Why A Doula?

The following post is from Jodi the Doula, a wise wealth of knowledge.

Many women, I'm finding, fall into three camps: Those who know for sure they want a doula, those who think they want a doula, but are unsure of her role, and those who don't know what a doula is. Because I am a doula, I think that every woman should have a doula at her birth, but also realize that for a variety of reasons this is impossible. So, I seek information about the roles of doulas in births today as well as the role of doulas in birth in the past to help guide my practice and my on-going education as a doula.

I'm happy to report that I've met with my first Mom through ASDS's volunteer program and have a meeting with my second mom later in the month! I've also sold quite a few products over on Etsy for Moms, Moms-to-Be and women interested in natural skin care. 

What ever you chose for your birth, be it a hospital birth, home birth or birth center birth, make sure that you educate yourself about your options so that you can have the best birth possible!

Image from DaisyBones

Doula FAQ

What’s a doula?
What does a doula do?
At what point in my pregnancy should I contact a doula?
I have a great doctor or midwife, and will have a nurse. Do I really need a doula, too?
I am already taking childbirth classes. Why would I need a doula?
I’ve already taken another class. Would you still be my Doula?
Do I need a doula if I already plan to have someone (my mom, my partner, my friend) to be with me during my labor and birth?
I’m not sure that I want a “stranger” in the delivery room with me. Isn’t birth supposed to be private?
I’m not sure yet what choices I’ll make in labor. Do I need a doula if I might have an epidural? What if I have to have a Cesarean birth?
How much does it cost to have a Doula?
Are the costs of your services covered by insurance?

What’s a doula?
The term Doula, originally from the Greek word meaning “Woman’s servant”, is used today to describe a professional who provides women with emotional and physical support during pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum period. Doulas are known by many names, including: Childbirth Assistant, Labor Support Professional, Birth Assistant, Birth Companion, etc.

What does a doula do?
A birth doula provides a listening ear for the emotional process of pregnancy, physical comfort suggestions during pregnancy and labor and informational support for both the laboring mom and her partner. The doula is knowledgeable about the entire birth process, possesses skills to help a laboring mom cope with the physical experience and emotions of labor and understands the importance of this event in the life of the couple. The doula will provide support for mom and baby by helping mom formulate questions, gather information, and discuss the options available with the medical staff. The doula will not perform clinical tasks, and will never make decisions on behalf of a woman. A Doula will always respect that it is up to the mother to make the informed choice that is best for her. Most importantly, the doula uses her skills to complement those of the woman’s partner and medical providers, helping to ensure a satisfying birth memory.

At what point in my pregnancy should I contact a doula?
The earlier the better! Although the benefits of having a doula for your birth will be the same whether you contact her at 12 weeks or at 35 weeks, the difference in finding your doula early in pregnancy is that you’ll have someone you know that you can call on with those “Is this normal?” or “What does this mean?” sort of phone calls throughout your pregnancy. As well, the longer you have known your doula, the more of a relationship you will build. Furthermore, I tend to book up very quickly, so it is a good idea to contact us soon, so that I can be sure to be available for you. With that said, there is no such thing as “too late” to find a Doula. You will benefit from Doula support, whether you have known your Doula for months, or merely days.

I have a great doctor or midwife, and will have a nurse. Do I really need a Doula, too?
Doulas, doctors, midwives, and nurses all take on separate and unique roles in supporting birth. Each one is important part of the birth team, and all work together to help the laboring woman have a healthy and positive experience. The nurse is responsible for charting, monitoring, and reporting to the doctor or midwife, sometimes for several patients at once. Physicians and midwives are highly trained as medical experts, and are responsible for monitoring the safety of the mother and baby during labor and delivery. A Doula remains a constant presence throughout labor, focusing entirely on providing comfort for the laboring mom and her partner. A Doula’s job is not to replace any part of the medical team, but to complement their roles by providing constant support and information to the mom and her partner.

I am already taking childbirth classes. Why would I need a doula?
Doulas are intended to enhance – not replace – the services of your childbirth instructor. Your doula will be with you to remind you at appropriate times during labor of the things you have already learned in childbirth class.

I’ve already taken another class. Would you still be my Doula?Gladly! I have a strong understanding of many different childbirth class philosophies, and can work comfortably with any laboring woman.

Do I need a Doula if I already have someone (my mom, my partner, my friend) to be with me during my labor and birth?
It is certainly wonderful for a laboring woman to have the presence of others who love her. A doula will enhance the support that others will provide, without being intrusive. Often, your doula has a level of knowledge and experience that your partner may not. Additionally, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and dear friends each have their own emotional response to seeing the woman they love experience labor, and to welcoming this new child into their lives. A Doula will respect that this is a special moment for each person, and will gently provide encouragement, information and reassurance that will help a woman’s loved ones offer their support in a way that also respects the laboring woman’s needs.

I’m not sure that I want a “stranger” in the delivery room with me. Isn’t birth supposed to be private?
Birth is an intimate experience, and the doula is a professional who will respect your wishes regarding privacy and modesty. Many women and their partners report feeling more secure due to the presence of a doula.

I’m not sure yet what choices I’ll make in labor. Do I need a doula if I might have an epidural? What if I have to have a Cesarean birth? 
A doula’s goal is to help you have the best birth experience possible, however you define it. If using pain medication is an option you are considering during labor, your doula will help you make an informed choice about what’s best for you and your baby in the moment. Your Doula will support you and your partner in the early stages of labor before an epidural can be considered, continue to provide support in whatever way is needed throughout labor, and help you avoid further intervention.If your caregiver suggests a cesarean, your doula will help you be as informed as possible about the surgery and the post-partum recovery. your doula will guide you in asking questions that will help you gather necessary information about the reasons your caregiver recommends a cesarean, the risks and benefits relative to your particular situation, and any alternatives you may have. In this case, you will likely make an informed decision and will therefore be more satisfied with a surgical outcome.She will also help to reinforce that even though a cesarean may not have been your goal, you are still giving birth. She will celebrate with you, and facilitate closeness between the new family.

How much does it cost to have a Doula?
This varies somewhat, based upon the services you desire and the going rate in your location. An average birth Doula services package begins at $800 to $1,000. However, I believe in “A Doula for every woman who wants one”, and when possible I am willing to set up a sliding scale or payment plans for those with whom affordability is a concern, or will help you in finding another professional who can serve your birth. Finances should never be the deciding factor in the choice to hire a Doula.

Are the costs of your services covered by insurance?

As more woman are choosing doulas as part of the birth team, and more research is being done proving the benefits of Doula care, more insurance companies are covering the cost of Doula service. Many insurance providers also cover the cost of childbirth classes, whether those classes are private or in-hospital. All receipts and information you need for filing for insurance reimbursement will gladly be provided.

The Doula As Witness-Cross Post from The Childbirth Collective

by Jess Helle-Morrissey, MA, MSW, LGSW, LCCE, CLEC

Doulas serve a multi-faceted role in a birthing family’s life: supporter, encourager, normalizer, educator, guide. We rub backs, we squeeze hands, we stroke hair, we breathe, we hold space.  We press cool cloths to a birthing woman’s head as she brings her baby (or babies) forth from the warm, wet womb to the bright spinning world.

One role that is often overlooked, but is perhaps most sacred to my own doula heart, is that of witness. As doulas, we witness over and over again that unique and unparalleled moment in a woman’s life when she becomes a mother. Whether it’s a first birth, or a seventh, a mother is born each time she births a baby.

When a woman has a transformative birth experience (and really, what birth isn’t transformative?), she deserves to be fully seen. And that role is often uniquely the doula’s. Partners are witnessing, but they are most often deservedly caught up in their own personal experience of the moment. Midwives, doctors, and nurses are present, but they have medical tasks to attend to. Doulas are able to attend wholeheartedly to that moment.

We witness the joy of birth. We witness mamas finding their true selves for the first time in their lives as they birth their babies. We see the look on a mama’s face when her baby is five minutes old as she tells us, “Everyone said I couldn’t do it, but I knew I could.” We witness the hilarity of birth – I’ll never forget one mama who turned to me after birthing her twins and exclaimed, “That was f*cking AWESOME!” We get to see the way a partner looks at the birthing woman in complete awe as she makes her way through contraction after contraction. We get to see him or her wipe a tear away as this new little person makes that first yawling cry.

We witness the disappointments, too. And when things don’t go as planned, we can remind her that she is strong because we have seen it with our own two eyes, and we have felt it in our own doula souls. And we remember in a way that she might not.

So as witnesses to those moments, we begin to help her reframe:  Last summer, one of my doula mamas had a surgical birth after a long and difficult labor. In a case like this, it is easy to go to a place of dwelling in what went wrong. I go to my postpartum visit. We talk about all that happened, and I validate the disappointment. I sit with the pain.  But I also tell her, because I need her to hear, “I have never seen anyone work so hard for so long. I have never seen anyone fight so hard for what she wanted. You. Are. Amazing.” And she begins to feel it is true because I have seen it and I know it to be true. She knows I was there. She knows I saw her fully. And as I write this, I remember her fierce birthing spirit as if her baby was born yesterday, and I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up a bit. Because I will never forget her strength, and the gift she gave me by allowing me in.

Above all, it is that sheer strength of birthing women – no matter how they give birth – that we doulas are witness to. The strength to carry on when it feels like all the reserves have been depleted. The strength to make a choice to go a different direction than we’d dreamed. The strength to joyfully claim a place in the history and lineage of birthing women.

And the repercussions of that witnessing can last a lifetime. I spent a good part of my own life feeling like I was not a very strong person. When I gave birth to my twin boys, I found strength I never even dared to imagine I had in me. Today, more than two years later, each time I see one of my two wonderful doulas, I still stand a little taller and feel that swell in my heart – “SHE has seen my strength! She knows the amazing things I am capable of!” A bit dramatic? Perhaps. But life-changingly, soul-stirringly profound for this mama? Most definitely.

So when you invite a doula into your life for some portion of the nine months of your pregnancy (and a couple months after), know that the benefits don’t end there. We not only witness, but we also remember. I tell my mamas, “If you ever need to be reminded of how incredible you are, call me and I will tell you as many times as you need to hear it to believe it.” So on behalf of all doulas,  thank you to birthing families everywhere who invite us to witness your incredible journey. Thank you for giving us the best job in the world.

What's in a Doula Fee?-Cross Post from Jodi the Doula

Happy Saturday, Everyone!

Guess what?!

I scheduled my first mama!!!

She's due in December, which feels like a long ways away, but it gives me time to do some re-reading of important doula books, I'll have taken one prenatal Yoga course and my essential oils book will have arrived from Amazon.com which means I'll be able to create more room sprays and massage oils for my mamas. And, and this is the most important, it means that I'll have that much-needed, hands on experience to help my doula practice grow.

When I first started to train to be a doula I worried about fees-would I be charging to much, would I be charging too little, should I charge while I'm still certifying.
My December birth's compensation? A metro card. And I'm okay with that.

The organization that I did my doula training and who I will certify with is called Ancient Song Doula Services (ASDS) and their focus is not only to train women to be birth and postpartum doulas, but to make doulas available to women who wouldn't be able to afford them. I'm a volunteer doula with ASDS, which means that some of the births that come through their practice will be done for free of for a minimal fee. I'm happy to do the work, especially as I continue the certification process, but also when I am certified because I truly believe that every woman, no matter her financial means, should have the support of a doula. It is because of that conviction that I want to do low-cost or free births even after I'm certified.

And, I want to be a full-time, full-spectrum doula. I want to become a certified prenatal Yoga instructor, a lactation consultant and a birth educator. In order to do all of these things, to pay for these certifications I, and a lot of doulas, have to pay for it ourselves. Doulas make their living supporting women through labor and birth. Many doulas, myself included, work full-time to cover the bills, but hope and dream of doing birth work exclusively. Which is why we have fees.

I thought hard about how I would charge my doula fees and came up with fees based on financial means. I created a chart that is broken down by income to determine how I charge my doula fees. It's interesting because it's based on trust. I trust that the mamas who come to me are honest about their financial status and they trust that I will fully and holistically support them before, during and after their births.

I was pleased to see Jodi the Doula's recent blog post about doula fees not because it "proved" anything, but because it helps me better explain and understand what a typical week looks like for a full time doula. The opening paragraph and a link to the post is below.

Every doula has heard it at least once…
“So, if my birth is really fast, you’ll refund part of what I paid you, right? Because then you didn’t really have to work that much.”
“How can you be ok with charging so much?”
Or, my personal favorite, “You know, what you’re doing is an act of service. It’s really special. It’s like doing The Lord’s Work. So, don’t you think it’s wrong to not do it for free?”
The money questions… it’s enough to make any doula want to crawl under a rock, or wish we could go live in a yurt, in a nudist colony, on a self-sustaining  farm, so that our living expenses could be lower.
How a doula sets her fee is an unclear concept to many people who are seeking or offering birth services.  On the surface, it may seem like a doula’s fee is a lot of money for what amounts to one big day of work. I offer this so that new parents and new doulas have greater clarity of what a doula’s fee really includes.
A Typical Work Week:  Booking one “due date” per week is more than just one day a week at work – it’s a full-time workload.  Consider this – for every client I take on, I offer up to three face-to-face prenatal meetings, unlimited phone support throughout pregnancy and the first week postpartum, and an in-home postpartum visit.  This means that an average work week for me will have four to six home visits (about two hours each), six to ten hours of phone time, and eight to twelve hours of travel time. Throw in a couple of hours for recordkeeping, appointment scheduling, text and email support, and the extra hours it takes to call everyone and reschedule when I have a mama in labor. That’s typically a 37 hour work week, before I’ve spent even one minute at a birth. When all is said and done, each client, on average, has had the benefit of 30 to 42 hours of her doula’s time, and most of those hours have been when she hasn’t been in labor.

Keep Reading here.

As always, if you or anyone that you know is expecting a baby, please reach out to me to discuss the services that I offer.

All the best,

Erika

Wait, Why Should I Use a Doula?

Check out this YouTube video.
Happy Pride, NYC!

What Does a Doula Do?

The majority of my friends are excited that I'm in the process of becoming a doula, but the majority of them have no idea what a doula is or what it is that I'll be doing as a doula.

One friend wants me to be her doula to "deliver her baby"

Doulas don't do that.

Another said she'd like me there to help her talk to the doctors.

Doulas don't do that either.

And yet another wants me there to help her figure out what to do.

Doulas don't really do that either.

So what, exactly, does a doula do?

A doula is a non-medical support person for the laboring woman and her partner. Because a doula is a "non medical" she cannot prescribe or recommend medications or interventions. She also cannot help in any aspect of the birth (delivering the baby, handing surgical tools to the OB). She's there solely as a support to the mother and her partner.

A doula is professional trained in childbirth and provides emotional, physical and informational support to the mother who is expecting, is experiencing labor, or has recently given birth. The doula’s purpose is to help women have a safe, memorable and empowering birthing experience.

A doula recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life. She facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care providers

A doula will show support by looking into a woman's eyes while she's having contractions, matching her breathing to the mothers'. A doula will offer massage, aromatherapy, essential oil therapy, or simply hold and stroke the hand of the mother.

A doula will work with the couple or mother during prenatal appointments to help craft a Birth Vision (Birth Plan)

A doula encourages and supports the partner, allowing them to break for naps and stays with the mother during those times.

A doula helps the couple understand various comfort measures and teaches the partner how to do them with the laboring woman.

A doula is encouraging and comforting.

A doula informs the expecting parents on all aspects of birth, labor and encourages the couple to learn about medical interventions and assess which interventions the couple is comfortable with.

A doula is patient, sincere, kind and compassionate.

When labor can last anywhere from 12-48 hours (and sometimes longer!) A doula provides constant and uninterrupted support if only through tender touch.