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Research and experience have shown that doulas fill an essential and unique role in the modern birth team! Use of a doula can shorten labors, increase satisfaction, and reduce risky interventions. Why would you not want a doula at your birth?
"It was just the two of us who conceived this baby, it should be just the two of us getting him out..."
"We're private people - I'm not sure if we'll want someone else there..."
"We have a very broad range of due dates - we don't know if a month on call will be enough, and we're having difficulty finding a doula who will take a longer on-call period..."
"We're not sure if we will need that level of support at our birth, and are questioning the financial investment..."
(These are just a few of the reservations that make couples wonder if they want and/or need a doula at their birth.)
"... on the other hand, what if we decide we do need a doula?!?"
If the above sounds familiar, you might be a great candidate for WellBegun's "Dial-A-Doula" services!
Who can benefit from Dial-A-Doula?
Anyone who is unsure of whether or not they want or need a doula at their birth may find a great solution with Dial-A-Doula services! Whether it's due to privacy concerns, special logistical circumstances, waxing and waning confidence in the upcoming birth, or any other reason, this service may be just what you're looking for.
How does Dial-A-Doula work?
Dial-A-Doula includes most of the standard birth doula services offered by WellBegun:
- One or more prenatal visits to go over birth plans, on-the-ground decision making, roles on the birth team, etc.
- Informative and educational handouts, including an introductory letter for your care provider, as needed
- Assistance in planning a blessingway for mom (upon request)
- 24 x 7 phone support and on-call period from 38 weeks (or birth, whichever comes first) through 42 weeks (or two weeks after birth, whichever comes later)
- Electronic birth announcement sent to a list you provide (upon request)
- One or more postpartum visits to process the birth, answer questions, discuss any needed resources, etc.
- A written birth story for your baby book and/or to assist with your own written birth story (upon request - ability to provide this service will depend on how support services are used during the birth)
- Other services as negotiated
When you are in labor, please call at any time. At the earliest opportunity, a "labor candle" will be lit for you! You may then choose one of three options:
- Do not call.
- Call for phone support - you may call anytime, day or night, as often as you please, as long as you wish.
- Ask for physical presence at your birth.
A reduced rate applies if you do not call or choose to use only phone support. This rate covers retainer and on-call service. If you opt for physical presence at your birth, an additional fee will be charged - however, even with the "plus-up," this fee will still be less than or equal to the fee for traditional doula services.
Why Dial-A-Doula?
This service has been a seed in me since the birth of our first child. We had never been through birth, and were not sure what lay ahead - or how we would get through it! Our reading and our Bradley® classes had given us a great deal of knowledge and empowerment, but we were still facing an unknown. I asked my husband what he thought about hiring a doula. He was against the idea. He felt that our birth should be private - it was the two of us who had conceived it, and should be the two of us who birthed it. (This from the man who wasn't even sure if he wanted to cut the cord!) I was nervous, but I knew that I had to have faith in my husband - and we were Bradley® trained, after all! We wound up having a great natural birth in the hospital. While my husband was the archetype of the outstanding labor coach, I can look back and see places where a doula might have been helpful. In fact, I was inspired to become a doula largely because I could see many places where, had we been anyone but ourselves, with anything but our excellent preparation, our birth outcome might not have been so good, and I wanted every woman to have a great birth experience like I had!
I thought that there should be some sort of option for couples like my husband and I were at our first birth, but didn't really nurture that seed... until I met R and C. R and C were a lovely couple, first-time parents, who contacted me quite late in pregnancy. They wanted a natural birth, and due to many circumstances, were just now getting around to really preparing for it. I met with them, and we negotiated a service that included private education and doula services. However, they were uncertain that they wanted or needed a doula at their birth. Each time we met, they were still undecided. I told them that I considered their doula services paid for as part of the rate we negotiated, and was considering myself on call, should they need me. When R went into labor, they called and let me know. They were still undecided on whether they wanted a doula there. Over the next several hours, C called me a few times for support, ideas, etc. I made myself ready to drop everything and go to them at any moment (that's what a doula does, after all), and continued to support them over the phone. In the end, they elected not to ask for my physical presence. They wound up showing up at the hospital pretty much ready to push the baby out, and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl less than two hours after arrival - the natural birth they had hoped for, intimate and loving.
I now happily offer any parents who might benefit the services I sort of unintentionally ended up offering to R and C, a service that my husband and I might have benefited from at our first birth. If you are interested in Dial-A-Doula services, please contact me.
Warmly,
Ellen
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