A doula is a support person that is there for emotional, mental, physical, and informational support to a birthing person and their partner during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum period.
Why is a doula beneficial to my birth team?
A doula is meant to compliment your birth team! In no way, shape, or form is a doula intended to replace your trained medical professionals involved in your pregnancy, birth and postpartum period. While in labor, its helpful to have one person there whose only task to attend to yours and your partners needs!
Why take childbirth education classes?
I believe that seeking out knowledge can help to ease and fears and anxieties you may have about the changes that are happening to you during your pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period. The more knowledge you have the more empowered you and your partner will feel in making the best decisions for you and your family, and there will be many to come.
Do you take payments?
I require a 50% deposit at booking and the remaining balance is due at 36 weeks.
When is a good time in my pregnancy to hire a doula?
The best time to hire a doula is when you feel you need support. For some, they may feel that the early days of pregnancy are exhausting and that they need that support from the beginning. Some may have experienced loss in prior pregnancies and may need that emotional support from the get go. Others may feel they only need support during birth and the postpartum period. This will be entirely individual.
Do I need a doula in addition to my partner?
A doula is not intended to replace your birth partner. In fact, one of my main goals is to help you and your partner work together to achieve your birth goals and I can help facilitate that. It is also nice to have a person there to relieve your partner for restroom breaks, dinner breaks, and space to process everything that is happening. I want your birth to be the best possible experience for you both!
Is a doula beneficial to a medicated or cesarean section birth?
Absolutely. In the case of a medicated birth, some providers may only want to place an epidural until a certain dilation has been met. It helps to have someone there to help process all of the information that is being passed and to have someone who is there just for you. In the case of a cesarean birth, I can help explain what is happening as the birth unfolds. I can offer support to your partner and stay with you while the partner is with the baby or vice versa. At this time only AMC and North Fulton give the ability to have more than one support person in the room at the time of a cesarean birth and it is at the discretion of the anesthesiologist. But lets not forget the prenatal and postpartum periods in which a doula has a lot to offer!
How do midwives and doulas differ?
Midwives are trained medical professionals whereas doulas are not. Midwives are trained to work with birthing people prenatally, delivers babies, and to work with birthing persons during the postpartum period. Doulas are there for mental, emotional, physical, and informational support.
What is not in the scope of a doula?
Doulas do NOT check dilation, perform medical procedures, deliver or catch babies. Doulas can not speak on your behalf medically. Doulas do not make medical decisions for you.
Do insurance companies cover doulas?
Some insurances will covers doulas. I am happy to supply you with an invoice that you can submit to your insurance company.
Do insurance companies reimburse for childbirth classes?
Many insurances will reimburse you for childbirth classes. I am happy to supply you with a receipt that you can submit to your insurance company.
I have compiled a list of my most Frequently Asked Questions. I also wanted to include a wonderful evidence based article on Doulas and would encourage any pregnant person to delve into the article to learn more about doulas and their benefits: https://evidencebasedbirth.
