A birth doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to their client before, during and shortly after childbirth.

A postpartum doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to their client after birth. The first three months after birth are referred to as the fourth trimester. During this time, many parents desire support for establishing breastfeeding, newborn care and soothing techniques, physical support for mom especially regarding postpartum healing, light housekeeping and meal preparation, a safe place to share their birth experience, and resources for common newborn/postpartum care.

Regardless of whether you are a first time or experienced mom, everyone should have access to the benefits of doula support. These benefits include but are not limited to: overall shorter duration of labour, increased chance of spontaneous labour, decreased use of pain medication and epidurals during labour, decrease of medical interventions during birth, less likely to have a cesarean birth, lower rates of postpartum depression, more likely to have positive feelings about birth experience, and baby less likely to have a low APGAR score - an evaluation tool used to measure a newborn's physical appearance, heart rate or pulse, facial grimace, activity, and respiration, immediately after birth and in response to resuscitation. To date, there is no negative evidence to having continuous labour support.

A doula does not replace your primary support person, but rather is an addition to your support team. Doulas work with your partner to best support your needs during pregnancy, birth and early postpartum period by providing prenatal preparation and labour coaching and support.

A doula provides non-medical physical, emotional, and informational support during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. An obstetrician provides specialized medical care in pregnancy and birth. Registered midwives provide specialized medical care to low-risk pregnancies, non-surgical care during birth and the early postpartum period. A traditional birth attendant provides non-medical, holistic physiological maternal care, usually during pregnancy and throughout the childbearing years. In Ontario, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (O.H.I.P.) covers maternity care with either an Obstetrician or a Registered Midwife (where available). Some choose to conduct their maternity care through their family physician. Some choose to access their maternity care through a Traditional Birth Attendant, which is paid for privately. Doulas support births wherever their clients choose to give birth.

Doulas are trained professionals who are solely focused on supporting the needs of the pregnant person and their family. Birth is a transformative experience and can bring out a range of emotions. Having someone there who is not directly immersed in “family affairs” is beneficial because there are healthy boundaries in place. During the early postpartum period, a doula can help with the family adjusting to the arrival of the new baby/babies and ensures the family is being served rather than tending to guests.

When choosing to do childbirth education, it is best to do it with someone who is trained in the physiology of childbirth and trained in how to teach about childbirth. Some doulas and labour nurses are also trained as childbirth educators. They not only teach you the physiology of childbirth, but also assist you in employing the material learned during pregnancy, birth, and early postpartum.

You can hire a doula at any time during your pregnancy, but availability is not guaranteed. Looking early will give you time to decide which doula best suits your needs.

Yes! Book an a la carte session to customize a support package that best suits your specific preferences. We can also discuss a payment plan that works best for you.