Let’s Myth Bust!
“Are Doulas just for home births?”
No! Doulas support in any environment the birthing person chooses. From hospital to home birth, my job is to empower you with the resources to make the best choice for you and then support you in whatever that choice may be.
“Birth is a horrible, painful experience…”
Birth can be a horrible and painful experience if you don’t have the support there to you help you. Research has shown that having continuous support at your birth can reduce pain because it reduces fear. So let’s change this narrative! Birth can also be an amazing, empowering, fun, fulfilling, beautiful experience. Checkout my testimonials page to see past clients sharing their positive birth stories.
“But doulas are only for natural births right?”
“I heard doctors don’t like doulas?”
In my experience doctors love to work with doulas who make their job easier and enhance care for their patients. Doulas are not medical professionals and should never get in the way of medical care. That said, we do help you advocate for your needs to ensure that you are getting heard by your care provider.
“Do doulas replace partners?”
Doulas don’t replace anyone — if partners/family members are part of the birth team, we support them as well as the birthing person. In our society there’s an unrealistic expectation that partners will know how to support their partners when they’re in labor just because they love them. But most of the time they may not have any knowledge or resources on how to provide that support. It can be very stressful to watch someone you love go through labor and not have the tools to support them. Doulas make sure that partners are supported through their journeys to parenthood as well.
“If you haven’t had a baby how can you be a doula?”
Heart surgeons probably haven’t ever had heart surgery right? Same goes for doulas. Every birth and every situation is so unique that having had a baby doesn’t mean you know how to support others through the same. In fact sometimes that can cause bias and it is important that a doula doesn’t bring their own experience to your experience. Doulas are trained professionals who use their training and experience to be good at their jobs.
“Doulas are only for rich people”
I feel strongly that everyone should have access to doula care if they want it. I offer sliding scale and pro-bono services to those who have financial need. There are also volunteer doula programs or financial assistance to help pay for doula care. Please be in touch to see if I can help or I can refer you to someone who can.