Birth Doula Support
What is a Doula?
A Birth Doula provides non-clinical comfort, emotional support, education, and advocacy to a birthing person and their partner during childbirth and the postpartum period.
This critical role completes the circle of support for the birthing person with caregivers, family, and friends. A doula offers support that is proven to shorten the length of labor, decrease complications and the need for medical intervention, and improve the satisfaction and outcome of birth with healthier babies, enhanced parent-infant bonding, breastfeeding, and family adjustments.
Why hire a Doula?
With a Doula present, the pressure on the partner is decreased, allowing participation at an optimum comfort level and increasing the enjoyment of the birth of the baby. Ideally, the Doula and the partner make the perfect support team for the birthing person, complementing each other's strengths. A doula works with a birthing person and their family, physicians, midwives, and nurses with an aim to enhance communication and understanding.
Doula Services
-
Prenatal support and education
-
Consistent and continuous support throughout the birth process​
-
Reassurance, comfort, encouragement, and respect
-
Massage and physical comfort measures
-
Individualized care based on circumstances and preferences
-
Enhancement of communication and understanding with medical staff
-
Partner support allowing more enjoyment of the birth of the baby
-
Breastfeeding support
-
Create a relaxed immediate postpartum period
-
Improve mother-infant relationships, breastfeeding and family adjustments
As a Doula, I Do Not
Perform any clinical t​asks
In my role as a doula, I do not do any fetal monitoring, vital sign checks, or dilatation checks. If you wish these services, we can discuss the option of hiring me as a monitrice. There would be an extra fee for this service.
​
Make decisions for you
I will direct you toward evidence-based information for any decision that you need to make for your baby. I will offer my experience as well as the pros and cons of all the options. It is important that all decisions be your own. This is how you begin to become empowered as a parent!
​
Speak to the staff on your behalf
The greatest value of the prenatal visits is that we have the opportunity to discuss your birth preferences and go over different scenarios in which decisions need to be made. Once at the hospital, you will be empowered to speak to the staff about your preferences. I will be there to guide and remind you.
​
Project any of my own beliefs onto your experience
This is the birth of YOUR child. I will be there to support you in doing what you believe is best for your precious miracle!