Prenatal & Labor Doula Support
What is the best time to find A Birth Doula – Prenatal and Labor doula support can begin at any point during your pregnancy. Most clients start looking for a doula around weeks 8-12, but this is a very personal decision.
How do you Start – Most of my clients come through a referral or via a Google search that lands on my reviews and/or website. The first meeting is brief, often virtual, when you and your partner can ask some questions and decide if there is chemistry to begin a relationship. Search for your doula with specific needs in mind – do you want an experienced doula, or one that is more affordable, a Doula of color or one who has experience supporting same-sex families? No single doula is everything to everyone, and everyone will not feel “right” for all doulas.
Doula's Improve Outcomes
I am a professional, certified Birth Doula
What you should know about Credentials-
Because there are no current requirements for someone to begin supporting families as a birth doula, you have options when searching for the right person. Check out Active Birth Institute
My Prenatal & Labor Doula certifications are held by a smaller boutique organization and the other by larger organization that puts a heavy focus on support for families dealing with prenatal loss. Visit Still Birth Day for inclusive resources related to birth.
A certified doula is one who has trained with an organization, completed all of their required readings, practice, research, and exams. A trained doula may have completed some of those tasks and be working towards certification as they support clients.
What Should You Expect From Me as Your Doula?
- Virtual Support by phone, text or email throughout their pregnancy
- One or two in-person meetings to discuss their vision for birth and early labor comfort measures
- A professional, concise Birth Plan reflective of their hopes for the baby’s arrival
- Resources for additional support, including articles, books, care providers, support groups
- Uninterrupted support once labor begins – virtual in early labor, in-person at the chosen place of birth
- support for baby’s first feed, especially important when breastfeeding
- Photos taken on client’s phone during the birth, immediately following and again when we do postpartum
- An hour and half postpartum visit to discuss the birth and cover any newborn care questions
- text support for the first few weeks
- The opportunity to meet my back-up before week 38
What is in the Doula Scope of Practice?
A doula’s valuable contribution – comes from the prenatal education you receive throughout your pregnancy as much as it is does from the emotional and physical support during delivery. We come into the birth space to serve your needs above all else, it is highly personalized care.
out of our scope – 1. speaking against advice from your provider 2.reading test results or diagnosing Medical conditions 3. Handling body fluid, changing bandages 4. catching babies.
Our presence in the birth space is protect and honor our clients and their vision. By the time you arrive in that space, we will know each other very well, we will have discussed language we can use in different situations, and I will continue to share suggestions with you to help you feel respected and safe at such a vulnerable time.
Evidence says that families who enlist the care of a doula have higher satisfaction with their birth experience. That is not to say that the births are uneventful or even follow the plan. What it does say is that even when the unexpected turns occur, clients who bring a doula feel like they understood what was happening, and they were able to use their voice to make decisions.
That is important for you to remember because you give birth to that baby once, only once, and your memory of it will be lifelong. Educate yourself so when you think about birth, you feel more excited than anxious.
I am at a birth to affirm the power I see in my clients, and I trust that they will make choices that are right for them, their baby, and their future