Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Birth Doula?
A birth doula is a trained professional who provides educational, physical and emotional support to new and expectant parents throughout the prenatal period, labor and delivery, and early postpartum period. All services are customized to the needs of the birthing family and their support team.
Doulas do not provide medical care and do not replace medical providers such as physicians, midwives, and nurses. Rather, doulas provide additional support in places and times where medical providers cannot or do not, during the prenatal period, labor and delivery, and postpartum period.
Why hire a Birth Doula?
Childbirth can be intense, demanding, and unpredictable for both the birthing person and their partner. The process can last anywhere from a few hours to 36+ hours. Even if a person is well prepared, they can find it difficult to remember and apply prior learning to the real situation. The challenges of labor are unpredictable as every individual and their baby are different. Influencing factors like healthcare providers, birthing institutions and both of their practiced interventions have an impact on what that birthing experience will look like. This includes the capacity of medical workers assigned to the birth team. Every client will be assigned to a midwife, doctor, and/or nurse, however all of the medical teams’ priorities are the clinical aspects of birth. Hospital workers and midwives do not have the capacity to remain in the birthing space throughout it’s entirety as they have other duties and patients. Hospital care works in shifts, so over the course of one’s labor, they will most likely have to see a change of personnel in a medical support role.
The addition of a birth doula is a major development to maternity care. A doula will start their professional relationship with a family in the prenatal period, educating and supporting the client and their partner on their birth preferences. A doula is then on-call for additional educational, emotional and physical support through the remainder of the prenatal period, continuously through labor, delivery, post-delivery, and an early postpartum visit. During physical labor doulas are the piece of the birth team that actively stay, encourage, support, and tend to a laboring person. The doula also works with the partner, emotionally, suggesting support techniques, and physically helping the client through specific comfort support measures during labor. The doula in no way replaces the birthing partner but rather enhances their ability to best support the laboring person, like a coach.
Doulas do not make decisions for their client nor project personal judgement on their childbirth experience. Rather, doulas help clients get all of the information they need so they can make informed decisions around their own journey. A doula’s main goal is to advocate for a birthing person and their partner to have a successful birth, as they both define it.
Why are birth outcomes better with doulas?
Research has shown that doula care is associated with…
lower rates of postpartum mood disorders
shorter labors
less use of epidurals and other pain medications
lower episiotomy rates
as much as a 50% reduction in the C-section rate
fewer admissions to neonatal special care units
more successful breastfeeding rates
better family bonding
A doula also provides care for the partner and other family members, assists busy hospital staff, saves money, and greatly increases a mother’s overall satisfaction with her birthing experience.
Aren’t doulas only for at home, unmedicated, vaginal births?
No. It is a doula supports a client in their desired birthing experience as they define it. That includes hospital births and elected interventions like epidurals and c-sections.
Is a doula the same as a midwife?
No. A doula provides no medical maintenance or nursing care such as medical charting, vaginal examinations, or IV and blood pressure procedures. Since a doula doesn’t have these responsibilities, or other patients to attend to, they can give their complete attention to being by a client and their partner’s side for the entire length of their labor.
Does a doula replace a partner or support person?
Never. A doula doesn’t replace anyone. They are another member of the professional birth team and supports everyone in their own role. A doula’s presence helps fathers or partners participate at their own comfort level, showing them how and when to use various comfort techniques, providing information, and in some cases, looking after them as well. Partners are often grateful to be able to share the “coaching” responsibility with someone more experienced and can therefore enjoy the birth experience and actively participate with their birthing partner more.
How are service fees arranged?
For the birth doula services, it is to be paid as follows: Half the total amount is due as a non-refundable retainer within 48 hours of submitting the services contract. The remaining half of the fee is due at the second prenatal meeting (aimed for gestational week 37).
I believe everyone should have access to labor support regardless of income. I am willing to arrange an alternative payment schedule for the total fee, although the fee is not available on a sliding or reduced scale. If an alternative payment schedule is desired, this should be arranged between client and I, and agreed upon in advance.