Doula support
A doula, or birth assistant, is a trained assistant who provides physical and emotional support throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Doulas provide unbiased guidance, information, and resources for perinatal families to make their own empowered decisions by informed consent. In this role, I form a strong bond with my families and maintain frequent contact over the course of the journey - getting to know you very well so that I can support you in the most personalized way.
As a birth doula, I offer 1-2 prenatal visits with you to discuss and prepare for your labor and birth. Throughout your pregnancy, I am available at all times to communicate through any questions you may have. We talk about perinatal health, how baby is growing each month, sleep, nutrition, and exercise, comfort measures during labor, breathing and meditation, what to expect when going into labor, what to expect at a birth and during golden hour, what testing is done during pregnancy and what interventions are available during birth, and how to prepare for postpartum (physical healing, meal planning, emotional support, newborn care), among other things. A lot of medical terminology can be broken down and medical options and decisions discussed in advance so that you feel equipped in the moment (discussing items such as glucose testing, induction, Vitamin K, ultrasound screening, etc). I am on-call for births from 38-42 weeks and attend once I am needed (preferably during active labor) throughout labor, up to 2 hours after birth. During this time, I offer hands-on support with counterpressure and massage, breathing, position changes, and general advocacy.
As a postpartum doula, I offer 4-hour blocks of assistance in your home where I provide a variety of emotional and hands-on support: helping to navigate physical recovery and health, and assisting with cooking, light housekeeping and laundering, and caring for you and your newborn baby.
Birth doula services are $1200, with the option to add birth photography on for +$850
Postpartum doula services are $125 per 4 hour block.
*I do not serve as a medical care provider in this role. I am not a licensed medical professional and I do not provide medical advice or medical care. I simply help offer navigation, information, and resources through the perinatal journey.
Background
I am a homebirth baby. My mom had 4 children at home in the '90s and, as the oldest of them, my earliest memories include weighing my siblings, watching the initiation of breastfeeding, examining placentas, and having birth normalized as a physiological (not medical) event at a very early age. So normalized, in fact, that one time, I scarred our babysitter by playing my birth video for her when I was very little: I didn't see anything abnormal about this (Lol, sorry Meghan!)! In January 2023, I had my own baby via homebirth. And while homebirth is what felt best suited my own preferences and wants/needs, I believe that there are different options available for a reason! Hospital, birth center, and homebirth exist so that a birthing mother has choice. And this choice is just the first of many...
In 2017, while studying my degree in Social Work, I became a caseworker for perinatal families for the first time; I conducted assessments, intakes, and weekly home-visits for a long-term home-visiting program. This position had a focus on pregnancy through birth up to age 5, prioritizing stress reduction, connecting families with vital resources (TANF, HEAP, housing resources, domestic violence resources, therapy, WIC, etc.), promoting bonding & attachment, and working on developmental activities and screenings through play. It was during this position that I learned how little families are prepared for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, how hospitals take advantage of this lack of knowledge, and how often trauma is normalized. I learned how vital the first 3 years of a child's life are for neurodevelopment in determining the rest of their future, and how much of their environment and connection to their primary caregiver is responsible for this. I learned about the factual statistics for how our country compares to others in maternal/fetal healthcare - how critically behind we are, and how racial disparities in healthcare play a significant role in maternal mortality. I created Family Goal Plans and attended consortiums on breastfeeding, studied prenatal development, and even bereavement. During our weekly home-visits, I discussed with families about all of the same things that doulas do. It became a foundational block to my interest in social work, in addition to working with foster youth, that encouraged me to pursue advocacy further. A wedding photographer at the time, I decided to see if there was a possibility I could incorporate birth photography, too, and I photographed my first birth in 2019.
It is amazing to watch how equipping families with information helps to prevent or alleviate long-term trauma. Our health-care system is failing us. This is a fact. A 3 minute prenatal appointment and a handout about nutrition doesn't cut it. One 6-week follow up postpartum appointment doesn't cut it. We are failing families and their new babies. We need to get back to supporting our mamas and their new babies. We need community. This is what the birth-work community exists for.