Birth Doula Support
Our Birth Doula Services and How We Work
Welcome to our guide to pregnancy and birth doula services, created to help families through the life-changing journey of pregnancy and childbirth (with optional postpartum support if you’d like). We proudly serve clients throughout the DMV area.
In this extraordinary season, growing families benefit from more than routine prenatal care—they also need steady emotional encouragement to handle the uncertainties and celebrations of birth. Birth doulas are skilled, trained professionals who provide essential guidance during labor and delivery, offering consistent emotional and hands-on physical support for the birthing person and their partner.
The desired birthing experience
We start with a free consultation, and we can schedule a convenient Zoom meeting. This meeting lets us determine the ideal Doula match for you and your partner.
If you choose our support during pregnancy and labor, your assigned Doula will schedule a prenatal visit around 34 weeks to discuss your birth plan and answer any questions you have about your preferred birthing location. Your Doula will be easily accessible by phone, email, and text. From week 38 until the birth, she will be available 24/7 as a reliable resource for any questions, concerns, or help.
Whether you need to find additional resources such as a chiropractor, prenatal physical therapist, or acupuncturist, your Doula is here to guide you. Regular check-ins with your Doula will ensure ongoing support throughout this special time.
The preferred birthing location
We have experience working in hospitals and birth centers across the wider Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, including Annapolis.
The bottom of this page provides a complete overview of the hospitals and birthing centers we regularly cover. We can go beyond this list and accommodate a wider range of locations.
We are eager to share our knowledge, help you find the location that works best for you, and answer any questions you may have. We are also open to exploring alternative options, such as home birth, if that aligns with your preferences.
At Inova Alexandria Hospital
During the prenatal visit the Doula will discuss:
- What birth plan do you want, and what concerns or fears do you have?
- Potential challenges you may encounter.
- What you can do in advance to prepare for birth, including suggestions for early labor at home with your partner.
- Coping mechanisms to help you during labor.
- Pain relief options and possible medical interventions, like induction or cesarean birth.
- Guidance for your partner on how they can best support you.
Our Doulas can recommend excellent books, videos, and other informative resources to help you prepare for labor day. They can also offer a wealth of information, including pointing you to YouTube videos on exercises suitable for the pre-labor and active labor stages. Also check out the articles we posted about creating your birth plan, navigating preeclampsia, and other relevant pregnancy and birth preparation tips.
Asking your partner to be your sole guide through labor is like asking them to lead the way on a climb of Mt Everest. They may be smart and trustworthy, you may love them, but in the Himalayas you'd BOTH be a lot better off with a sherpa!
-Pam England-
Assisting you during labor as your Doula
When contractions start, contact both your doula and your healthcare provider. At this point, stay home, where you’re most comfortable, for as long as you can.
During early labor, we offer ongoing support by text and/or phone. Your doula is on call whenever you need her—at home, at a birth center, or at the hospital—and will stay with you continuously until your baby arrives. Our support may include massage, comfort techniques, guided breathing, position changes, and steady reassurance with positive encouragement. Above all, we prioritize creating a calm, secure, and safe space for you.
We also care for your partner, guiding and encouraging them so they can support you as effectively as possible. We make sure they have time to rest and step away when needed. Keeping you well hydrated is a key priority, and even with an epidural, we continue offering hands-on comfort while you’re resting in bed. To help baby settle deeply into the pelvis, we encourage regular movement and positioning; a peanut ball is one of the most effective tools we use.
Our doulas can also be a strong presence during a cesarean birth (C-section). For more details, we also have articles on the benefits of having a doula during a C-section, trial of labor after a C-section (TOLAC), how a peanut ball can help during labor, and other helpful labor and birth information.
Immediately following birth
Once your baby is born, it is a good practice to prioritize skin-to-skin contact for bonding, often called "The Golden Hour." Enjoy these precious initial moments with your baby and your partner.
We assist you with initial breastfeeding or bottle/chest feeding. If we observe that you and your baby are doing well and you have had a chance to eat, we will respect your need for special family time and then depart. Typically, this occurs approximately 1-1.5 hours after the birth.
The day after giving birth, we will reach out to check in on how everything is progressing. We can arrange a postpartum visit at your home within a week of the baby's birth, lasting about 1-1.5 hours, or at a time that suits you. Prioritizing emotional healing during this period is essential. We recommend having meals prepared in advance and having a support plan in place.
Studies of over 5000 women involving comparisons of outcomes with & without labor support found:
- 50% fewer caesareans
- 25% reduction in the length of labor
- 60% fewer requests for epidurals
- 40% less need for augmentation with Pitocin (Oxytocin)
- 34% more chance of having a positive feeling after the birth
- 14% decrease in the risk of newborns being admitted to a special care nursery
- 12% more chance of a natural vaginal birth.
- 40% less use of forceps
Klaus, M.H., Kennell, J.H., & Klaus, P.H. (1993). Mothering the mother: how a doula can help you have a shorter, easier and healthier birth.
COMPLEMENTARY SERVICES
Labor TENS Unit
TENS units are a non-pharmacological method of pain relief. During labor, many women find them distracting during contractions. We started renting out TENS Units in 2021. Most of the clients LOVE it. It helped them tremendously during the pre- and active labor stages.
Childbirth Classes
We offer group and personal childbirth classes covering everything from the stages of labor to delivery and more. We also offer breastfeeding and newborn care classes so you can prepare and ask questions before your baby arrives. Explore the options to find the class that fits your needs.
Postpartum Doula
The postpartum period can be very demanding. A postpartum doula helps parents and families adjust to daily life with a new baby. She assists with newborn care, maternal care, and household management. We can tailor the frequency and timing of support to your needs.