brilliantbirth

About Us

Welcome to Brilliant Birth Doula Services!

We provide  doula care for women in Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina and the surrounding areas.  We are happy to offer our services for hospital births, homebirths, and birth center deliveries.  We also offer postpartum care and private childbirth education in the comfort of your own home.  You can scroll down to learn more about us and use the tabs above to learn about our services or read our blog for more information.

Please contact us with your questions at brilliantbirthdoulas@yahoo.com.

We’d also be happy to arrange for a free consultation so you can meet us in person and see if we are the right doulas for you!

Meet the Doulas

When you hire Brilliant Birth Doulas, you get the knowledge, skills and experience of two doulas.  While only one of us will attend your birth, you will get to know both of us during your prenatal period.  We will both be available to advise you throughout your pregnancy.  Depending on your preference and our availability, one of us will be your primary doula and the other will serve as a back-up.  The back-up will be available to consult with the primary doula during the birth if extra input is needed and will take the place of the primary doula should something unexpected prevent her from attending your birth (illness, family emergency, etc.).

Karla

My name is Karla Costner. I am a transplant to the Upstate, as I was born and raised in Indiana. My husband and I have been married 15 glorious years and have five wonderful children. We enjoy our family and the time that we spend together is precious to me. I became involved in midwifery in 2008, after meeting a local midwife. Shortly after, I became an assistant to Elizabeth Randolph and began to study. I was amazed at the beautiful, peaceful homebirths that I witnessed and the books that I read were enlightening to say the least. That time spent as a midwife assistant, not only changed my views on birth but gave me confidence in my body’s ability to birth.

In 2011, I certified as a hypnodoula with Hypnobabies. I must admit that I was somewhat skeptical at first, but seeing is believing! I have seen women experience pain free births in home and hospital settings, thanks to Hypnobabies. I also experienced hypnosis first hand, as I used it with the birth of our 5^th child in February 2012. My birthing time was pain free as well and only 3 hours long! What a difference it made for me!

I greatly enjoy working with families. Birth is a sacred event and I am honored to be a part of such a beautiful time in the lives of women. The Bible tells us in Psalms that children are a heritage from the Lord…a reward. This shapes the way I approach birth…I see it as a time of blessing and rejoicing. It is from this faith that I am able to serve as a doula.

Lisa

Hi, I’m Lisa Ladwig. My husband Robert and I have five children. Our first two pregnancies and births were under the care of physicians at the hospital. I began prenatal care for our third child with a midwife and planned on an out-of-hospital birth but was transferred into the care of a maternal-fetal specialist when it was discovered that our daughter had a severe heart defect and chromosome abnormality. She was born at the hospital and spent time in the NICU. Despite the circumstances, we had a great birth because we had a wonderful DOULA.  She made all the difference. Our fourth child was born at a local free-standing birth center in the care of an excellent local midwife and our fifth child was a homebirth.

I have completed doula training with Dar la Luz Midwifery Studies and am also certified as a Hypno-Doula through Hypnobabies.   I’m committed to helping parents experience the joy and wonder of a beautiful birth.  In 2001 I attended my first birth, offering labor support for a dear friend who was about to become a first time mom.  While I didn’t decide to become a doula until several years after that,  I continued learning new things about pregnancy and childbirth, gaining skills and growing in experience.   I am familiar with several different methods of relaxation, comfort and support, including the Bradley Method and hypnosis for childbirth. I’m looking forward to using my personal experiences and my formal training to encourage and support parents in whatever ways I can.

What our clients have to say about Brilliant Birth…

My doula, Karla, was a wonderful presence at my son’s hospital birth. Having never given birth before, I knew I needed someone with me who knew positioning techniques and comfort measures. My husband needed someone who could encourage him through the birth process. We knew that hospital staff (as good as they are) couldn’t offer the constant support that a doula offers. I am so thankful Karla was with me- she was the calmest person in the room and became a great focal point for me. I tend to become stressed if anyone else is stressed. She encouraged me to walk, to change positions, to use my hypnobabies, and she helped my husband massage my back.

Some people say, why pay for a doula when you could have your husband there or your mom or sister or whoever. A doula is there for a specific purpose- to help you! Sometimes family members get so caught up, they can actually seem more of a burden than a help because they are so worried/excited. Karla was calm, quiet, and nurturing. Can I say enough good things about her? My husband is thankful she was there too. He was able to help me because she knew what I needed.

Yes we could have birthed without a doula, but my blood pressure would have been much higher. Praise God for doulas! Next time around, I hope Karla is still assisting birthing mamas so I can have her with us again.

Thank you Brilliant Birth Doulas!

-Brittney, Alex, and baby Everett.