What does a labor/birth doula do?

The labor or birth doula plays a supportive role during pregnancy, labor and delivery. Labor doulas offer services such as emotional and physical support both during pregnancy and labor, as well as education and informational support to help clients in their decision-making.

What does a doua NOT do?

Anything that is the sole responsibility of your doctor or midwife. This includes medical procedures such as cervical exams, administration or interpretation of tests or medications, fetal monitoring, and delivering babies!

Are a midwife and a doula the same thing?

No! Midwives and doulas play very different roles. I wrote a blog post about the differences here.

My partner doesn’t want a doula because they believe they can provide all the support I need - what do you think?

I have no doubt that your partner can be an amazing support to you - after all, they most likely know you better than most people! As a doula, it is not my intention to take the place of your partner, in fact my role includes support for the BOTH of you during pregnancy, labor and delivery. This includes helping you both understand your options when it comes to common procedures, tests and interventions, helping your partner help YOU during labor based on what stage of labor you’re in or what your needs are at that moment, offering your partner a chance to rest or stay hydrated and nourished during a long labor at the hospital, the list goes on and on.

When is a good time to hire you?

In general - any time is a good time to hire a doula! However, I like to be able to meet with my clients at least twice during their pregnancy to build relationship and discuss preferences, needs, hopes, desires, as well as plan for postpartum. Usually we do these meetings around 25 and 35 weeks gestation, so I’d say if you know you want doula support, reach out as soon as you can!