Question 1

What is a Doula anyway?

Accepted Answer

Birth: A Birth Doula is a professionally trained support provider who offers guidance, information and education, along with physical and emotional support to a pregnant woman and her partner/support person before, during and after the birth of their baby. Think of your Doula as your personal advisor and encourager during your pregnancy and birth journey! A "google maps" of childbirth, if you will.  The Doula knows the road and how to get there. She helps navigate while you drive. 
Our doulas  provide continuous emotional, physical, and informational support throughout your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period. They help create a calm and empowering birth environment, promote natural comfort measures, and advocate for your preferences with medical staff, contributing to reduced anxiety and improved birth outcomes. Choosing a doula from Willow Tree means working with compassionate professionals dedicated to personalized care that respects your unique needs and supports you and your family every step of the way.

Research shows that, overall, people who used a doula:
Lowered the risk of Cesarean by 39%. 
Increased the chance of a spontaneous vaginal birth by 15%.
A 10% decrease in the use of any pain medications during labor
Shorter labors by about 41 minutes on average  
A 38% decrease in the risk of your baby having a low Apgar score

Postpartum: Choosing a Willow Tree Postpartum Doula  means you've got comprehensive, personalized support for you after childbirth, focusing on the physical, emotional, and informational needs during the postpartum period. Services include guidance on infant care such as breastfeeding support, soothing techniques, and sleep routines, as well as assistance with light household tasks, and newborn care tasks to help parents build confidence. Additionally, the doula provides emotional support to help navigate the challenges of postpartum adjustment, promotes maternal self-care, and offers education on newborn development and recovery. This holistic approach ensures families feel empowered, supported, and well-prepared during the critical first weeks after birth. Additionally, an overnight doula allows parents to get the rest that they need at night to ease the lack of sleep all parents deal with and be able to better care for their baby during the day.

Question 2

How soon should I hire a Doula?

Accepted Answer

Here at Willow Tree, we book up fairly quickly. 
We always suggest hiring a doula  as soon as possible so that you can choose the doula that is the best fit for you.

Birth Doulas:
Hiring early also gives you plenty of time to build a strong, trusting bond, so we can provide emotional and physical support that fits your unique birth needs. Starting early means you'll have plenty of time to get all your meetings in and get tons of helpful info on childbirth, birth planning, and guidance through pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Getting a doula on board  amps up your confidence, cuts down on anxiety, and helps you have a positive birthing experience, in line with our commitment to compassionate, personalized care.

We always tell our repeat clients to let us know as soon as the stick turns pink so you can be sure to have the doula that you know and love.  However, if you've waited that's ok, still reach out. Sometimes we have availability late in the game too.

Postpartum Doulas: 
The same goes for our postpartum doulas. If you think you need this service, save your spot now. Especially overnights. We book months out most of the time, so if you wait to secure your spot, we may not have availability that works with your schedule or any at all.  Again, if you're late to the game, always check, you just never know.

Unsure if you want or need a doula?  
Reach out to set up a free consultation to find out how we can support your goals for birth and/or postpartum!

Question 3

Are Doulas covered by insurance?

Accepted Answer

Doula services are typically not covered by standard insurance in most cases but it is becoming more and more prevalent. However, if you have a health share plan or and HSA (health savings account) those WILL cover doula fees in full. Some families are reporting getting reimbursed for doula support from the following insurance companies:Aetna HealthcareBlue Cross/Blue ShieldBlue Cross/Blue Shield PPOCignaHumana Employers HealthUnited Health POSMedicaid (not in Indiana)Co-ops like Samaritan Ministries or MedishareAlso quite a few companies have added doula care as a perk for their employees (some by using Carrot).  These companies include:SalesforceWalmartMicrosoftTargetPNC BankCVSRedditTwitterGoogleHuman InterestStripeHashiCorpPlease check your employee benefits to see if your company offers doula coverage. You may be surprised. Usually this is through a benefit called Carrot but sometimes there is a separate doula benefit as well.

Question 4

How can a Doula improve my birth experience?

Accepted Answer

Research shows that, overall, people who used a doula:
Lowered the risk of Cesarean by 39%. 
Increased the chance of a spontaneous vaginal birth by 15%.
A 10% decrease in the use of any pain medications during labor
Shorter labors by about 41 minutes on average  
A 38% decrease in the risk of your baby having a low Apgar score

Question 5

Is a Doula like a Midwife?

Accepted Answer

No. Doulas are unlike midwives and obstetricians in that they do not perform any medical procedures or provide medical care such as vaginal exams, administration of medication, blood pressure checks, catching your baby, etc.

Question 6

Will my Doula be my advocate during my birth?

Accepted Answer

To an extent. While a Doula can provide you with support and information, a Doula’s role is not to speak for you in the birthing room. Although they can be sure that your birth preferences are respected and heard. We won’t make decisions for you, or tell you to make a certain decision. We will remind you of choices you have made about your care, support those choices and help you ask any questions you may have for your providers. Doulas work diligently with you during prenatal visits to help you feel your power as medical consumers so that you and your partner/support person know how to advocate for yourselves when decisions need to be made about your care.

Question 7

Do Doulas support medicated labors and births?

Accepted Answer

Most definitely! A Doula’s role is to support YOUR decisions, not make recommendations based on what she has done or would do in your same situation. At the heart of your Doula’s philosophy should be a strong desire for YOU to walk away from your birth feeling satisfied with your experience...whatever that looks like for YOU. A well-trained Doula will help you understand the risks and benefits of potential interventions and emergency situations that can arise during labor and birth so that YOU have the tools you need to make informed decisions for YOUR family. She has plenty of tricks up her sleeve to help support you during lots of different kinds of labors and births, whether they are natural or medicated. Your Doula will support you!
At the end of the day we want to support the birth you choose, no matter what that is.

Question 8

How do I know if I have found the right Doula for me?

Accepted Answer

Finding  the right Doula is a lot like dating! You and your partner/support person will be sharing a very intimate/special moment with your Doula. You want to be sure that you are 100% comfortable with each other. When the chemistry is right,it's right and you will trust your Doula implicitly. That’s why it’s so important to bring your partner/support person to your consultations with potential Doulas. You all need to connect in order to have the best birth experience.

Question 9

Will my Doula take the place of my spouse/partner?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely not! In fact, an experienced Doula understands how to fade in and out of the background during your labor and birth to provide just what you need when you need it. Doulas support spouses and partners by ensuring that their needs are met so that they can be freed up to support the laboring person to the best of their ability and to the extent that they wish to be involved. Doulas can also make suggestions in terms of the kind of support your spouse/partner/support person can offer you throughout your journey to meeting your baby.
However, some spouses/partners are not able to be a the birth for whatever reason. In that case, your doula can be your support person if necessary. 
.

Question 10

Will I have one main doula or will it be whomever is on call when I go into labor?

Accepted Answer

Each client interviews and chooses their doula. The team model is utilized only for backup when your doula happens to be unavailable (another birth, illness, time off... etc.). There will always be a backup doula available and you are welcome to meet her any time if you are concerned about that. Thankfully at Willow Tree Doula Services, we don't over book our doulas so the chance of needing a backup is slim. However sometimes it can happen. If it does, rest assured you are in good hands with any of the doulas on our team.

Question 11

Do I really need to take a childbirth education class?

Accepted Answer

You don't HAVE to do anything you don't want to do. But....According to InJoy – Birth & Parenting Education, only 17-18% of expectant families in the Western United States take a childbirth education class today. There is a direct correlation between this figure and the rising cesarean, induction, and maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity rates in our country. As Penny Simkin states, “When parents have knowledge, they seek care that reflects their preferences for family-centered and flexible care.”
The fact of the matter is, you don’t know what you don’t know. Three of the main benefits of taking a quality childbirth education class are learning about all of your birth options, forming a good working knowledge of the birth process, and reducing fears of childbirth perpetuated by our society at large. It’s also a dedicated time for you and your partner/support person (if you have one) to spend time together and set positive intentions for your baby’s birth. Practicing labor positions and various comfort measure options allows you to zero in on what feels right to you before the big day. Whether this is your first or your fifth child, you will feel more prepared for the rigor of childbirth by investing your time and resources in a quality childbirth preparation program.

Question 12

Have more questions?

Accepted Answer

Feel free to contact us by email or by filling out our form here

Frequently Asked Questions