Why should I hire a birth Doula?

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A Doula is someone who provides non-biased, evidence-based support to laboring mothers and their partners. Evidence shows that Doula support significantly reduces the risk of complications during labor & delivery and increases the mother’s satisfaction with her birthing experience. A Doula fills in the gap left by our maternity care system, staying with the woman and her partner throughout the duration of labor & delivery (hospital staff and providers come and go, often leaving a mother and partner alone for long stretches of time), can help couples understand options available to them so they can make fully informed decisions about their care, and ensures that a couples birth wishes and preferences are honored and respected. Learn more about the benefits of hiring a Doula here.

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Does a Doula only provide support for natural births?

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No. As your Doula, I will serve you no matter the birth you desire. My goal is for you to not only have the birth you desire but ensure you feel safe, informed, and supported. Whether you are having a home, birth center, or hospital birth, each provider, midwife, or OB wants you to be in active labor before intervening, and they are primarily caring for your medical needs and safety. Your Doula is the one professionally-trained person who comes to you wherever you are, at any point in labor. I stay and support you throughout the entire labor and delivery process.

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Do I need a Doula if I have a OB or midwife?

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An obstetrician is not present with a woman for the majority of her labor. OB's are around usually for interventions or to deliver the baby. Continuous support from a Doula is important because studies show that women with continuous support have fewer interventions and healthier birth outcomes.  The Doula does not replace the OB or midwife. She does not provide any medical services. The Doula is there to focus on a woman’s emotional well-being and physical comfort.  The Doula is a key addition to a woman’s birth team. She joins the family, medical staff, and friends in helping the pregnant woman have a great birthing experience. The Doula helps the woman maximize the benefit from her OB and other medical staff because she equips her with informed questions to ask, and guidance and encouragement to communicate more effectively with her healthcare provider. 

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What is the difference between a birth Doula & a midwife?

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Many people confuse Doulas with midwives. A Doula does not have formal medical training and is not responsible for the health and safety of mother and baby, which frees her up to meet the mother’s non-medical needs which are often left unmet by our current maternity model, specifically continuous emotional and physical support. A Doula only has one client at a time, to ensure she can provide her client with 100% attention and care. On the contrary, a midwife has extensive medical training and experience, and is responsible for the health and safety of both the mother and the baby.  Midwives are often managing multiple patients at a time, similar to OB’s.

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Do I need a Doula if I have a birth partner?

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A Doula’s role is to fit into your birth team without taking anything away from you or your partner’s experiences. Our role is to make this one of the best moments of your life as you welcome your bundle of joy. In the world of pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum, there is a lot to process and understand, such as medical procedures, protocols, and birth language. As a Doula, my goal is to ensure you have all the information to make decisions based on informed consent and advocate for the birth you desire. Although a Doula can never speak for the laboring mother, a Doula can help the laboring mother and birth partner understand the information they received and facilitate communication between them and medical providers.

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What is a birth plan?  Do I really need one?

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A birth plan is an outline of your preferences for your labor, delivery and immediate postpartum while in the care of your primary provider. This will include everything from pain management to how you plan on dealing with the unexpected.  Do I need one? Yes. I believe birth plans are an exercise in learning rather than a set plan. An opportunity to discuss the benefits and risks associated with each item before you are confronted with them in labor.

 

When should I book with you?

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Most typically contact me at the beginning of their second trimester. A signed contract and $400 deposit is needed to hold your place on my calendar. I take a limited number of births per month due to the unpredictability of birth.

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