What is a Doula?
A doula offers varied support, and can play many roles in the birth and postpartum process. But most of all, a Doula is an emotional support person dedicated to helping birthing parents and families find comfort to be able to embrace and be present for prenatal, birth and postpartum experiences.
A common misconception about Doulas is that they only offer services for holisitic, home, and non-medical births. That is not the case! While some Doulas may have preferences and cater to a certain demographic, many Doulas (like me), love to support a variety of families with different plans and preferences.
A Labor Doula can support you and your family through a hospital birth ( medicated OR unmedicated), a Ceserean birth (planned or unplanned), a home birth, and can help you find resources to support any other needs you may have such as: Placenta Encapsulation, Holisitic Healers, Medical Professionals and so much more!
A Postpartum Doula can support you and your family in the fourth trimester, and beyond! Common tasks a Postpartum Doula may accomplish while providing support are: caring for, changing, and feeding baby overnight while family rests, light housework, helping with siblings, guiding family or partner to support the birthing parent in whatever ways they need, being an informational resource and much more!
Overall, a Doula is just helping the family with whatever they need, so they can embrace and be able to be present for all of the beautiful moments they may otherwise miss or overlook in the amazing, but challenging transitional period(s) that come with pregnancy, birth and postpartum.