Doula Services for pre-birth, during and after

find the support you need

Prenatal services include support leading up to your birth, answering questions you have regarding pregnancy, writing out your birth plan, and preparing your home for your new baby to arrive. Robin also will guide you to the resources you need for childbirth education, hiring a lactation consultant, and enrolling in newborn care classes. The goal of our prenatals is the building your birth team so they can support you through your birth and into your postpartum recovery.

Prenatal visits prior to your birth are conducting in person and on Zoom. We cover topics such as your birth intentions, comfort methods, breathe work exercises, what to expect during an induction, knowing the stages of labor, and putting together a postpartum support plan for you and your family.

Clients also have the additional benefit of attending monthly Prenatal Support Circle at Mother Luna in Guilford as part of their doula package. This group meets one Sunday a month and its purpose is to facilitate a nurturing space designed to provide expecting parents with comprehensive education, emotional support, and practical guidance as they prepare for childbirth and parenthood.

Prental support

ASSISTANCE THROUGH PREGNANCY AND PREPARING FOR BIRTh and postpartum

Labor and birth support includes on call coverage from 38-41 weeks with twenty-four hour availability to text or call. Once your labor begins or you start to notice signs that things are changing within your body, reach out to me for guidance and encouragement. If your providers are speaking to you about induction and cesarean birth options, we can gather to talk about the options and risk as. you choose what is the best option for you and your family.

During active labor, I provide assistance with comfort measures through massage, comforting touch, warm and cold compresses, breathing exercises, movement and holding space for the birthing family. As you approach the pushing stage of birth, I will be there to guide you and encourage you and your partner. Once baby is born, I will stay with you for up to two hours after birth to assist as you get cleaned up, process emotions, provide you with nourishment and hydration, and help you transition to the postpartum floor.

Within the first 48-72 hours after birth, I am available to you for any questions or concerns you have. Helping you transition from hospital to home is important and I do my best to make that transition easier for you in any way possible.

Labor & Birth Support

EMOTIONAL AND COMFORTING SUPPORT

I offer postpartum support within your home to help you adjust to life with your newborn and get the essential rest you need to recuperate from childbirth. I offer a first night home service option that many clients have found helpful. Clients can hire me for an overnight postpartum care shift so that your first night sleeping at home in your own bed can be restful knowing that baby and mother are being cared for. Sleep in a hospital can be very challenging so having your first night home being assisted with newborn care is extremely beneficial.

I also offer the option for daytime coverage as needed. The goal of these visits is to give parents the opportunity to take a break to shower, nap, eat, and take care of their basic needs. Light housekeeping, meal prep, breastfeeding advice, and basic newborn care are included. The health and well-being of the postpartum mom is of the utmost importance.

Within the weeks following birth, I schedule a daytime postpartum visit to "debrief" and process your birth experience. Taking the time to talk about your birth, ask questions about bathing, lactation and feeding concerns, and basic newborn care is easier to explain when there is a baby present to work with! I see this time as a way to have a closing ritual of our time spent together on this journey.

POSTPARTUM SUPPORT

HELPING YOU ADJUST TO LIFE AT HOME WITH YOUR NEWBORN

Robin was a pleasure to work with. She has a presence that makes you feel comfortable and trusting, almost as if you’ve always known her, which is very important when inviting someone into your home and to care for your newborn baby. I felt as though Robin treated our son as he was her own, she truly cares for and loves babies.

— Kendall Corcorran

How will a doula support my partner during birth?

Pregnancy and birth can be just as scary for the birthing partner as it is for the birthing person. Hiring a doula offers support for both parents because all of your questions are valid and everything you are learning about the experience you are learning together. Robin will guide you and offer encouragement and engagement so your partner can feel like an active participant in the birthing process.

For example, Robin has been a support to the birth partner by holding space, offering words of assurance, outlining expectations, and relaying information to the partner from the medical care team. Your doula can guide you through the steps involved in for a c-section, an epidural, and help to explain medical jargon and terminology.

In postpartum support, your partner is given support with newborn care education. Learning how to care for your baby is empowering and being able to share that responsibility is very rewarding. If your partner is breastfeeding, offering to assist with burping, changing diapers, bottle feeding, and managing the expressed milk and storage is a great way to be involved in the process.

As your doula, Robin offers three prenatal appointments. These appointments allow time for learning about the labor and birth experience, setting your intentions for birth, enrolling in childbirth and breastfeeding education, gathering resources from within the birth community, practicing body movements, relaxation, and breathing techniques, basic newborn care, and planning for postpartum recovery. These appointments are also a great opportunity to ask your doula questions about pregnancy and birth and voice any concerns about your changing body. Having had three children of her own, Robin is very much aware of the many perils and joys of pregnancy. Use her as a resource!

Robin is available to meet with clients within their homes as well as via zoom for their prenatal visits. On average, appointments can be 1-2 hours long depending upon the stage of your pregnancy.

What are prenatal appointments with my doula?

The timing of when you hire a doula varies for everyone. Reaching out to interview birth doulas in the second trimester is a great time to start. But if you are down to the wire and are looking for someone on short notice, reach out to a doula collective, such as Your Birth Tribe, to be matched with someone that has availability and experience to meet your needs.

If you are looking to hire a postpartum doula, doing your research before birth is helpful so that you can retain their support prior to giving birth. You can hire a postpartum after birth as well. Postpartum doulas are available for daytime and overnight support.

When should I hire a doula?

A doula is a trained, experienced support person for a pregnant mother and partner through the child birthing process. Doulas provide emotional, physical, and informational support to mothers in pregnancy, during labor and childbirth, and throughout their postpartum transition. A birth doula does not deliver your baby, that is the role of an OGBYN or midwife. A doula is not a medical professional but a trained care provider with the experience and skills necessary to support mother and baby through birth and postpartum care.

A doula works with birthing mothers in both the hospital and home birth setting.

What is a doula?

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Questions for Doulas