Some of the most common questions asked of me come directly from the former version of the How To Hire A Doula page found at the DONA® International's website. Recently (late 2008), DONA® International changed its How To Hire A Doula page. Though the changes are very minor, in an effort to remain true to their page, I will change this section of my website accordingly. There are eight additional common questions that I have answered as well.
For more general Frequently Asked Questions about Doulas, click on Doula F.A.Q. from the menu to the left.
What training and education do you have?
As seen on my
About Me
page, I am a Certified Birth Doula (CD-DONA), a Certified Infant Massage Instructor (CIMI-Loving Touch) and a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor (BPC-La Leche League). Additionally, I am currently in the process of becoming a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE-Lamaze), education for which will be completed in the Fall of 2008. Lastly, although I do not currently practice as such, I am also a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).
What is your philosophy about childbirth and supporting women and their partners through labor?
Every birth should develop according to the wishes and desires of the mother and her family. My role in the process is to remain completely supportive of the mother and her family as they seek to reach the goals they've laid out. Whether a woman wishes to have a completely Natural Childbirth, or if she prefers a Medicated Birth, my role remains the same, to remain completely supportive of the mother and her family. In short, I believe the every birth should be customized according to the specific wishes and desires of the mother and her family.
When do you try to join women in labor - at our home or at the place of birth?
Quite simply, I join women in labor when they are ready for me. In some cases, a woman will prefer that I go to their residence, and in other cases, the woman may prefer that I go directly to the hospital. In any case, I will join them during the labor process the location of their choosing. Again, the birth should be customized according to the specific wishes and desires of the mother and her family.
Will you meet with us to discuss our birth plans and the role that you will play in supporting us through childbirth?
Absolutely! It is extremely important to meet with with you to discuss your wishes for your upcoming birth.
May we call you with questions or concerns before or after the birth?
Absolutely! A primary characteristic of my duty as a Birth Doula is that once I have been hired, I am always available to answer questions. Whether your baby was born last week, or last year, you can always ask me questions. Furthermore, if there is a question that I am unable to answer, I will either research the topic myself and report back to you, or I will specifically direct you to someone that can answer the question.
Do you work with one or more backup Doulas for times when you are not available? May we meet them?
Yes, I do in fact make use of a backup for every birth. PLEASE NOTE: I have attended every birth for which I have been contracted. I have absolutely no objection to clients meeting with my backup, nor have I ever had a backup unwilling to be available for such a meeting.
What is your fee, what services does it include and what are your refund policies?
As you research Birth Doulas, you will find a typical price range of $300 to $1,200 for a Certified Doula, and a basic average of $600-$800 in much of Chicagoland. There are several factors that determine the cost, such as:
Due to recent economic changes affecting all of us here in the U.S., I have lowered my fee for Birth Doula services, for an indefinite period of time.
As of September 22, 2008, the standard fee for my Birth Doula services is $495, and there are no changes to the standard services offered, as seen on my Services page, under the Birth Doula Services heading.
After researching Birth Doulas, I believe you will find that my standard Birth Doula services are more extensive than many Birth Doulas, and in combination with my credentials (which I continue to build upon), I believe that my newly adjusted fee is extremely reasonable.
If you feel that your personal situation deserves special consideration, I encourage you to contact me to work on alternative options for pricing.
My refund policy is as follows:
Will you provide references ?
Yes. Additionally, I also have letters of recommendation, as well as evaluations from former clients.
Though the following questions do not currently appear on DONA® International's How To Hire A Doula page, these are some additional questions that are commonly asked of me.
How many births have you attended?
To date, I have attended sixteen births where I was hired as the primary Birth Doula. I have also been called into action for a seventeenth birth, where I was the backup Doula (the primary Birth Doula was in Arizona at the time of the birth). Lastly, I have witnessed five births in the capacity of an observer. In total, I have been a party to twenty two births.Have you ever been part of a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) ?
Technically, I have not. While I did, in fact, have the unbelievable opportunity to help a woman attempt to have a VBAC - doing literally everything possible to achieve that goal - circumstances were such that alternate plans were required, for which there were already accommodations in place.
Have you ever been part of a C-Section (Caesarean Section) ?
Yes, I have been a part of the procedure. As recently as September of 2007, I was able to “scrub-in” for a Caesarean-Section surgery. It was an amazing experience, and served as invaluable learning opportunity.
Have you ever worked with teens?
Yes. I had the pleasure of working with a 17 year old girl. Due to her personal circumstances, I was her sole source of support, not only for the labor and delivery of her baby, but also before the labor and delivery of her baby. I felt honored to be a part of this young lady’s life, and I felt absolutely grateful that I was able to be a positive part of this young mother’s birth.
Have you ever been a part of a home birth?
While I was hired to work with a couple who planned a home birth, the baby had plans of its own, and a hospital birth took place instead.
How far are you willing to travel?
In general, for the sake of all parties involved, travel is limited to the distance that can be covered in one hour. However, I am willing to travel farther than the one hour mark, provided that you fully understand the implications of additional travel times, and you understand that additional charges may apply.
How much time do you really dedicate to a birth?
Generally, 7-8 hour labors are considered pretty short. First-time labors last an average of 14-16 hours. I am with you the entire time, even if the whole process lasts for 27 hours (which I have personally encountered). Including prenatal and postpartum meetings, there is an additional 6-8 hours dedicated to your birth, with phone calls, emails and research accounting for an additional 3-4 hours. Lastly, travel-time, whether for meetings, or the birth itself, can account for another 4-6 hours. On average, I have dedicated approximately 30 hours to the births for which I have been contracted.
Not only that, but ... in order to make a firm commitment to be available, and to avoid birth conflicts, I limit my number of clients. Some in the birthing field believe that one client per week is a full, yet acceptable schedule. For me, I limit myself to 2 clients per month, which allows me to fully dedicate myself to each family's childbirth experience.
Lastly ... beginning two weeks prior to your due date, and extended two weeks beyond the due date, I remain on-call, 24 hours a day. Within this period of time, I do not schedule any other births, as my time is dedicated only to your birth. I refer to this feature of my services as the
Four-Week Wraparound of Due Date
. I do not schedule vacations, nor do I travel beyond a reasonable distance required to attend your birth. Exceptions to this rule are only allowed when
expressly consented to
by the client.
Why did you become a Birth Doula?
Okay, hold on to your seat, as the answer to this question is not brief.
I have always been fascinated by pregnancy, and birth. In time, I learned an unfortunate truth - that doctors are often unable to fully inform their patients about all of their options, and that there are possible side effects from various interventions. I was determined to help create change in that regard.
As a Birth Doula, I am proud to serve as an invaluable source of information to expectant moms, and their families. It's an honor to help people during the miracle of childbirth, and it gives me deep satisfaction.
After a tragic accident in my family, I learned very quickly that we all need to be strong advocates for ourselves, and our family. By creating informed clients, I am able to directly help people become their own strongest advocate. Yet, my assistance does not stop when the client is completely informed, rather, I am a constant, additional source of support, and advocacy.
While I was attending a class in college, I met a women whose mother is a midwife. Moving well into a very satisfying conversation, this woman told me about Doulas, and literally two hours later, I enrolled in DONA® International's certification program. Really!
Incidentally, I recently learned that my great grandmother was performing the duties of a Doula, all before a time when the term was used as it is today. I am proud to carry on the tradition.
