POSTPARTUM DOULA SERVICES
I am currently available for postpartum doula work. I offer an initial consult in your second or third trimester of pregnancy to meet and get to know you, and for you to decide whether we would be a good fit. I generally plan to come to your home if you are comfortable with this- that way, you don't have to make an extra trip, and I can get acquainted with you and your family in your own space and get an idea of what it is like and where things are located, see where the baby will be sleeping and meet your other children or pets if applicable, etc.
I will email you a copy of my postpartum client/family history form in advance, and we will go over this at our initial (prenatal) meeting. I will also email you a current list of available books and DVDs in my library and if you have something in particular that would be useful to you that you would like to borrow, I can bring it to our initial meeting for you, on a loan basis.
Once we have chosen to work together, I am available to you by email any time so that we can continue to get to know one another, discuss your plans, and to provide support and encouragement. I am also available by phone when time is of the essence, and when you are in labor or postpartum, and am available by email or phone during your pregnancy and for the duration of our postpartum contract to answer questions or provide support.
If you find that you are having a rough time towards the end of your pregnancy, or have medical conditions which require restrictions or "bed rest," I am willing to discuss beginning postpartum doula services prenatally as you are nearing your EDD, and extending into the postpartum period. Although this is a rather unique circumstance, I am willing to work with individual needs and understand that neither pregnancy nor birth are predictable and differing circumstances do arise.
Once we have met and gotten acquainted, and you have decided you wish to proceed with postpartum doula services, we will go over the contract, discuss what you might find useful (of course, this may change and may vary day to day!) and agree upon an initial duration of services.
My rate is $25 per hour. I request 50% of the total fee upon your decision to hire me, as a "retainer," based on the initial agreed upon number of hours (minimum of 12 hours). I will make note of your due date, and will provide you with a more in depth history form which you can fill out when you get a chance and mail (or email) to me, so I have that information on file to best meet your needs postpartum. You would then call me after the baby is born (or if you know you will be having an induction or cesarean, please let me know the date in advance if possible) and I will make an initial visit to see you and your baby in the hospital if you like (if not, we can just commence services once you are settled in at home). Once the initial (50%) payment is used up, I collect payment one week at a time, on my last scheduled visit for that week. I offer 20% off hourly postpartum fees and no minimum number of hours to any client for whom I am already serving as a birth doula. (the minimum length of visit is 2 hours due to the need for me to make childcare arrangements and drive to your home, and I generally don't believe that a one hour visit is very useful or productive for most situations.)
If you decide after the contractual length of time is up that you would like to extend services, that is often a possibility- feel free to ask! Generally I recommend a "2-3" pattern as most useful- two to three week initial contract, 2-3 days a week, for 2-3 hours each shift. If you have lots of extended friends and family coming to help, you may need less; if you are expecting multiples, have many other young children or other responsibilities, you may need more. You may also wish to commence services of postpartum doula after an initial period of time if you know you will have your partner and/or extended family assisting in the immediate postpartum- however, some moms, especially first time moms and moms expecting mutiples, may find it useful to have my services start within a few days of the baby's birth either way. And since the first days are so important to breastfeeding success, and you will be having your first baby, or nursing a baby for the first time, it is generally ideal to have assistance available from the get-go, unless you will also be working with an IBCLC. However, as I am a birth and postpartum doula and have completed introductory lactation studies, one would generally be able to get basic assistance when needed from the hospital RNs (if a hospital birth), midwife, and/or me or other postpartum doula- if you choose to nurse your baby and a problem should arise, beyond breastfeeding basics, I would then refer you to an IBCLC for anything beyond my scope of practice. But you are free to design a schedule that meets your needs and preferences, and I am happy to discuss your options and preferences, and which services I am able to provide for you.
BIRTH DOULA SERVICES
If you are considering hiring a birth doula, I am available for a 45 minute face-to-face meeting where we can meet, you can review my new client folder and contract, and discuss any questions or concerns, and decide if we are a good match. I can come to your home, meet you somewhere for coffee/tea or for lunch, or I can host you (and your partner if applicable) at my apartment if you prefer. I charge $20 for this initial consult (as I need to pay for childcare for my son during this time- however, I am more than willing to waive this fee and bring the kiddo too, if you prefer, as long as you are comfortable with that. (Obviously, if you choose to hire me, the $20 fee is deducted from the total fee and put towards your deposit, which is 50% upon hiring and the other 50% due at our post-birth meeting, no more than three weeks after attending your birth.)
We can then choose to go over the contract and initial payment and paperwork at that point, and extend the meeting, if we decide on the spot to move forward, or you can feel free to discuss things with your partner or interview other doulas and contact me when you have made a decision, and if I am still available for your birth/EDD and you would like to work together, we can schedule another time for that meeting to take place where we will sign the contract and go over the basics of your needs and desires for your birthing and immediate postpartum period, and how I can best support you in more depth then.
You can also request my new client folder/packet by mail to review, and we can talk on the phone to see if we are a good fit, and then move forward with scheduling our initial prenatal meeting- I am fairly flexible with how you choose to approach this, whether you will be interviewing multiple doulas or are still deciding whether you want to use doula services, or prefer a more casual approach and know more of what your needs and intentions are from the get-go; I am comfortable working with you to initiate the process in the way most comfortable and convenient for you.
Aside from an interview/preliminary meeting, I generally meet with my clients three other times during the pregnancy, and if you would like, I also offer to accompany you to one midwife or doctor's appointment to meet your care provider and/or help you if you would like someone there with you for any reason to discuss your birth plans. I usually have an initial meeting where we discuss your history, needs, plans, and options in more depth via going over the birth doula new client questionnaire form in the packet (oftentimes, if you decide at our first meeting that we are a good fit, and you have filled out the prenatal questionaire, we can extend this interview/meeting and go over these things in more depth then too, making it our first prenatal appointment as well), a birth planning meeting where we go over your written birth plan (or create one, if you would like assistance in person, though I also provide written materials and samples and email or phone guidance to help you do so) and continue to discuss the options and how you would like for me to help be an advocate and a supportive presence in a way that is comfortable for you, as well as the roles of your care provider, any other medical personnel, your partner, and other friends or family if applicable, and finally a comfort measures meeting, where we physically and verbally go over options for comfort measures that I and/or your partner can assist with during labor, including positioning, acupressure, massage, affirmations, temperature, water, aromatherapy, visualization, hypnobirthing techniques, etc. and, if your partner is to be your primary birth support, I can help the two of you to feel comfortable with your ability to practice these positions and make sure that your partner feels the he (or she) is confident in providing support physically, verbally, and emotionally.
I am available to meet you within 1.5 hours of receiving a call that you would like my presence and support when in labor, either in your home or at another location if you are birthing at Meriter, St. Mary's, or MBC (I can meet you at home for the earlier active labor surges and then follow you to the hospital or birth center as things get more intense if you prefer to labor in your home longer), and will assist you through active labor, pushing and birth, 3rd stage (placenta), and 1.5 to 2 hours postpartum to help with photographs if desired, initial latch/breastfeeding, and helping you to get comfortable and settled as a family. I also follow up by phone within a few days of your birth in order to check in and to schedule a postpartum visit to go over your birth, give you your birth story and any photos taken, answer any questions, and provide any other support or referrals needed- this postpartum visit typically occurs at your residence and can be anywhere from a few days following birth to a few weeks later.
I do have one or more back-up doulas in place for all clients, as all doulas routinely do, since an emergency could arise with me or with my child, or two clients could go into labor at once (although I generally only take one client per month at this point, so don't anticipate that happening- this is generally more likely the more births a doula is on call for, but it is of course possible). I have never had to call in back-up as of yet, nor have I ever been called in when I have served as back-up for another doula, but it is a good system to have in place. I have complete confidence in any doula working as a back-up or partner for me, and you will have the opportunity to meet my back-up in person or get in touch in other ways if this would make you feel most comfortable- we can discuss this more if you have concerns.
I am also available via email, phone, and/or facebook to keep in touch with birth clients during pregnancy, answer questions, and assist in any way I can. I am generally on call for you from 37 or 38 weeks (2-3 weeks prior to EDD, as we can discuss, though obviously if you go into labor prematurely or before the "on-call" period I will absolutely still do my best to attend your birth- on call simply means that I will be within 45 minutes' drive from your home or chosen hospital or birth center at all times, will have one or more phone numbers to reach me at 24 hours a day 7 days a week, will have my birth bag packed in the car and with me wherever I am, and will not be drinking alcohol, having any voluntary dental or medical procedures scheduled/performed, and will not be planing any vacations during this time. If I have any medical appointments or vacations planned prior to our contracted "on-call" period but close enough to your on-call window (37 or 38 weeks through 42 weeks or whenever you give birth) to potentially cause concern, we can discuss these arrangements before you decide to hire me and base your decisions regarding contact with the back-up doula (or choosing to hire another doula on your own to serve as a back-up, based on your own agreement or contract with another area doula, as some clients choose to do)- either way, if I know I will be unavailable at any period during your pregnancy I will disclose this to you so that you are aware and can plan appropriately.
The fee for these services includes three prenatals in your home or mine, one optional visit with you to your medical care provider, one postpartum visit, access to my lending library of books, magazine, and DVDs related to birth, postpartum, and parenting, phone and online support during the duration of your pregnancy and postpartum, photo and/or video of your birth if desired and a typed timeline/birth story from my perspective, and on-call availability and support during your labor, birth, and immediate postpartum period, my fee is currently $300 in exchange for these services. At this time I am currently charging half of the rate of other, more experienced doulas since I am working towards certification, and in appreciation for birth clients' willingness to fill out a brief evaluation form for my services, which is the final component needed to receive my official certification. Once I have received my certification and attended a few more births (I currently have six births as a doula or primary support person, and have given birth to my own son with doula support as well), I will be raising my rates to match the standard rates in this area, and will not be requesting toLabor's certification evaluations (their requirement is six personal summaries of births, and three evaluations filled out, and I need one more mama willing to fill out this evaluation for me at this time), although in all cases, any verbal or written feedback is much appreciated and I hope that we can openly discuss your experience with your birth and with having a doula to support you. Please let me know if you would like to see my other evaluations and/or to speak with references, or proof of my credentials- I am happy to supply whatever information you need to feel comfortable.
As stated above, I offer a 20% discount on postpartum doula/basic lactation services to birth doula clients, so please let me know if you would like this added postpartum and/or breastfeeding support and we can write this in to the birth doula contract rather than signing the separate/standard postpartum questionnaire and contract.
While obviously a bit different from planning for a spontaneous and/or "natural" childbirth, I believe a doula can also be very helpful, albeit in a different way, if a planned cesarean section is necessary- please let me know if this is your situation and we can discuss ways in which I can be of assistance and help you plan for a birth that feels safe and comfortable for you and allows you to make informed choices and have support and advocacy on your journey.
Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have; I would love to talk with you!
