Frequently Asked Questions
What goes into the pricing of your package?
I love the slower pace of having only a couple of clients each month, and getting to know them well through lots of visits, either ahead of or after the birth. Additionally clients can utilize me as a one-stop-shop for resources, education, and support in many areas.
Many families will spend the same or more money sourcing the same offerings from many different people and businesses around town – birth doula, prenatal education, infant CPR and safety, car seat installation, safety and product info, postpartum doula support, and education around newborn care, and starting solid foods, and extended phone, text, and email support throughout the first year. When sourcing the same services separately, it would be normal to pay $1800-2200 for basic doula services for a doula of my experience level, $40-50/hr for postpartum care from an experienced doula, $450 for a private in-home CPR lesson for the whole family from Safe Beginnings (or $110 for two people to join a public class), $400-500 for 3-4 hours of private prenatal and newborn care education, $250-300 for birth pool rental (and you would have to set it up and take it down yourself!) and $150-300 for baby-proofing, safety consulting, and car seat installation help. I strive to offer that all in a streamlined way, all while building trust and rapport with my clients over the course of many months.
I’m having a second baby, so I don’t feel like I need prenatal education or lots of prenatal visits. Do you have smaller packages?
Due to only taking two clients per month, I don’t have smaller packages at this time (with the exception of repeat clients). However, you can trade the prenatal visits (except one- we need to meet each other properly!) for 20 hours of postpartum support. This package would still include on-call birth support, use of the TENS machine, a private CPR lesson (it’s good to refresh every 1-2 years) help with car seat installation, and the use of a birth pool if desired and appropriate.
What is the payment schedule?
Typically I request half of the fee upon hiring, and the other half at 36 weeks. However, I am also open to payment plans and flexibility with this.
When do you join clients in labour?
I join clients whenever they feel like they need more support! It is not contingent on their dilation, hospital admission, or anything like that. If you need an additional person there by your side, I am there.
What happens if you have clients overlapping or are unwell and can’t attend the birth?
As a doula that has spent the past two decades building strong connections in the doula community, I have a whole network of highly experienced doulas that I can call upon if things are getting wild out there or I am unwell. I typically work with the same few doulas for back-up, and it is possible to meet my primary back-up if desired ahead of the birth. With all of this being said, I take my on-call work very seriously, and can count on my fingers (perhaps even just one hand!) how many times I have had to call in a back-up doula for my clients over the past two decades and many hundreds of births.
When do you do the prenatal visits?
I like to do the first prenatal visit as soon as clients know they want to go ahead with services. This helps to build the relationship and assess how to best use the other prenatal visits. After that I typically see clients about once per month, give or take, as our schedules align. Visits are usually done in person in clients’ homes, but I am flexible with this if clients need to make other arrangements.
We have a big dog. Is that okay?
YES. I love big dogs. I promise that yours is better behaved at the door than mine is. I promise. I’m fine with cats also :).
I’m not sure if I want to breastfeed. Are you support of all feeding choices?
Yes- absolutely. I support my clients in all of their choices for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum whether they are similar or very different from what I would choose for myself or my own family. I have a lot of experience supporting all infant feeding options, including the complex mixtures of them.
I would like to have an epidural for my labour. How can you support me through that experience?
I view epidurals as a tool to help you create the best outcome for your birth experience, just like using the tub is a tool, getting in different positions is a tool, the TENS machine is a tool, etc. As a doula I walk alongside you throughout your birth process and help you determine which tool is going to bring you the most benefit in the moment. For some that is an epidural, and for others it might be other things (or a combination of both!). When clients are wanting an epidural, I am there offering physical, emotional, and educational support before, during, and after the epidural itself. It is important to be aware that even when a client firmly wants an epidural, they first need to be far enough along in their process to be admitted to the hospital and assigned a room. There is often a fair amount of labour that precedes this stage. Additionally, after the epidural is administered there will still need to be position chances, comfort measures, and thought behind how to help the baby navigate through the pelvis, as well as considering and talking through further interventions that may need to occur before the baby is born. As long as you are awake yourself, I am there by your side still supporting, still helping with positions, still answering questions, and still holding a calm and grounding space for you to birth your baby.
What happens if I need to plan a c-section?
C-sections are births as well, still come with unpredictability, and still benefit from doula support. I work primarily out of BC Womens and Lions Gate hospitals, and doulas are typically viewed as part of the care team and allowed to support in the operating room in addition to partners.
How does it work with the birth pool?
This is typically for when clients are planning a home birth, because birth pools are best utilized when clients are in very active labour. If you are planning a hospital birth, it is a better idea at that stage to move over to the hospital and use the tub they have there. If you are wanting to use my birth pool, I bring it with me when I attend the birth and set it up and take it down at the end. I bring along all of the necessary parts and accessories, including a brand new (single use) hose and single use pool liner to ensure a sanitary experience. All you would need to supply for your home water birth is the bag of supplies that the midwives give you and towels/linens.
