MATERNAL INSTINCTS NEW MOTHERS ARE GETTING HELP THEY CAN TAKE HOME.

Byline: Evan Henerson Staff Writer

On her second day at home after giving birth to twins, Nancy Corcoran had a vegetable omelette prepared for her and help giving Conor and Quinn their first bath - from someone she'd met just four days earlier.

The omelette preparer, Petra Corsaro, was Corcoran's Tender Care Doula - an all-purpose helper provided free by Encino Tarzana Regional Medical Center, where Corcoran's twins were born.

Under the Tender Care Doula program, new moms get three days (12 hours) of in-home care from doulas who help out wherever and however they are able. Doulas are not doctors, but they can assist in numerous tasks from giving advice on breast feeding, to cooking meals to doing laundry to looking after a sibling. The term ``doula'' comes from the Greek word meaning ``to serve.'' (In the Jewish faith, doulas are often used as birthing coaches.)

Corcoran, who learned of the program in her hospital room, already had her mother, Peggy, and husband Donal to help out at home. Having Corsaro there, too, was a bonus.

``Basically, it was wonderful to have somebody who was really competent around babies come in for a few hours so that I knew if I had any questions about the babies, she was the one to answer them,'' said Corcoran, 43, a yoga instructor and a first-time mom. ``I do think having a doula is like having a second mother here. It's especially nice for people who don't have their mothers with them when they first come home.''

Corsaro, a mother of two, was pleased both at the opportunity to get her ``baby fix'' and to be placed in a situation where her work was clearly needed and valued.

``I always feel just so honored to be able to come into people's homes,'' said Corsaro, who also coordinates the Tender Care program at ETRMC. ``This is a very private time in their lives.''

And a hectic one. In addition to the fatigue that accompanies recovering from major surgery - in the case of a Caesarean section delivery - mothers have a new infant to feed, bathe, clothe and generally take care of. During the first few days, an extra set of hands - particularly if those hands belong to someone with plenty of experience in child care - is a major relief, says Chris Morley, founder of the Tender Care Doula program.

``The doula becomes the eyes and ears in the home. It's kind of like a triangle of care between the mother, the hospital and the physician,'' said Morley. ``A new parent doesn't have a gauge of what's normal.''

With insurance companies now encouraging shorter hospital stays for new moms, the Tender Care Doula program makes financial sense as well, say hospital administrators. The program is optional and is free to mothers who leave before spending the 48 hours (96 for a C-section delivery) of hospital time authorized by the medical center. Because she was the mother of twins, Corcoran stayed five days in the hospital and still took advantage of the doula service free of charge.

Morley trains officials from a medical center's obstetrics/gynecology department to operate the program and then lets the hospital run it. Doulas, all of whom must be mothers or grandmothers, are hired and trained and must undergo background checks, all before being sent on assignment. The program has been in effect for six months in Encino and for a year and a half at UCLA/Santa Monica Medical Center, as well as at hospitals in Newport Beach, Cleveland and Bowling Green, Ky. Northridge Hospital is in negotiations with Tender Care to start the program there.

According to administrators, mothers love the extra care, and the early discharges save the hospital money and valuable bed space without sacrificing quality of care.

``Physicians were reluctant to let their patients go home unless they could be provided with some continuum of care,'' said Susan Woolley, director of perinatal services at Encino Tarzana Medical Center. ``This seemed like a reasonable alternative. With a home health nurse, a mother doesn't get the kind of psycho-social support she needs.''

About a week after her three-day tenure with Corcoran had ended, Corsaro returned to Corcoran's home. Greeted at the door by Corcoran's mother (who Corsaro called ``Grandma Peggy''), Corsaro arrived with pictures of the babies. Before long, she was holding a sleepy Quinn while Corcoran gave Conor a bottle.

``I made myself an omelette today,'' Corcoran told Corsaro, the daughter of a European pastry chef, ``in your honor.''

With a staff of more than 13 doulas - and 15 training to start work by the end of June - new moms at Encino Tarzana won't necessarily get the program coordinator assigned to their home, but Corsaro said she felt an instant connection with Corcoran and asked to be assigned to her case.

``I read people really fast. The minute I walk into a room, I can tell,'' said Corsaro. ``(Nancy) was very tired that day in the hospital. She felt like she had been beaten up from the inside, and I can really feel empathy for someone in that situation. This was just someone who needed a little extra, especially having twins. I just wanted to make sure it was done right.''

Agreed Corcoran, ``I think we were just really comfortable and relaxed with each other right away.''

Tender Care tries to match the personality of the doula with the family she'll be serving. Some doulas are bilingual in Spanish or Farsi; others work specifically with teen mothers.

In addition to her culinary prowess, Corsaro, Corcoran said, was particularly skilled at pampering. She discussed nutritional requirements with the family (Corcoran is a vegetarian) and then quickly settled in, even preparing Nancy and Donal breakfast in bed. By the second day, Corcoran paid her the ultimate compliment - once Corsaro arrived, the new mom went back to sleep.

``When somebody is competent, you'll sleep well and relax,'' said Corcoran, who had had a bad night. ``I slept like a dead person, and I didn't hear a peep out of these guys.''

When she first met doula Jolli Bernier, Debra Fischer learned she could expect to be treated like ``the queen.''

``I'm supposed to rest and recover,'' said Fischer, who gave birth to her second daughter, Emily Jo Frey, on May 9 at ETRMC. ``The main goal is to make sure I'm comfortable and the baby's OK.''

Unlike Corcoran, Fischer was neither a first-time mom nor did she have a C-section. The extra help was a benefit, but Fischer said that, even at home with a 2-day-old, her impulse was to get busy rather than comfortable.

``I'm an attorney and I have a home office, so I want to get on the phone and on my computer,'' said Fischer. ``(Bernier) slowed me down a little bit. She tries to make sure I'm not overdoing it.''

``It won't last,'' Fischer added with a laugh. ``But it's good.''

Consider Corcoran and Fischer very satisfied customers, which, administrator Woolley says, is the point of the program.

``When moms go home, they feel kind of at a loss,'' said Woolley, a mother of five. ``They'll reflect back on something in the hospital experience that wasn't perfect.

``When there's somebody there to help smooth the transition, it makes the experience a little less painful. Oftentimes, less-than-wonderful experiences become less significant.''

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5 photos

Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) On the cover: New mother Nancy Corcoran, left, cradles newborn Conor, while doula Petra Corsaro comforts his twin brother, Quinn, at Corcoran's home.

(2 -- 3 -- color) At right, Tender Care Doula Jolli Bernier, left, finishes making a smoothie for new mother Debra Fischer, who holds her newborn daughter, Emily. Above: Emily enjoys a sponge bath given by Fischer and Bernier.

(4 -- color) Doula Petra Corsaro basks in a quiet moment with Quinn, one of Nancy Corcoran's newborn twins.

(5) Nancy Corcoran, center, feeds Conor, while doula Paula Corsaro, right, rocks Quinn.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer