You will receive Prenatal Work:
• Begin meeting as early as 12 weeks.
• Free prenatal consultation
• Provide two to three prenatal preparation sessions at your home or another meeting place. These sessions will include but not limited to:
o visit-to get to know mom and partner.
o Create and personalize birth plans.
o Discussion of birth choices in childbirth
o Learn basic comfort and coping methods.
o Risks/benefits of various choices and procedures
o Discussion of postpartum adjustment and expectations.
• Prenatal visits- to meet the care provider (if that is in the client’s preference) at least (2) one around 20-32 weeks (5-8 months) and the other around 34-36 weeks (8-9 months) but open to more as needed.
• Most will be on call for the last 4 weeks of pregnancy 24/7, once you sign the contract and services are paid for in full.
o Before the last 4 weeks feel free to call or text.
▪ Text gives 24 hours to respond.
▪ Call if it is an emergency and you need to talk with your doula immediately. If for some reason, they don’t answer leave a voice mail and text.
• Photography
• Babysitter if birth is at home.
Labor Support:
• Please call if there are changes that could indicate impending labor, most doulas will need 1-2 hours to get to you depending on location and traffic conditions.
• Your doula will provide continuous labor support from the time you ask them to come until after the baby is born. Your doula will come to your home to provide support or meet you at the hospital, depending on your preference. Your doula will not leave unless you ask them to, and even then, your doula should be available via phone. A few exceptions would be if your doula has provided continuous support for 12 hours and may need to rest, or an induction or epidural is needed.
• Immediately following delivery, the doula will remain with the mother for up to one hour to help establish breastfeeding, take family photos, and make sure the new family is comfortable.
Postpartum Visit:
• Some doulas will provide a postpartum visit to discuss the birth, answer any questions you may have, and provide breastfeeding support, scheduled at our convenience within three weeks of your birth.
• Your doula should be available for phone support 24/7 for the first 2 weeks following the birth of the baby and then from 7 am-7 pm for the next 6 weeks, should you have any questions or needs.
Back-up Doula:
• If a backup doula is needed during your labor, the second doula of the team will attend the birth as the backup.
• A lot of the above is based on each doula. All have their own set of rules based on their comfort and experience.
Cesarean Birth:
Most do attend cesarean births and will provide support through that process, for as long as the hospital allows it. If you are having a scheduled cesarean birth, your doula will arrive soon after you are checked in to prepare you mentally and emotionally for the surgery. At this time your doula can provide massage and deep breathing exercises to prepare and answer any questions or help you get the answers you need. If the hospital allows an extra person, your doula will be in the operating room with you and your partner.
Check with your doula to see what their policies and procedures are around full or partial refund if you have hired them, paid the deposit, and decided at some point in the pregnancy that you will need a cesarean. It will simply be a slight shift in the type of support provided. In the case of a cesarean, a doula’s presence is usually needed a little longer after the birth to help with physical needs, as well as breastfeeding.
If you have more questions, please feel free to reach out or follow me on social media.
Thank you,
Grace & Love Doula Services