Birth doula services

A birth doula provides support to parents before, during, and shortly after birth. This support can take a variety of forms: providing information, helping with comfort measures, encouraging you during birth, advocating for you, assisting you with breastfeeding, and much more. Whatever your needs or desires for your birth, a doula can assist you through the birthing process.

While birth doulas and midwives often have similar objectives, their roles during the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum periods differ–and complement each other well!

A birth doula offers non-medical support to growing families. This support can be physical, emotional, and informational, depending on your needs and desires.

A midwife provides medical support to women and babies. Their focus is on the physical health and safety of your and your baby before, during, and immediately after birth.

While birth doulas and midwives do similar things during a birth, the birth doula’s focus will be on encouraging and supporting you through the birthing process, while the midwife will be focused on making sure mother and baby are safe, administering necessary medication, catching the baby when he or she arrives, and providing medical attention to mother and baby after birth.

According to a 2017 review of several studies on the effectiveness of continuous birth support, birth doula care can:

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• decrease the risk of Cesarean by 39%
• increase the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth by 15%
• decrease the use of any medications for pain relief by 10%
• decrease the length of labors by 41 minutes on average
• decrease the baby’s risk of a low five-minute Apgar score by 38%
• decrease the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience by 31%

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For more information, see Evidence Based Birth.

Get to know your intentions for labor and help you develop your birth hopes.

Encourage open dialogue regarding personal hesitations and urban myths in an effort to create a positive mental attitude towards the act of childbirth.

Provide well-rounded information about the advantages and disadvantages of medical support and labor procedures.

Support you in flowing with your birth, reminding you of your wishes and offer non-medical alternatives for pain management (positioning, massage, breathing, thermotherapy, water).

Support birth partner during the birth (take turns supporting mother so partner may eat, sleep, get fresh air, go to bathroom, etc. and provide guidance when desired).

Remain with you during the immediate postpartum period, helping you adjust and process the experience and providing basic breastfeeding support.

Follow up with a postpartum visit to provide you with emotional support in the first weeks–and to see your baby!

Clinical tasks of any sort (vaginal exams, blood pressure readings, diagnosis, recommend treatments, interpret charts, etc).

Make decisions for you. We provide you with information to help you to make informed decisions for yourself and will support your preferences.

Speak for you or ask questions on your behalf. We will become familiar with your preferences for birth and advocate for you.

Replace your partner. If you have a partner or birth support person who will be in attendance at the birth, we will work with their comfort levels to reinforce their role in the birthing process. A doula is not a replacement for the love and history you have with your partner.

Birth doulas are not considered medical providers in Minnesota, but some insurance companies are offering compensation for doulas services, so check with your individual provider for coverage. Clients have also had success purchasing doula services with funds from their HSA/FSA.

It’s never too early to begin the process! We recommend you hire your birth doula by the beginning of your third trimester, but it’s good to start interviewing birth doulas during the second trimester so you have plenty of time to determine who is the best fit.

Yes! In addition to physical support, your birth doula can offer emotional and informational support that can benefit your birthing process. Whether medication or cesarean are planned or not, a birth doula can help you stay informed and supported in the decisions that you and your partner make.