Frequently Asked Questions: Doula Services
Hi there! I’m Kayla, the doula here at True LOVE Birth Services. For those interested in doula support there can be a lot of questions you might have. Or maybe you are unfamiliar with what a doula does or how they can help? This is exactly why I’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help answer some of those questions for you.
What is a doula?
A doula is a personal support worker for labour and delivery. They provide emotional, physical and informative support before, during and after birth as well as help clients learn to advocate for the birth they desire.
How does a doula help?
A doula helps by providing consistent support through out your labour and delivery. They provide prenatal education, support for both you and your birth partner during the birth, and help during those postpartum weeks to follow. They help prepare you for birth and help with comfort measure options and pain management techniques during the birth. They also help with infant feeding a sleep postpartum and help you create a plan to help you and baby thrive. They can be especially helpful with fear release and for someone who has experienced previous birth trauma.
What types of births do doulas support?
Doulas support ALL births. We support hospital births, home births, water births, vaginal births, cesarean births, VBAC deliveries, medicated and unmedicated births, birth with and without epidurals, surrogate births and adoptions, high risk and low risk pregnancies. It doesn’t matter if you have a birth partner or are a single parent, doulas support all types of births with all kinds of uniques circumstances and situations.
Is a doula the same as a midwife?
No, a doula is different from a midwife. A doula provides support while a midwife provides clinical care. A doula is NOT a care provider and therefore, does not perform any clinical tasks such as vaginal checks, blood pressure checks, etc. Your doula works with your midwife/ care provider to provide full support. We work as a team to provide you with the best support and birth experience possible.
How many years have you been a practicing doula for?
I have been a practicing doula for 5 years now and am fully certified as a labour and postpartum doula, VBAC doula and am a trained trauma and attachment practitioner which allows me to help provide clients with non-clinical counselling for previous birth trauma.
How many births have you attended?
I have attended over 50 births and have experience with many different circumstances and situations. I have personally had a hospital birth with an epidural and a home birth and am planning another home birth for my third baby due any day now.
Do you only come to the birth or do you provide support before and after the birth as well?
No, as a doula I provide you with support before baby arrives, during your birth and during postpartum as well. I stay up to 2 hours after baby is born to help with infant feeding and make sure you are all settled before I leave. My clients have 24/7 support even before I go on call for them.
What is the on call period?
I go on call for my clients at 37 weeks and remain on call until baby arrives. This means clients have 24/7 support. If a client has a high risk pregnancy, twins or a complication that may indicate birth may happen before the on call period then we talk about me going on call earlier based what their care providers have informed us on possible delivery dates. Needing to go on call earlier is FREE of charge. In the event that a baby is born before the on call period my clients can still reach me and I will still attend the birth.
Do you help with pain management techniques for birth?
Yes! We go through pain management and comfort measure options during our prenatal classes and talk about options that would be best for your birth. If you have already had a baby we talk about what worked last time and what didn’t. We also go through all of the tools I bring with me in my doula bag that clients have access to.
How many prenatal classes are included, are they in person and what are the topics you cover?
This depends on the package the client chooses. If you are an experienced mama and booking the experienced mama package then it included up to 2 prenatals. For my first time parents we do 3 prenatal classes that are 2 hours in length each. We cover topics such as the birth brain, hormones in birth, the labour stages and phases, comfort measure options and all things postpartum. We currently offer a combination of in person and virtual prenatal classes to accommodate and make room for safety measures with the current COVID-19 pandemic. You can find more information on what’s included in our packages on our website. www.truelovebirthservices.ca/services
If we have a doula does that mean we still need to attend the public health prenatal classes?
No, the prenatal classes that your doula offers should in fact cover much more and be much more in depth than the prenatal classes you would receive through public health.
Do you offer birth pool rentals?
Yes, I offer birth pool rentals to both my clients and the general public. Our clients do receive a discounted price when renting a pool. For more details on birth pool rentals you can head over to our services page. Birth pool rentals
Being a doula is so much more than just attending births. It’s helping you prepare for the birth you’ve dreamed of. It’s about empowering my clients and helping them advocate for themselves during birth. It’s helping you prepare emotionally and mentally for birth but also setting you up to thrive postpartum. I help my clients work through fears and previous birth trauma and help them go into their birth experience feeling confident, supported and respected. Every birth is different which is why my support varies and looks different for everyone. I tailor all of my prenatals to fit my client’s needs. If you are interested in chatting further book your FREE consultation below to chat further.