Birth & Postpartum Planning
If you've researched birth plans online, you've probably noticed most of them focus on the "whats" of birth. "What interventions do I want?" "What interventions do I not want?" "What do I want in case of an induction or a C-section?" While this style of birth plan is a great starting point, it has some limitations. 1) We have limited control over whether a medical intervention will be in the best interest of ourselves and our baby. 2) We can get exactly what we wanted (for example, spontaneous onset of labor and a vaginal delivery), and still feel dissatisfied or even traumatized because of how we were treated and how we felt emotionally during or after birth.
My trauma-informed, strengths-based approach to birth and postpartum support planning (which I learned through a 12-week training with Resilient Birth) is different. It focuses on what we have much more control over: the "hows". In my 90-minute birth and postpartum support planning sessions, I help clients articulate their ideal birth or postpartum. We then dive deeper, exploring the feelings associated with their hoped-for experience, and how their support team can help them feel this way even if something unwanted becomes necessary. I also guide clients in reflecting on strengths and internal resources they've used during past challenges and ways they can draw on them as needed during the perinatal period.
Using my takeaways from these discussions, I draft individualized birth and postpartum plans addressed to specific members of the client's medical and support teams. These plans use non-violent communication to express what is most important to the birthing person and request simple, specific behaviors or accommodations. For example, your OB can't guarantee that you won't need a C-section, but they can agree to provide the reasoning behind their recommendation, give you time to process the information and make a decision, and validate your emotions about the deviation from your hoped-for birth. These types of behaviors help ensure the birthing person feels seen, heard, and in control. Feeling this way reduces the risk of birth or postpartum trauma, past-trauma activation, and perinatal mood disorders. It can also increase positive outcomes, such as a greater sense of confidence and resilience, improved parent/child bonding, a deepened connection between the birthing person and their partner, and more.
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Packages & Pricing
Birth & Postpartum Support Planning are included in my New Client Birth Support Package. Updates to the client's previous Birth & Postpartum Support Plans are included in my Repeat Client Birth Support Package. I also provide Birth & Postpartum Support Planning as standalone services to those who aren't interested in having a doula, but want to experience less anxiety and more confidence in themselves and their support team.
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STRENGTHS-BASED BIRTH SUPPORT PLANNING
Includes:
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One face-to-face Birth Support Planning session (approximately 90 minutes).
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Individualized, fully editable Birth Support Plan including up to five sections tailored to each member of your support/medical team (for example, partner, L&D nurse, and midwife or OB).
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One virtual Birth Support Planning session (approximately 90 minutes) to discuss any questions you may have about your Birth Support Plan and make edits as necessary.
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An optional virtual birth debrief session after the arrival of your baby.
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FEE: $200
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Ready to start planning for your positive birth?
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STRENGTHS-BASED POSTPARTUM SUPPORT PLANNING
Includes:
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One face-to-face Postpartum Support Planning session during pregnancy (approximately 90 minutes).
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Individualized, fully editable Postpartum Support Plan including a postpartum community resources list, and up to five sections tailored to each member of your support/medical team (for example, partner, friend or family member, lactation consultant).
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One virtual Postpartum Support Planning session during pregnancy (approximately 90 minutes) to discuss any questions you may have about your Postpartum Support Plan and make edits as necessary.
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An optional virtual follow-up session after the arrival of your baby.
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FEE: $200
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Ready to start planning for your positive postpartum?
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Will a doula make my partner feel left out?Actually, partners often say that a doula helped them more actively participate the birth process. Your partner, sister, mother, or friend may feel very strongly about serving as your labor support. That’s great! The problem is, they might not know how best to support you. That's where a doula comes in. I can provide practical guidance and reassurance to your partner or other support person, so they're able to more effectively take part at whatever level is comfortable for them. Birth is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen the bonds between you and your partner or other loved ones. My skills will help you make the most of that opportunity, not detract from it. Your partner knows you best. I know birth. Together we'll make a rock solid support team.
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Won't my nurse or midwife do the same things as a doula?Because of nurses' many other responsibilities, they actually spend very little of their time providing the kinds of support a doula provides (less than 10% according to a study in the journal Birth). In hospitals and birth centers, midwives and nurses may care for multiple patients at once. They also work in shifts, so they might not be with you for your entire labor. Even in a home setting, the primary concern of nurses and midwives is still the physical well-being of you and your baby. This is especially true late in labor, which is typically when birthing people need the most emotional support. As a doula, my primary concern is your emotional well-being. When we work together, nurses, midwives, OBs, and doulas can provide a truly "whole person" model of care.
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I plan to get an epidural. How would having a doula help me?Surveys show that a pain-free birth does not always equal a positive birth. Doulas provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support whether you're in pain or not. People report that this type of support is a more important factor than pain alone in their feelings about their birth. There's a right tool for every job. In some circumstances, epidurals are a great tool for labor. I can provide evidence-based information on the risks, benefits, and alternatives to an epidural (or any other intervention) in the context of your own unique situation. If you choose to get an epidural, I can suggest epidural-friendly position changes, pushing techniques, and more, to help keep your labor progressing as smoothly and comfortably as possible. People who have a doula actually report feeling less pain. So who knows, you may end up not wanting an epidural after all! No matter what, I'll support and respect you as the person most qualified to make decisions for your body, your baby, your birth.
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I'm a private person. Won't a doula just be another stranger in my birth space?By the time you give birth, we'll be far from strangers! I'll have gotten to know you as an individual, which includes knowing and respecting your boundaries. I can also support you in communicating your boundaries to others; for example, if you want to limit the number of vaginal exams, or the number of staff who come into your room. People's preferences can change while in labor. Someone who usually prefers to be alone may want constant company, while womeone who usually prefers company may want to be alone for a while. I stay tuned in and flexible to meet your needs, whether that means not leaving your side, or giving you and your partner some privacy.