What Is Birth Doula Support?

As your doula, we will be fully present with you through the entire experience. We will meet beforehand, to get to know each other, during our prenatal visit(s). At that time we will work through your birth (and breastfeeding) preferences (plan), and prepare to work as a team. We are happy to put together a postpartum plan with you too. One of us will be available throughout your pregnancy to help you be as comfortable and informed as possible through unlimited emails and/or phone calls/text. We will also do this, through sharing my knowledge of complementary care resources and local resource groups in the triangle.

During your labor and birth, your doula will act in an informative, emotional, and physical support role. Your doula can help you understand what’s happening in your chosen birth environment, any medical terminology you struggle with, and what all your options are, as you move through the process of giving birth. As your doula, we are experienced by having been in labor, as well as being with many other people, as they have labored. This brings a special understanding of your emotional needs that allows me to guide your support team to be as helpful as possible. I will also serve as physical support. Our doulas have been trained in a variety of comfort measures and other physical skills that will help you be as comfortable as possible through labor and the pushing stage. As an experience doula you also have my wisdom and knowledge of labor patterns and movements/holds that can shift a labor to shorten the process and make it more comfortable.

During the immediate postpartum time frame, we will be there to help carry out your newborn care choices. We can help you with initial breastfeeding support and continue to support you through your first couple of feedings. We will be there to help you settle into your postpartum room also, to help you feel confident moving into your fresh role as a parent of your new baby.

As you settle in, we will have a breastfeeding support visit, in your home, where our doulas will help you grow in confidence and comfort, breastfeeding in your own environment. We will help you work with positioning, latching, and other common breastfeeding challenges. We will give you breastfeeding information and a breastfeeding resource list too, that has trusted and well vetted IBCLC's listed, if you need more advanced help managing breastfeeding. Within two weeks of the birth we will have a postpartum meeting where we will process your birth, pull together details that may be foggy, like the order of events. We will also go over any newborn care, postpartum, or breastfeeding questions you may still have.

After this, I am still available for questions, helping find resources, and love pictures of cute babies, and/or family pictures. It is such a pleasure to watch families grow! We are always honored to be a part of a family's journey.

• For your comfort. Doulas have a whole bag full of tricks to ensure your physical comfort - massage tools, hot/cold packs, relaxation techniques, and labor positions.

• They can help maintain a peaceful environment - dim lighting, soft music, and few interruptions.

• A doula can also give some much-needed guidance and reassurance in the intensity and unfamiliarity of birth.

• For your partner.

  • This can be stressful for them too.

  • With a doula present, your partner can step back, have a snack, use the bathroom, or take a short nap.

  • A doula can offer reassurance that things are progressing normally.

  • They can also show your partner how to be your best supporter, whether it be with hands-on techniques like massages and hip squeezes or by offering just the right words of encouragement.

• For statistically better outcomes for the birthing person and baby:

  • Lower the risk of a dissatisfying birth experience

  • The presence of continuous labor support, such as a doula, has been shown to reduce the risk of Cesarean birth

  • Increase the likelihood of spontaneous vaginal birth

  • Decrease the use of pain relief medications

  • Shorten labor

• For a better postpartum experience:

  • ​ A doula will visit you at home after your baby’s birth and make sure you’re settling in.

  • They can help answer basic nursing and feeding questions or connect you with a lactation consultant.

  • A doula will also be more than happy to provide you with resources regarding postpartum mood and anxiety disorders.

• Your birth experience matters

The role of a doula is not only to provide emotional and physical support but also information. A doula will provide you with information you might be seeking in order to make informed decisions and advocate for your desired birth outcome. My goal is to help you experience a positive and safe birth.

It is never too early or too late, to hire a doula. However, there are advantages to hiring a doula earlier in your pregnancy rather than later. The sooner you research and reach out to potential doulas, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to team up with your first choice. You’ll also have more time to build a great relationship with your doula and have more support throughout your pregnancy. Hiring a doula earlier will also allow you to spread out the expense, if necessary.