Pregnancy Support
You can book your doula at any time during your pregnancy. Often, people book their doula in their third trimester of pregnancy. You will have an initial meeting with your prospective doula to get to know them and determine if you are a good fit for each other. These meetings are check-ins to see how you are feeling about labour and birth, a review of comfort measures for pain management, if you have questions...etc.
Once you select your doula, they will create a birth plan with you. A birth plan helps you determine your desires, wishes, and preferences for your labour and delivery. It also helps your doula know exactly what you want and how they can best support you. Don’t worry, you can change your birth plan at any time including during the birth. Your doula will meet with you again at 36 and 38 weeks of pregnancy. These meetings are check-ins to see how you are feeling about labour and delivery, if you have questions, and to help you prepare for your baby.
Birth & Labour
Your birth doula will help you create a birth plan. They will then be on-call from 38 weeks onwards. A birth doula will be with you every step of the way once you are in early labour until you have birthed your baby. A doula’s role during labour and delivery ranges from providing support with pain management through breathing, massage, and moving through labouring positions, to preparing you a snack, and reminding you that you can do it! Doulas also help you navigate through the birthing process by empowering you to make decisions around pain medication and supporting your decision making during emergency situations. Doulas attend births in all settings including at home and at the hospital. We provide birth support at both c-sections and vaginal births.
POSTPARTUM CARE
Your birth doula will stay with you several hours after the birth and will return to check-in with you at least once within the first 72 hours. In the first week of your birth, your birth doula will help you stay comfortable, support you with feeding, and gather any information you may want or need from your health care providers. Your birth doula will visit you again within two weeks of the birth to debrief the birth, share resources that may be helpful to you and your family, support with feedings and bathing, and provide any final support you may need from them.
You also have the option to book a postpartum doula who specializes in taking care of you and your family after the birth. Their work may include, providing emotional support, taking care of the baby while you rest, light house work, preparing meals, helping with changing, feeding, and bathing the baby, etc. Your birth doula and postpartum doula may not be the same person.
LOSS, MISCARRIAGE, ABORTION
We know that not all pregnancies end with the birth of a baby. You can access doula support for all stages of your pregnancy and your reproductive journey including during pregnancy loss, abortion, or other reproductive health procedures. Our role as doulas in these circumstances are not very different than during birth. Your doula will provide you with a full range of support services including gathering information to make decisions, helping you determine your desires, wishes, and preferences, offering physical and emotional support, debriefing and post-procedure care. We also support you with creating ritual and ceremony as well as connecting you with the support services you may need in community.