New mothers need all the support they can get. After all, a baby doesn’t come with a parenting manual.

That’s the main reason Katja Bajema, a childbirth educator, doula and lactation specialist, opened Best Birth Hawaii Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Center in Kapahulu in October. “Moms fall into a big hole after having the baby,” Bajema said. “They’re on their own after they are discharged from the hospital.”

The center’s doulas assist women during pregnancy and birth at home or in a hospital, and after the baby is born. Childbirth classes and lactation consultations for breastfeeding moms are also available. Everyone who works at Best Birth is licensed or certified in their field, said Bajema, who has been working as a doula and teaching childbirth classes since 2011.

Lesser-known services include Bengkung belly binding, in which a handwoven cloth, about 14 feet long, is wrapped around the mother’s belly after birth to speed healing by putting pressure on the midsection and helping to realign the spine and hips to prevent back pain. The cloths are worn for at least five to six hours a day for the first month after delivery.

“It assists with stabilizing the abdominal muscles and internal organs so that they go back to their pre-pregnancy position,” Bajema said.

Doulas teach mothers how to bind their bellies during two sessions that include a massage; the cost is $225.

Bajema is also a “placenta encapsulator.” In a trend that has become popular among celebrities, the placenta, which nourishes and maintains the fetus in the womb, is steamed, dehydrated and ground into a powder to make capsules for consumption by mothers.

“While some folks may think it’s gross to eat the placenta, it’s like a magic pill that helps you feel better in postpartum,” she said.

Bajema admits there is little scientific research to support the practice, but said she has gotten positive feedback from her clients. The service costs $250 to $290.

More routine is the free Wednesday morning breastfeeding support group that gives new moms an opportunity to talk about feeding and sleep schedules and other common issues they may be facing.

“It’s a place of encouragement,” Bajema said. “The first couple of days and weeks are sometimes the hardest.”

Debra Ford, a 40-year-old Honolulu resident, was grateful for the supportive environment at a recent group meeting she attended with her newborn son, Kingston.

“I had my first baby 20 years ago so it’s like being a new mom all over again,” she said. “So it’s nice to be able to learn about the modern lingo and get new advice. I learned some new positions to make breastfeeding easier and it was refreshing to talk to other moms with babies around the same age.”

Bajema plans to offer weekend classes aimed at working women in February.

None of Best Birth center’s services is covered by health insurance.

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Best Birth Hawaii Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Center is at 3410 Campbell Ave. Visit bestbirthhawaii.com or call 366-0230.