For Expecting Parents Seeking a Doula During this Time of Social Distancing
Hey there, friend—what a wild and weird time we’re living through. You have spent your pregnancy preparing for your birth and dreaming about the day you meet your child, yet, now you’re being thrown a curve ball. Hospitals are restricting how many support people can attend a birth and that may mean that a doula is no longer be able to join you when labor sets in. This reality may be a hard one, especially if you envisioned a doula being a core member of your support team. But all hope is not lost!
During this time of social distancing, I am offering Virtual Birth Doula Support. Prior to this quarantine, I had taken a break from attending births as I healed from back problems. My heart was missing the educational component of doula work (I love prenatal and postpartum visits!), so I began offering A’la Carte Doula Services to families who did not necessarily want a doula present during labor, but who valued prenatal and postpartum support. These services are now going virtual so that I can continue helping parents prepare for an empowered birth experience.
For those of you who strongly desired having a doula’s physical presence at your birth, I’m so sorry that those plans have likely changed for you. I can promise, however, to provide you with the same warmth, support, knowledge, and love that I have always offered my birth clients (read about their experiences here). Yes, plans have changed, but you can still be prepared to rock your birth and have a beautiful experience!
So what does virtual doula support entail?
Virtual Doula Support ($299)
Two (2) one-hour long virtual prenatal visits during which we discuss your options, birth preferences, comfort measures, self advocacy, and we design a postpartum support plan
One virtual postpartum visit to support you as a new parent and as you process giving birth
Online hand-outs of recommended reads
Recommendations for specific supportive resources
Option to purchase daytime on-call phone/email (possibly virtual) support during your pregnancy (perfect for those who want to chat after visits with their care providers and who have follow-up questions)
I am a toLabor certified birth doula, a DTI certified childbirth educator, and a Birth Becomes Her certified birth photographer. I have been working as a doula in the Charlottesville community for the past four years. I birthed my first child at our local Martha Jefferson Hospital and my second child at home with a certified practicing midwife. I’ve worked hard to develop relationships in our local birth world and to compile a complete set of resources for my perinatal clients.
