A 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.

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 Healthcare Blue Cross/Blue Shield Blue Cross/Blue Shield PPO Cigna Humana Employers Health United Health POS Medicaid Co-ops like Samaritan Ministries Also quite a few companies have added doula care as a perk for their employees (some by using Carrot). These companies include: Salesforce Walmart Microsoft Target PNC Bank CVS Reddit Twitter Google Human Interest Stripe HashiCorp Please check your employee benefits to see if your company offers doula coverage.

Families who seek the compassionate and skilled care of a Doula are more likely to experience the following benefits (and so much more!): 34% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with their birth experience 31% decrease in the use of Pitocin (a synthetic form of Oxytocin used to induce labor) 28% decrease in the risk of C-section 14% decrease in the risk of their newborn being admitted to a special care nursery *As reported in The Evidence for Doulas by Rebecca Dekker

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.

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. 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.

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!

Finding the right Doula is a lot like dating! You and your partner/support person will be sharing very intimate moments 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.

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. .

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.

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.

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