A doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a person before, during, and shortly after childbirth. Your doula is your guide through the entire perinatal period.

A birth doula’s primary role is to help you birth in total confidence. Before your labor, your doula can help you create a birth plan and answer any questions you may have about pregnancy, labor, and and breast or chestfeeding. During your labor, your doula is by your side helping you advocate for yourself and helping you make informed decisions while also giving you continuous non-medical support. Your doula helps with relaxation techniques, laboring positions, comforting massage, reminding you to eat and drink, and helping your partner support you through your birth. Your doula can also take some photos if you wish and help you with initial breast or chestfeeding.

There have been many studies that show that having continuous outside support for laboring people increases the chance of a positive and more satisfying birth experience. Some benefits include:

• Giving birth without cesarean or vacuum or forceps assistance.
• Being less likely to need pain medications.
• Having slightly shorter labors.
• Having a baby less likely to have a low 5 minute APGAR score.
• Decreased need for emergency cesarean, pitocin, analgesia, or other interventions.
• Higher initial breast/chestfeeding success.

A midwife is a medical professional trained and certified in a clinical setting. They provide family planning, women’s health care, prenatal care, birthing care, and infant care. Midwives usually stay with a birthing person once they are in active labor or transition and she delivers the baby.

A doula is with you for support during your entire prenatal experience. You can call or text once you think your labor has started and they can come to your home to support you whenever you need. Your doula also helps you to decide when to go to the hospital, go to the birthing center, or to call your midwife for a home birth. A doula’s scope of practise only includes emotional, physical, and informational support. Your doula focuses on you and your needs all that time rather than focusing on clinical tasks.

There is no way to replace your partner during your birth and your doula will never try to. Doulas work together with your partner(s) to provide you with the best possible care. Your doula can help your partner by giving ideas for massage, giving your partner breaks for food or bathroom trips, and helping them get the confidence to support you. Everyone on your birth team works together to help you create your ideal experience.

Many doulas have different rates depending on the services they provide and time they spend on call. My packages can be found here. If you have any questions or if you want to set up a payment plan or registry fund, please feel free to reach out.

A sibling doula is present during labor and birth to offer complete support for your older child(ren). When you are in labor, the doula can come to your home or meet you at the hospital or birth center to offer emotional and informational support to your older child(ren). Your sibling doula can answer questions as they come up, provide distractions when your child(ren) needs to take a break, and offer immediate sibling integration support once the baby is born. A sibling doula is more than just a nanny, she is a trained birth professional who is capable of answering questions with thoughtfulness and respond to any situation with great care.