The birth of a child can be one of life's most exhilarating experiences - and also among the most daunting. One way to gain additional support and comfort before, during and after childbirth is to hire a doula. And one way to have a great job helping others is to become a doula.

"I love my job. I feel it is the best and most rewarding I job I could have," doula Darla Burns of In Due Time Delivery said. "I get to help women in labor, experience the miracle of birth and help parents care for their new babies in a loving and nurturing way."

The word doula is Greek for "woman who serves." There are two types of doulas, labor doulas and postpartum doulas.

Labor doulas assist woman poised to deliver with emotional, informational and physical support, and soothing techniques including massage and aromatherapy.

"A labor doula is on call 24/7 from the time the client hires the doula, until delivery of the baby," Burns said.

Research has shown that women who used labor doulas are less likely to have a Caesarean section, epidural, oxytocin, pain medication, forceps delivery and have a shorter labor overall.

Valencia resident Kalia Villalobos had her first child, Isabella, under the care and support of Burns.

"My husband is fabulous and so is my mother, but since this was my first baby I wanted someone else to be there to support me," Villalobos said, "Darla made everything go very smoothly during my labor and delivery, she would comfort me, massage me, and keep telling me, ';You are OK, the baby is OK, this is all normal.' She really helped me stay focused until the actual delivery."

Burns seals the miracle of each birth with a letter to the baby for them to read when they are grown, telling the story of their birth, what their parents expressions were when they first laid eyes on their new child, and how happy they were.

"I cried when I read the letter she wrote for Isabella. It was beautiful," Villalobos said.

She will share the keepsake story with Isabella when she is older.

Villalobos was so inspired by her experience with Burns, she is now training to become a doula herself.

A postpartum doula provides physical and emotional support, and household assistance to families after the birth of a baby. A postpartum doula can assist parents with the care and feeding of the newborn, including breastfeeding assistance, bathing and comfort measures as well as doing some light housekeeping so the new mom can get some much-needed rest.

"A doula does not take on the role of a ';nanny' but teaches the parents so they can learn how to care for the baby on their own. A doula ';mothers' the mother," doula Burns said.

There is also research indicating that women who have social support during the postpartum period tend to have less postpartum depression, breastfeed for a longer duration, and make a better adjustment to parenthood.

Typically, the postpartum doula works with the client for about one month or until the parents feel comfortable with the care of the baby on their own, Burns said.

Burns, a married mother of two children, has lived in the Santa Clarita Valley since 1995.

"I have always been intrigued by pregnancy, childbirth and babies. In 1990, I was present at the birth of my godson and I said ';I wish I could do this as a job,'" Burns said. "I continued to support family and friends during labor for many more years. I didn't realize that I was a doula and this could be my career until 2003."

After this revelation, Burns quit her job of 15 years and began her doula training. Today she is a Certified Labor Doula, a Postpartum Doula and Childbirth Educator and is in training to become a "Happiest Baby on the Block Instructor."

According to Burns, the role of a doula differs from that of a midwife or a baby nurse; a doula does not provide any medical care such as checking heart rate, or blood pressure. Doulas are trained to be highly attuned to the emotional and psychological needs of laboring women and new mothers as well as caring for babies, but most importantly they are trained to nurture the parent-infant bonding relationship.

Burns feels that there is a huge need for doulas in the SCV.

"All women need support during labor, delivery and postpartum. While a husband/partner's role in labor is vital to the mother's well-being, he will need to rest, go to the bathroom or get something to eat or drink." Burns said. "A doula will make sure that the mother is never left alone during labor and that her wishes for her labor and delivery are achieved. Also, a postpartum doula can help make sure the parents are well-supported once they are home."

The fees for a labor doula range from $400 to $1,000; fees for a postpartum doula range from $25-$30 an hour.

For more information about In Due Time Doula Services, call 294-5009. For information about becoming a doula contact Doulas of North America (DONA) at http://www.dona.org and Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals Association (CAPPA) at http://www.cappa.net.