Frequently Asked Questions

What is a full-spectrum doula?

• A doula is a professional caregiver who supports people through major life transition. I am here to provide emotional, physical, psychological, educational and spiritual support to families on the perinatal continuum—meaning from pregnancy through birth and during the postnatal period, or “fourth trimester.” 

• I am responsible for continuous comfort and emotional care, as well as answering any relevant questions for the pregnant person and their partner (if relevant).

• My primary goal is to emphasize choice, support and inform your intuition, offer education, and be a source of equanimity for the family through the process at large.

• In the postpartum period, doulas tend to the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of the new mother. 

• As a full-spectrum doula, I work with people in all stages of pregnancy, including those that end in loss. Whether it be an elective abortion, unexpected miscarriage, medical termination, late term loss, or stillbirth, I provide nonjudgemental, compassionate care.

What is trauma-informed care in pregnancy, birth and postpartum?

• My care is earned through trust and safety which happens through honest & transparent connection. Trauma informed care is an understanding of how our bodies & brains respond to daily stress as well as life-threatening situations. I bring an understanding that for many people these two situations can feel like one-and-the-same so I bring in modalities to calm your nervous system to return to a state of safety, control and connection. I bring empathy into making informed decisions in your journey while supporting that you are in charge of your own body.
  

What is birth justice and why care about it?

• I’ve written up an in-depth discussion about birth justice, which you can read here.

What is a back up doula?

• I have several colleagues that I work with as backup; they are doulas that I trust to be there if we need them, and they are folks that align with my philosophy and style so that I know they'll be a good fit for my clients.

• Illness (cold, flu, etc.) or a family emergency may be a reason to call in a backup doula. If you have a very long labor, I would call a backup doula so I can rest and return to you fresh! I'll share your contact information and some basic information about your birth plan with your backup doula, so that if they do need to attend your birth, they'll be well prepared to support. Likewise, I will give you the name and phone number of your backup doula about 4-6 weeks before your estimated due date.

• I recommend that you have a chat with the back-up doula to briefly familiarize yourself with them.

What is our on-call period?

• Two weeks before and after your estimated due date or until your baby is delivered.

Why is having a doula so expensive?

I offer this information so that you'll have a good idea of the return on your investment.

• HOURS

  Most first labors last 12-24 hours; some can last as long as 40 or more. The average time I spend with a pregnant person during their labor is 15-20 hours. I spend on average 6 hours in prenatal meetings and 2 more in our postpartum meeting. Phone calls, individual research and responding to e-mails are another 4-8 hours for each client. Editing photography and compiling a detailed, thoughtful record of a birth timeline is an additional 2 hours.

• CLIENTS

  When I make a commitment to be available to attend you in labor, I limit the number of clients I put on my calendar to avoid birth conflicts and ensure that I am rested when you go into labor. When I put your due date on my calendar, I commit to being available two weeks before and two weeks after that date, or until baby is born. 

• WE ARE SELF-EMPLOYED

  The rule of thumb is that a self-employed professional's income is half of what they earn, after deductions for sick time, self-employment taxes, health insurance, holidays and business expenses. Communication expenses are high for a doula! I have routine professional and office expenses, childcare costs and unusual transportation expenses. In addition, there are supplies I bring to your birth and give you at appointments and interviews.

•  TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

  It is crucial and in your best interest for me to keep up with all of the most current information. In order to attend conferences and training opportunities, I often have to limit the number of clients I can accept around the time we will be unavailable, thereby reducing the number of clients I can work with each year. There is also the cost of those trainings.

• I LOVE THIS WORK!

  Being on-call requires a high level of personal commitment, including a willingness to be awakened after half an hour of sleep to attend a labor for the next 40 hours. Just to give you an idea - personal family events are missed or interrupted for births. When I attend parties, I forgo that glass of wine. I cannot take spontaneous weekend trips away, and day-trips have to be judiciously chosen with access to cell service always in mind.

  
  I don’t know any rich doulas. But every doula should be able to make a living and support their family. I offer my services at a reasonable rate in Boulder county when you understand what you are receiving. If you need free or reduced rate doula services, there are ways I can help you find that doula. Please protect my profession by making labor support a valued, competitively paid profession that can attract and keep talented, skilled individuals!

  
  How do I afford having a doula?

• Prioritize

  What will benefit you and your family’s health and well-being in the long-term? Have an honest conversation with yourself, your partner, and those who have been through birth and postpartum. What will really serve, and what is really worth your financial investment? Nix the designer nursery, and go for long-term health ;)

  Baby showers tend to shower the family with troves of newborn things. Newborn babies actually need very few things: a few items of clothing and diapers. Seriously, it’s not much more than that! What if we offer ourselves - and ask our community to do so as well -  the gift of money for doula care, meals cooked in the home, bodywork, monies to supplement their income/lost work time, etc. Evidence shows that continuous support from a doula has a stronger effect than other forms of support.

• Health Insurance

  This is not nationwide, but in some areas of the country, your health insurance will pay for doula care. If not, you may be able to file a request to cover doulas in the future. This is controversial, mostly due to unclear understanding of who the doula is working for in the case of insurance coverage. Make sure your doula is free to work for you, not bound by the insurance company’s requirements.

• HSA/FSA/HRA accounts

  You will need to check with your employer and/or account manager, but as a health-related service not covered by insurance, you may be able to pay your doula from your HSA/FSA/HRA. Typically, you would pay your doula, your doula provides you an invoice, you submit the invoice to your employer or account manager, and you receive reimbursement from your account. Sometimes you can write a check from your account, sometimes you can pay with your account credit/debit card.

• Gift Certificates

  Add your doula to your baby registry 

• Customized Package

  Ask me about creating a package that suits your specific needs. Book a free call with me here to discuss this option.

• Payment Plans

  Ask me about alternative payment schedules to meet your budget!