Birth Doula Support

Let’s talk about your birth plans over a complimentary consultation.

Call or inquire today!

WHAT’S A DOULA?

The word “doula” comes from the ancient Greek meaning “a woman who serves” and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during, and just after birth; or who provides education, emotional, and practical support during the postpartum period.

Studies have shown that when doulas attend births, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier, and they breastfeed more easily.

Evidence-Based Information and Advocacy

Doulas are trained to help families connect with evidence-based resources so they can ask great questions and make informed decisions about their births. We serve as a bridge of communication between women and their providers, lifting them up to help them find their voices and advocate for the very best care. From the moment we are hired as your birth doulas, you have unlimited access to us throughout your pregnancy & birth.

emotional support - We Nurture you & your partner

We help families to feel supported, easing the emotional experience of pregnancy & birth. Helping to create a space where the hormones of labor can work at their best is so important to us. Whether a birth is completely unmedicated or medically very complex, every family can benefit from nurturing and connection at this tender, incredible time in their lives. We love being a part of the lifelong ripple effect of positive birth!

physical support - comfort measures & Relaxation

Position ideas for comfort and labor progression cross over with hands-on comfort measures like comforting touch, acupressure, counter pressure, breathing techniques, and other “doula magic” for families. We teach all our clients bodywork for a balanced pelvic floor. A doula’s skilled hands and positioning tools can often help a malpositioned baby find its way through the pelvis and into the mother’s arms.

A BIRTH DOULA…

• Recognizes birth as a key experience that will be remembered throughout the rest of your life

• Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a mother & their partner during labor

• Assists the parents in preparing for and carrying out their plans for birth

• Provides continuous support during active labor through the 1-2 hours of immediate postpartum, assisting with the initial breastfeeding latches

• Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures, and an objective viewpoint, as the parents get the information needed to make informed decisions

• Speaks the language of birth, which helps both parents to feel they understand what is happening

• Reminds parents of the information learned in our Lamaze classes that empower them to make informed decisions

• Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care providers

• Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the parents’ memory of the birth experience

• Fosters a deep emotional connection between parents, therefore with the support of a doula, partners tend to be MORE engaged and emotionally available with less feelings of helplessness; the partner is also able to participate at their comfort level

 WHY USE A DOULA?

Women have complex needs during childbirth and the weeks that follow. In addition to medical care and the love and companionship provided by their partners, women need consistent, continuous reassurance, comfort, encouragement, and respect. They need individualized care based on their circumstances and preferences.

DONA International doulas are educated and experienced in childbirth and the postpartum period. We are prepared to provide physical (non-medical), emotional, and informational support to women and their partners during pregnancy, labor and birth, as well as to families in the weeks following childbirth. We offer a nurturing & loving touch, positioning, and comfort measures that make childbearing women and families feel nurtured and cared for.

Numerous Clinical Studies have found that a doula’s presence at birth:

• Tends to result in shorter labors with fewer complications

• Reduces negative feelings about one’s childbirth experience

• Reduces the need for Pitocin (a labor-inducing drug), forceps or vacuum extraction, and Cesareans

• Reduces the mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals

Research shows parents who receive support can:

• Feel more secure and cared for

• Are more successful in adapting to new family dynamics

• Have greater success with breastfeeding

• Have greater self-confidence

• Have less postpartum depression

Our services include an EXPERT & LOCAL Birth Doula TEAM, in Sheila, Brooke, & Corinne. Additionally, we have skilled contracted doulas on our MBB extended team that you will meet, which means you will always have a RESTED doula that you know. When two births happen at the same time, as they often do, we’ve got you!

Investment:

Full Service Advanced Team - Starting at $2550. Please call or inquire for pricing details. If you have Tricare, an FSA/HSA, or Fertility Benefits (Carrot, Progyny, Maven), we can provide an invoice for reimbursement. Kaiser members now have doula benefits and we are contracted with them! Check your benefits for more information.

*Limited Service Newly Trained Student doulas - If finances are too tight, inquire about working with doulas we are mentoring

Prenatal Care

• 2-3 Lamaze childbirth education classes or 1 prenatal visit to discuss comfort measures, answer any questions and alleviate any concerns

• Assisting you in designing your birth plan for an easier, more fluid birthing experience

• Helping you to have the most satisfying birth possible, as YOU define it

• Breastfeeding preparation, information and support

• Training in visualization and relaxation techniques

• Suggestions for a more comfortable pregnancy and birth

• Alternative relief measures for heartburn, nausea, aches/pains and other discomforts during pregnancy

• Providing educational materials and referrals

• Phone support and non-medical advice throughout pregnancy and immediate postpartum

Labor and Birth

• 24/7 on-call support from 37 weeks until birth

• Teaching parents how to ask the right questions so that they can make informed decisions about the care plan

• Massage, comforting touch, and other alternative pain relief measures during labor

• Continuous support throughout labor and birth and immediate postpartum

• Labor and birth positioning suggestions for comfort and labor progress

• Providing an environment such that the partner is able to focus on the birth experience and can direct their attention to loving and supporting the birthing mother

• Assisting the partner and family members as needed

• Assistance with initial breastfeeding latches in the first 1-2 hours after birth

• All methods of childbirth techniques including Lamaze, Bradley, Hypnobabies and Hypnobirthing

• Guaranteed backup doulas

Postpartum Care

• Next day phone check in

• Additional wellness visit within the first two weeks after the birth

• Postpartum check-ins via text/phone up to 6 weeks after birth

A BIRTH DOULA DOES NOT...

• Perform clinical tasks, such as fetal heart tone checks or vaginal exams

  • The Doula is not there for medical reasons, other than to provide support

• Make decisions for you

  • The Doula will help get the information necessary for parents to make an informed decision; the one that is right for you

• Speak to the medical staff instead of the parents regarding matters where decisions are being made

  • The Doula will discuss your concerns with you and the staff and suggest options, but you or your partner will ultimately speak on your behalf to the medical staff about your decisions

• Replace the partner during labor

  • The Doula supports and encourages the partner, and enhances their support style rather than replaces it.

    • See “6 reasons Dads Love Doulas.”