Holly the Doula

A doula is a trained professional birth worker with knowledge and experience to guide families through the monumental life changing experience of having a baby. A doula will give you non-judgmental support, evidence based information, and be an advocate for you throughout your journey to parenthood.

A birth doula will support you from the end of your pregnancy, through labor, and until the baby has arrived. During the third trimester, they will help you prepare for birth by creating a birth plan, plan your hospital bag, and more. They will come to your home once you are in labor to help you labor at home until you are ready to go to the hospital or birth center. Finally, they will join you at the hospital to support you until the baby has arrived!

There are so many benefits to hiring a doula! For birth, APA studies have shown that having a doula as a member of the birth team decreases the overall cesarean rate by 50%, the length of labor by 25%, the use of oxytocin (Pitocin) by 40%, requests for an epidural by 60%, and families are 66% more likely to have an overall greater satisfaction with birth.

Both Midwives and Doulas are essential parts of a birth team, and they have very different responsibilities. A Midwife is a healthcare professional that can perform pelvic and breast exams, write prescriptions, and is medically trained to deliver babies. Midwives have medical training to focus on delivering health babies. A Doula is a trained birth worker that provides physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother during her pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum. Doulas focus mostly on the needs of the mother.

Having a doula on your birth team in addition to your partner is often helpful for a few reasons. A doula is a trained birth worker who has the experience and knowledge to guide you and your partner through birth and postpartum. It may also be hard you're your partner or parent to see you in pain and they might have a hard time supporting you the way you need it; a doula will not be phased by the effects of labor the way your partner might. Doulas will have more experience in birth and newborn care than your husband or your parent will. A doula's only focus is you and your baby; everyone else in the room has other jobs and responsibilities.

DONA is a nonprofit organization that certifies doulas. Currently doulas are not regulated by the government, this means that anyone can say they are a doula regardless of their training. DONA has created a program to certify doulas; when you hire a DONA certified doula you know you are getting someone who has gone through a process and is a qualified doula. DONA trained means that the doula is in the process of getting certified through DONA and they have completed workshops and trainings that were approved by DONA.

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I currently offer a discount of 20% off birth services if you are giving birth in a hospital or birth center that I have never attended a birth at.