Prenatal & birth doula support
2025 Birth Doula Support & Package - $2,800 in NJ or $3500 in NYC
What Does Birth Doula Support Look Like
Birth doulas serve new families in hospitals, birth centers, and home births, whether you have a midwife or an obstetrician. I do not provide doula support for free births at home, as outlined in the DONA Scope of Practice for Doulas.
Wherever you are in your pregnancy or parenthood journey, there is no better time to select your doula. The ideal time to hire a doula is once you find the someone who you like, who has availability for your due date, and meets the requirements you find most helpful. Too early or too late don’t really matter if it’s what you want for yourself.
During your relationship with a doula, you have access to her lending library, referrals to trusted specialty providers if you are looking for one, and virtual support for all of the questions you have after appointments. A doula is an excellent resource to confirm information, learn comfort measures to use in early labor, and to build a foundation of trust that will enhance your birth experience.
Once your little one arrives, women who plan to breastfeed are offered immediate support with that feeding choice. As a CLC, breastfeeding clients receive qualified support for successful breastfeeding for no additional charge, and without leaving home at our complimentary postpartum visit.
Because I am also a certified postpartum doula, when I come by to see you in the days after you bring your baby home, we can talk about newborn care basics (including swaddling, comforting, and bathing), postpartum healing and meal suggestions, and referrals for resources in other postpartum related specialties.
What Is Included in 2025 The Birth Doula Package
The service and care described above are part of an inclusive package, which is beneficial to clients who intend to use a benefit like Maven, a company that covers only fees outlined as Labor & Delivery. Our Invoice will reflect your covered benefit language whenever possible, making reimbursement efficient.
At least 1 in-person prenatal meeting, ideally 2 and sometimes 3 may be better. We will discuss & create a Birth Plan during these meetings, go over comfort measures for early labor at home with your partner, and suggestions for helpful stations to make recovery easier..
One complimentary consult with a certified Prenatal & Pregnancy Specialized Nutritionist.
Virtual support throughout your pregnancy, including a preferred provider resource list, reading & food prep recommendations, baby-related product recommendations that come without corporate influence or endorsement. You will have a folder with helpful handouts for easy referral when the time is right.
On-call availability from week 38 to week 42, with back-up support when needed.
Virtual support in early labor, consistent in-person support at your chosen place of birth. In the case of induction, we follow the virtual model until your labor has begun or you feel that you need me. As a client, you are welcome to use one of my TENS units for no additional charge – a proven pain-relief tool with no harmful effects on your baby.
I will remain with you and your partner throughout your labor, offering physical comfort, emotional encouragement, and support through options until your baby is born.
Support of your baby’s first latch, amateur pictures (on your phone), and virtual support until you are discharged.
A 1 1/2 hour postpartum visit to talk about your birth, topics related to mother’s recovery and newborn care. Virtual support for the times you hear or see something for the first time that you want to ask about.
Another Touch on Fertility Benefits
Over the last few years, clients are learning that they have access to some fertility benefit, meant to compliment traditional health insurance. While some health insurers do cover doula support, they may prefer that you choose a doula in their network, so fertility benefits have no such network requirement. The goal is provide a global initiative to meet individual needs related to growing a family, freezing eggs, handling menopause, or ED.
If you are not sure if your company has this benefit, it is wise to consult HR, ask a recent co-worker, or review an updated employee handbook. These benefits cover reproductive services that are not covered by health insurance, often with lifetime benefit totals of $20,000-$60,000. Families having a first baby tend of have different needs than families with other children, but your benefit has the most impact with your first child. retaining support for your pregnancy improves the chances that you will consider choices you did not know you had.
As a doula who has worked with dozens of clients using Carrot benefits, i am available to walk you through plans that will maximize your benefits, depending on your needs. I have included a brief video to introduce you to this subject.
Take a Listen to Learn More...
The Next Big Move
Knowing that you want to explore adding a birth doula to your team is smart. Arming yourself with the options for reimbursement of the cost through insurance, FSA or HSA is even better.
When you move along in your search for a birth doula, keep in mind that social media presence is a marketing tool that some people or agencies leverage to attract you to them. As a busy, self-described vintage doula, I challenge you to research who is actually behind the page – the person who will comfort you in labor, encourage you in moments of challenge, celebrate with you when you get what you want. Ask for recommendations on any doula you consider retaining.
Agencies claim they are more reliable, some doulas embellish their credentials – like IBCLC candidate (what does that even mean?), still others work a “day job.” Independent, established doulas own a legitimate business in NJ, are insured, credentialed, and transparent about vaccination status. It means understanding that every client isn’t meant for every doula because those things matter to some people, but not all.