidy. I can act as a second brain, helping you think through big decisions using evidence-based information. I’ll be your biggest cheerleader, a source of encouragement and validation, a judgement-free listener, and an advocate, helping your voice and choices be heard and respected as much as possible within the system.
What I want most is for you to feel like your birth was yours, like you were never abandoned, and like you were surrounded by support and love while you did something hard and special and beautiful.
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We will meet twice before your birth to get to know each other, explore your options, think through your birth preferences, and learn pain coping techniques. These sessions will also go beyond the logistics of birth into more heart-centered questions — how does this transition feel? What do you really need?
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Modern childbirth often leaves parents to labor alone for most of the time. I will be with you throughout your labor and delivery, offering support to both birthing person and partner, witnessing and listening, offering ideas where appropriate, and making sure you have the presence you need in such a vulnerable and important moment of change and challenge.
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When we are working together, Amy will check in with you each week, giving extra space for questions, concerns, and conversation. You are also welcome to text anytime (about anything) and Amy will respond as soon as possible.
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I’ll come visit a few weeks postpartum to offer support, debrief your birth, and celebrate with you! You are also welcome to get in touch anytime in your first six weeks postpartum with any questions or concerns that arise.
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From 38-42 weeks, I’ll be on call day and night while you wait for baby. If an emergency or unforeseen circumstance arises and I can’t attend your birth, you will be connected with a backup doula (who you’ll chat with ahead of time!) so you’re not left alone.
Click the button above to fill out our intake form, then we will reach out to schedule a free meeting to chat about what you are looking for and what LOON can offer! Have additional questions about this offering? Send me an email at amybornman@gmail.com, I’ll be happy to answer them.
Postpartum Doula
Personalized house calls to care for you while you care for your baby. Offering the support you need most, as much as you’d like.
$40/hour
Serving Pittsburgh, PA and the surrounding region.
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Mothers need tender and embodied care in the fourth trimester. Let’s get you back in your body, let’s get you feeling relaxed and restored. From soothing herbal sitzbaths or footbaths, vaginal steaming, belly wraps, soothing touch and physical support, we’re here to hold you up.
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I’ll do your dishes, fold your laundry, fetch groceries, prepare food, and/or tidy up so you can stay calm and resting. I’m happy to hang out with older siblings too. Whatever helps you feel a little less overwhelmed by the everything of it all!
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No matter how your birth unfolded, the feelings it may have left you with are nuanced and complex — and talking about it is really important! I will listen without judgement, holding space for the ongoing processing you are moving through as you unpack your birth.
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Need help solving a feeding or sleep problem? Overwhelmed by too much information when you turn to google or social media? I will work with you to find next steps to tackle any problem, and will connect you with resources for further help as much as you need.
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Sometimes what you need most is just to be witnessed and seen. Sometimes what you need is someone you can talk freely to, someone who understands and won’t pass judgement. Sometimes you just need to laugh and lower the stakes a little! All of that is part of what we can offer. That critical companionship and open-hearted listening, safe space to be just as you are.
$40/hour with a three hour minimum. I’m also happy to build personalized care based on your budget!
Click the button above to fill out our intake form, then we will reach out to schedule a free meeting to chat about what you are looking for and what LOON can offer!
Have additional questions about this offering? Send me an email at amybornman@gmail.com, I’ll be happy to answer them!
In-Home Childbirth Education
Private, personalized birth prep and education that comes to you! You can explore more of what you will learn in the drop-down menu below. Sessions are tailored to your family and birth plan, with flexibility in the way we approach instruction.
$150 per two-hour session, two sessions minimum recommended
Serving Pittsburgh, PA and the surrounding region.
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What actually is happening in the body during birth? Understanding the physiological and hormonal process of birth can help the whole thing feel a little less scary. Explore the stages of labor and what you might expect to feel in your body.
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Birth is not easy, but there are ways you can cope with the intensity and move through it. Explore and practice pain coping techniques and learn positions that can help you cope and make space for your baby to navigate the pelvis.
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How can partners support birthing parents during birth? What is helpful? We will discuss specific techniques for partners to be an active participant in your baby’s birth.
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It can really help to know ahead of time what you might expect when you arrive at your birth facility on the big day. I bring my knowledge of local hospitals and care providers to add some context to your expectations so there aren’t too many surprises that pop up.
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What feels scary? What are you worried about? What do you feel like you still need to learn or explore? Private birth classes mean we can tailor our sessions to you and what you want to learn.
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It can feel difficult to advocate for your needs and desires in a busy hospital with many care providers. Learn some strategies for clear and productive conversations with your care team so you can feel both well-informed and heard, even in stressful moments.
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Explore your options and find your way to your own desires and preferences for your birth! I’ll guide you through the process of making a birth plan, so everyone on your team can start on the same page.
Birth Photography
Photographing your birth with a doula’s eye, capturing real and raw moments from one of the most important days of your life! We will chat ahead of time about any questions you have and what you’re hoping for. You can then focus on experiencing your birth, and rest assured that you’ll have heirloom-quality photos to capture the intensity and memories!
$300 add-on to birth doula service (standalone birth photography coming soon!)
Serving Pittsburgh, PA and the surrounding region.
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All you have to do is move through your birth — I’ll be there to blend into the background and capture your experience, as well as the first moments of your baby’s life. Expect photos that tell a story and feel like real life.
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No posing, no gimicks, no overpowering editing. The goal is to capture you and your baby just as you are, and to deliver you heirloom photos to enjoy forever.
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Throughout your active labor and immediate postpartum, I’ll snap tons of photos, trying to capture every special shift. Within two weeks of birth, I’ll send you a link to download your photos. Expect anywhere from 50-200 photos naturally edited photos, depending on the length of your birth.
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How can I take photos and support you at the same time? During active labor, there tends to be ebbs and flows in the action. Taking photos only takes a moment or two, so I will be able to switch roles fairly seamlessly at my discretion. We will chat ahead of time about your needs and priorities — but know that I’ll never sacrifice your wellbeing! It gets a little trickier in the pushing stage. That is where our conversation ahead of time will help us get on the same page about what means the most to you.
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Want to add third trimester and postpartum home visit photos? We can make that happen, let’s talk about it!
Birth photography is not available individually quite yet, but reach out if that is something you are interested in and we can chat about it!
Click the button above to fill out our intake form, then we will reach out to schedule a free meeting to chat about what you are looking for and what LOON can offer!
Have additional questions about this offering? Send me an email at amybornman@gmail.com, I’ll be happy to answer them!
Birth Story Listening and Documentation
Birth stories are sacred, shifting and changing over time as the intensity fades and memory unfolds. Want a safe place to process your story and move through intensity or trauma? Or, want to capture your story while it is fresh as a custom heirloom zine?
$120 Birth Story Listening Session
$400 Birth Story Documentation and custom heirloom zine
(Virtual and Pittsburgh, PA)
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Birth is a huge and complex experience. Telling your story in a safe place where complicated feelings are welcome can be a beautiful avenue for healing. We will sit together, and you will have space to tell your story in your own words. Together, we can try to tend to the tenderest parts in an effort to help you integrate this story and all that is changing in you.
Birth Story Listening sessions are approximately 60-90 minutes, with virtual and in-person (Pittsburgh region) options available
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In this one of a kind offering, we will capture your birth story for posterity. You will tell me your story in your own words, and I will transcribe, lightly edit for clarity, and publish your story as a handmade custom booklet for you to keep forever.
What you get:
Birth Story Listening Session (60-90 minutes)
Two physical copies of your custom
Birth Story BookletPDF of transcribed text
PDF Printable version of Booklet
Audio Recording of your Birth Story Session
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Tell me the story of your childbearing year at four important touchstones. I will keep your story safe, and at the end of the year I will offer it back to you as an heirloom keepsake book, along with other documentation.
Late Third Trimester — pregnancy story listeningOne week postpartum — birth story listening
Six weeks postpartum — postpartum story listening
End of fourth trimester — final listening, birth year culmination
This offering is $1000, paid in four installments.
Click the button above to fill out our intake form, then we will reach out to schedule a free meeting to chat about what you are looking for and what LOON can offer!
Have additional questions about this offering? Send me an email at amybornman@gmail.com, I’ll be happy to answer them!
Please keep in mind that Amy is not a licensed therapist and birth story listening is not a replacement for therapy and other essential mental health and trauma recovery care.
Birth Prep Zines and Workbooks
In collaboration with Imaginary Lake, LOON has a range of Birth and Postpartum Zines and Workbooks to come alongside you in your childbearing year.
We also plan to offer in person and virtual workshops and courses, coming soon!
Birth Story: a pattern for writing is a workbook zine by Amy Bornman. The 12-page workbook is printed and hand-assembled in Amy’s home studio. Birth Story will guide you through the process of writing your own birth story in a way that feels complete using gentle prompts and a timeline structure.
What’s a pattern for writing? It’s like a sewing pattern, but instead of sewing a garment you are writing an essay. A writing pattern is a guide to help facilitate the process of sorting through complex experiences and thoughts to write one’s own story. The pattern provides structure in which the writer’s creativity can thrive, working to make a finished piece that is entirely original and complete. “Birth Story” is the first in a series of writing patterns that will be available from Imaginary Lake over time.
This workbook is also available as a digital download! (Here!)
Zines are handmade. Expect a lead time of up to two weeks before your order ships (Amy is still postpartum!). Zines are sent using USPS First Class Mail stamps and will not be trackable. If three weeks have gone by and your order has not arrived, please get in touch!
Shipping is $1.00 per zine to US addresses, and $2.00 per zine internationally.
Written and edited by Amy Bornman
Designed and published by Amy Bornman, Imaginary Lake Press
a cheerful palm-sized print zine featuring a small collection simple and personal resources for people who are near to giving birth.
zine includes:
favorite resources for birth prep,
birth affirmations,
finger labyrinth and breathing exercise,
a playlist,
and a benediction.
also available as a digital/printable zine here.
8 pages, 4.25x2.75” magic zine
compiled and published by Amy Bornman
imaginary lake press
Zines are handmade by a working artist-parent. Expect a lead time of up to a week before your order ships. Most zines will be sent using USPS First Class Mail and will not be trackable. If two weeks have gone by and your order has not arrived, please get in touch!
Shipping is $0.50 per zine to US addresses, and $1.50 per zine internationally.
Get in touch if you are interested in a bulk or consignment order!
Second Birth: A Birth Story is an essay zine by Amy Bornman. The 28-page illustrated zine is printed and hand-assembled in Amy’s home studio. The essay recounts the birth of Amy’s second son in detail, and gently examines tender themes of matrescence, change, fear, power, and joy.
“Reminding myself to be thoughtless, notionless, maybe even hopeless. Hope for nothing except a healthy baby and intact self. Hope for nothing except pure change.”
Also available as a digital download! (Here!)
Zines are handmade. Expect a lead time of up to two weeks before your order ships (Amy is still postpartum!). Zines are sent using USPS First Class Mail and are not trackable. If three weeks have gone by and your order has not arrived, please get in touch!
Shipping is $1 per zine to US addresses, and $2 per zine internationally.
Written and edited by Amy Bornman
Designed and published by Amy Bornman, Imaginary Lake Press
“Second Birth” is Zine #1 in the “A Year Postpartum” series.
Contact Amy
amybornman@gmail.com
412-478-1599
Coraopolis, PA
Serving Greater Pittsburgh
All local hospitals, The Midwife Center,
and home births welcome!