About Me
The first time I heard about doulas, I just knew, becoming one was the right path for me.
I’m Leslie Cuffee
I am fully committed to supporting women in their choices for childbirth. I have experience supporting high risk pregnancy, homebirth, waterbirth, birth center (adjacent to hospital), and hospital births. I am a mom and a grandma and also experienced in breastfeeding and cloth diapering {first baby}. I am also a certified hypno doula for clients planning a hypno based birth experience.
I listen to the needs of the families I serve. Each client/family is unique. I show respect for their choices, culture, ideas and customs. Adding a doula to the birth team can greatly enhance the birth experience for both the mother and the partner.
and I have volunteered my time to offering doula services to wives of deployed husbands and at war spouses during times of crisis with Operation Special Delivery (OSD).
I am known for many services, titles and roles including that of bereavement support, attending families in critical, traumatic, and terminal outcomes. You can read about my doula work in the book “Walking the Labyrinth of My Heart” as well as in Dianna Armentrout’s blog.
I feel there is a healer in all of us and that birth is a rite of passage.
“Leslie has been dubbed “The medicinal soul” “Mother spirit” and “Healer.” in her community.“
My Skills
I am certified as a level 2 Reiki practitioner, and have used healing modality for clients as well as our area birth workers and many clinical practitioners have called on me for the benefits of this amazing healing modality. Reiki is well known in the medical community to help heal and assist in healing the surgical sites as well as healing or easing emotions of the patient.
All births are powerful rites of passage for both parents and infants. For women, birth signifies their transition from maiden to mother. For the infant, birth is the entrance into human society outside of the world known in utero. Since every birth is as unique as the individual, I firmly believe that every birthing mother should be treated with respect to her needs, as well as the needs of her family. Birth occurs best when these rites of passage are honored and supported . No matter the location or who attends a birth, women need to feel valued, dignified, and empowered, especially when it comes to making decisions about how her child comes into the world. Even if the mom has an unwanted c-section, this can be an empowering experience if she is treated with respect and support. Multiple studies show that a doula’s support through labor and delivery minimize the number of interventions received, decrease the time in labor, and provide the couple with nurturing support through a critical time in their lives.
Pregnancy is a time of emotional and spiritual growth, as well as the more obvious, physical growth. Because pregnancy and birth are very personal and special times for families, I consider it a privilege and honor to assist mothers in birthing babies. Life is sacred.
