How it works
From our first conversation to your first weeks home, here’s what working together looks like.
Four steps, one steady person beside you
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Discover
Look through the services and the three birth packages, and choose the one that fits your household.
- Every birth package includes prenatal and postpartum visits (one or two of each, depending on the package), on-call support as your due date nears, and continuous labor support.
- Not sure what you need? That’s exactly what the consultation is for.
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Connect
Reach out for a consultation. We talk about your due date, your hopes, and what support should look like for you.
- Bring every question, big or small.
- I reply to non-urgent messages within 24 hours.
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Prepare
Sign your agreement, hold your date with a retainer, and start prenatal visits: birth preferences, comfort measures, partner coaching.
- Your retainer reserves your due date window on my calendar.
- The balance is due in the payment window in your agreement, around 37 to 39 weeks for Standard Birth Support.
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Be supported
I’m on call around the clock from 38 weeks, with you continuously through labor, and back to check on you after birth.
- Call me at the earliest signs of labor, and keep me posted after late prenatal appointments.
- Your first postpartum visit happens within 1 to 2 weeks of birth.
Key dates for birth support
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Any time
Consultation
Reach out as soon as you’re thinking about support. Earlier gives you the best chance at your dates.
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Around 37 to 39 weeks
Balance due
Your retainer holds your date. The balance is due in the payment window in your agreement.
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38 weeks
On call 24/7
From two weeks before your estimated due date through two weeks after, call me day or night.
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1 to 2 weeks after birth
First postpartum visit
We talk through your birth, help with newborn care, and check in on you.
What a doula does, and doesn’t do
Doula care is non-medical support. I work alongside your OB, midwife, and hospital team, never in place of them.
What I do
- Continuous emotional and physical support
- Comfort measures, positions, and TENS for labor
- Clear information about your options
- Helping you communicate your preferences
- Coaching and reassurance for your partner
- A check-in after birth
What I don’t do
- Clinical tasks like cervical exams, fetal heart rate checks, or blood pressure monitoring
- Medical diagnoses or medical advice
- Decisions on your behalf
- Replace your OB, midwife, or medical team
For medical questions, call your OB, midwife, or care provider. In an emergency, call 911.
On call and in labor
Call me at the earliest signs of labor, and keep me posted after late prenatal appointments. Here’s how support works from there.
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When I join you
In-person support begins once you’re in established active labor, usually strong, regular contractions every 3 to 5 minutes, or sooner if we agree it’s time.
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Early or long labors
Support can be split into shorter segments, like an early labor check-in, a rest, and then active labor together.
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Very long labors
A single continuous shift is capped at 16 to 18 hours. Beyond 18 hours I may take a 2 to 4 hour rest while you’re cared for by your medical team and family, then come back.
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Staying in touch
Non-urgent messages get a reply within 24 hours. For anything urgent, and for everything labor-related, call.
If plans change
Babies keep their own schedule. These are the rules we agree on up front, in plain English.
- If you cancel before birth
- The retainer is kept, and everything else you’ve paid is refunded.
- If I can’t attend
- If illness, an emergency, severe weather, or travel restrictions keep me away, the remaining birth balance is waived or refunded. Arranging backup doula support would be up to you.
- If birth happens very fast
- If labor is too quick or I’m not called in time, fees aren’t refunded, and I’ll add an extra postpartum visit instead.
- Virtual sessions
- Cancel 24 hours or more ahead for a full refund. Less notice isn’t refunded. You can reschedule up to two times, and missing a second rescheduled session isn’t refunded.
Questions about the process
When do you join me in labor?
In-person support begins once you’re in established active labor, usually strong, regular contractions every 3 to 5 minutes, or sooner if we agree it’s time. For early or long labors, support can be split into shorter segments.
What happens if labor goes really long?
A single continuous shift is capped at 16 to 18 hours. If labor goes beyond that, I may take a 2 to 4 hour rest while you’re cared for by your medical team and family, and then come back.
Can you support me if I have a cesarean?
Yes. Hospitals decide who can be in the operating room, but support before and after birth still matters, and immediate postpartum hospital support is available within 12 hours of birth.
Will a doula replace my partner?
No. Partner coaching is part of the plan, so the person beside you knows how to help, and you both get support.
How do payments work?
A retainer holds your date on my calendar. The balance is due in the payment window in your agreement, around 37 to 39 weeks for Standard Birth Support. If you cancel before birth, the retainer is kept and everything else is refunded.
Is doula care medical care?
No. Doula care is non-medical support. I don’t perform clinical tasks like cervical exams, fetal heart rate checks, or blood pressure monitoring, and I don’t make decisions on your behalf.
What if I have a medical question or an emergency?
Call your OB, midwife, or care provider for medical questions. In an emergency, call 911. I can help you think through what to ask, but I don’t give medical advice.
Not sure what you need yet?
Tell me a little about your due date and what’s on your mind. We’ll figure out the right support together.