What is a doula and why might I want one?
Birth doulas are experienced and trained professionals who understand the physiology of birth and the emotional and physical needs of a woman in labor. A birth doula provides continuous non-judgmental physical, emotional, and informational support before, during and just after birth. She perceives her role as nurturing and recognizes birth as a key experience the mother and her partner will remember throughout her life. A doula’s role changes, depending on the needs of the woman and her partner. Doulas can encourage the partner to become involved in the birth to the extent he or she feels comfortable by demonstrating effective techniques that can be used by the partner during each stage of labor, offering reassurance about the normal progress of labor, and/or allowing the partner the freedom to simply be present with the mother and love her. When making decisions about the course of labor, the doula can hold space for the couple and instill clarity and confidence by drawing upon information shared at a prenatal visit regarding their birth wishes. She can offer an objective viewpoint and facilitate communication between the laboring woman, her partner, and care providers as needed to help get information that will allow the woman and her partner to make consented decisions. Studies have shown that by hiring a doula, unnecessary medical interventions are decreased, and mother-infant bonding is improved, thereby improving birth satisfaction. Lastly, every woman who wants a doula deserves one ~ an extra heart and helping hand as she births her baby.
Will a doula interfere with my partner’s role at the birth?
A doula never replaces a woman’s partner if he or she chooses to be present at the birth. While a doula can be very helpful for single women or women who must be separated from their partners at the time of birth, doulas are also valuable additions to the birth team even when a birthing woman has a loving and enthusiastic partner. A doula can suggest ways for your partner to offer you comfort and support during labor and offer him or her much needed breaks for food, rest or contemplation as this is also their experience and journey. With a doula you will never be left alone! In a typical hospital setting, nurses are often dividing their time amongst different women and come and go according to their shifts. Birth partners may find the physically and emotionally intense nature of the birth experience overwhelming and will appreciate the support and experience of a doula as well.
Will my doula force her ideal birth on me?
A doula’s job is to support your ideal birth. While most doulas are enthusiastic about natural childbirth, studies show that a woman’s satisfaction with her birth experience greatly depend on whether or not she felt supported and included in the decisions being made during her birth. A doula helps you advocate for your wishes. Her only goal is to help you have a satisfying birth experience, whatever that means for you. You can read more here:
Creating A Positive & Fulfilling Birth Experience
Feeling Good About Your Birth (written by my mentor Ana Paula Markel)
What if I’m planning on getting an epidural or having a scheduled cesarean birth?
A doula can still be very active at a birth that includes an epidural or cesarean procedure. At a cesarean birth a doula can help to make sure the room is kept calm and peaceful, offer a description of the birth as it occurs or record the birth with a video or digital camera while the birth partner sits near your head to provide emotional support, or vice versa. After the baby is born, a doula can help baby establish breastfeeding if desired, or if necessary, either the birth partner or doula can accompany the baby while the other person stays with you in the operating room while the surgery is completed. A doula can also write a birth story of the cesarean birth, helping to reinforce your memory of a beautiful and loving birth experience.
Research shows that the chance of having a forceps or vacuum-assisted delivery or cesarean birth decrease if the epidural is not administered until a consistent active labor pattern has been established. Many doctors allow a laboring woman to receive her epidural until she reaches 4-5 cm dilation which could take hours before reaching this point. During this time a doula can offer the many comfort measures in which she is trained. Once the epidural has been administered a doula can ensure you are in an appropriate position to protect your back and hips and help you feel more connected to your birth experience by talking with you about your baby’s arrival.
How does a doula interact with hospital staff?
A doula is trained to work with your medical care providers to give you a safe and satisfying birth experience. Her role is to help you and your partner get information and hold the space so that you can both make an informed and consented decision. She will also help you effectively communicate with your care givers and remind you if there is a deviation from your birth plan or wishes, but she does not make decisions for you or speak on your behalf.
Does insurance cover the cost of having a doula?
Insurance reimbursement of doula services is becoming a more common occurrence in the birthing world. Hopefully this trend will continue as more insurers realize that women with doulas have fewer interventions and therefore less expensive births. I’m happy to provide you with the necessary documentation to move forward with an insurance reimbursement. Here are some helpful tips for submitting to your insurance company for reimbursement or medical Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to help reduce your costs.
1. Pay in full for the doula services provided.
2. Get a receipt from your doula. The receipt will include the following information:
- Doula’s identifying information
- Diagnosis code (V22.2, intrauterine pregnancy)
- CPT code (99499, Evaluation and Management Services – Labor Support)
- Date and location services were provided
- Mother’s name
- Total charge for services
- Dates and amounts of payments
- Payment method
3. Submit the receipt with a claim form to your insurance or FSA company’s claims department.
4. Within a month, you should receive a response. If you receive a letter denying the claim, do not be discouraged. Prepare a new packet to resubmit to your insurance company for a secondary review, and copy everything in the packet to the insurance company’s CEO explaining why you feel services should be covered (and be sure to point out how much money the insurance company saved because of the services your doula provided, i.e. if you forewent medical pain management because of your doula or feel you avoided other interventions that are costly to insurance providers, such as augmentation of labor or cesarean birth). In this resubmission packet, you should include the following:
- Another copy of the receipt
- Letter from you to the insurance company CEO explaining why you think this should be covered
- Letter from your doula stating the benefits of doula care
- Cochrane Review on continuous labor support
- DONA’s Position Paper: The Birth Doula’s Contribution to Modern Maternity Care
- DONA’s position paper: The Postpartum Doula’s Contribution to Modern Maternity Care
- Letter from your midwife or doctor stating why s/he feels the additional support of a doula was beneficial
5. Be persistent. Make phone calls if necessary. If your claim is ultimately denied, call and ask for a specific reason why. If they refer you to your policy, ask them exactly what clause and what wording in your policy excludes doula services.
6. Whether you are reimbursed or not, please let me know what kind of response you get from the insurance company. Each time someone requests reimbursement, it tells the insurance companies that this is an important service. They may consider it more carefully next time. If you are reimbursed, this is very good news for doulas and we always want to know!
Why should I consider paying for a professional doula service?
The money you pay when you hire a doula guarantees that she is available for you 24 hours day for two weeks before and after your estimated due date. That means she is available at 3 o’clock in the morning, during Thanksgiving dinner, date night, and when she is taking her kids to the museum. A doula also gets to know you and your wishes for your birth ahead of time and can therefore more easily facilitate communication during your birth. In addition, your doula will meet with you during the first couple of weeks following your birth to offer breastfeeding support and to help you adjust during the immediate postpartum period.
How should I go about hiring a doula?
The most important thing is finding the doula that is right for you and your partner. Ask for recommendations from friends and family if they’ve had a doula at their birth. Ask your care provider if they’ve worked with doulas in the past and get recommendations for doulas with whom they’ve had good experiences. Here are some questions to ask your potential doula during the interview process:
Why did you decide to become a doula?
What is your philosophy of birth and supporting women and their partners?
What is your favorite thing about being a doula? Your least favorite?
What training have you had?
How long have you been a doula?
How many births have you attended?
How many clients do you take on per month?
What do your services include?
Do you work with a back-up doula?
When and where do you join us in labor?
Interview more than one doula to find someone you connect with. Remember that as you interview her she will be interviewing you as well to make sure that you will make a good team 
