My name is Fran Hoyer.  I am married to a wonderful man Bernie Hoyer and I have four fabulous children, two who were normal vaginal births, one who was an emergency C-section and my last child who was a scheduled C-section that turned into an emergency C-section.

I started as a practicing doula in the Des Moines Metro area in late 2007 and am now a Certified  birth & postpartum Doula. Some of my clients have consisted of: single mothers, teenage mothers, high risk pregnancies, scheduled C-sections, emergency C-sections, natural births, and VBAC’s.

I bring my professionalism, experience, knowledge and huge amounts of empathy to every client I work with.  Having experienced my own vaginal, unmediated hospital births and cesarean sections; this allows me to have a real, deep empathy for mother(s) no matter if she’s at the peak of a drug-free contraction, or staring straight up at the cold, bright ceiling of the operating room.  I know how you feel, I’ve been there, done that and I will make sure you don’t feel alone.

As your doula, this is my Promise:

  1. You cannot hurt my feelings when you are in labor.
  2. I won’t lie to you in labor.
  3. I will do everything in my power so you do not suffer.
  4. I will help you to feel safe and give you praise for all the hard work your accomplishing.
  5. I won’t speak for you; but I will make sure that you have a voice and I will make sure you are heard!

My beliefs about labor/childbirth/pregnancy:fran

  1. Pregnant women and their newborn babies are in inextricably linked to the wondrous cycle of nature that we so frequently take for granted (pregnant women are the most beautiful women of all as they are holding the creation of life within their bodies).
  2. The egg and sperm are the beginning of a wonderful journey, together they form the very beginnings of life, create the promise of a future and end with the mysterious and wondrous event of labor and childbirth.
  3. Each mother to be or mother is a completely different individual as will her labor and birthing experience be different and individual.
  4. My personal feeling and doula training are that the mother to be has many choices regarding the birthing of her baby. Whether she chooses to go for the completely natural childbirth or she chooses to use a medicated childbirth, she knows her body better than anyone.
  5. When with my clients, my interest is being the professional that you have hired me to be. I sometimes bring out my sense of humor when I know mother(s) need a little chuckle to lighten the mood, but I also realize this has to be perfectly timed (never during contractions, transition or pushing).
  6. I am there for the mother to be and her partner to discuss all the options available and to help choose the birthing of choice and will work for her, I will fully honor the mother’s choice and work as her advocate with the medical staff.
  7. I also will help with the choice of either breastfeeding or bottle-feeding.  I will discuss both options with the mother to be so she can feel comfortable with whatever choice she makes.

I am partners with Althea Hrdlichka of Tender Gifts Doula so that every birth is always covered.

Thank you for taking the time to familiarize yourself with my website and I look forward to hearing from you.