Birth Doulas
At The New Mummy Co. our Birth Doulas will support you with prenatal and postpartum visits and provide continuous birth support during labour.
A Birth Doula, also known as a labour Doula is a birth companion to support the mother or the couple during labour. The word Doula comes from the Greek meaning “a female servant” and now refers to a professional labour support companion.
Our Birth Doulas are the mother’s advocate and your non-medical birth coach ensuring you have continuous emotional, physical and practical support during labour. They help and guide you to make fully informed decisions to empower you to have the best birth support possible. Continuous service has consistently been specified by expectant mothers as a number one priority when considering care requirements for birth and your Birth Doula will stay with you throughout your delivery.
Our Birth Doula Service Includes:
- Two prenatal visits
- Two postpartum visits
- Continuous birth support during labour
- Assistance in the first hour or two following the birth
Our doulas will support you with two in home prenatal visits in the months leading up to your birth answering any questions you may have and helping you create your birth plan. This period will allow you to gain a better understanding of what to expect during the labour and delivery of the baby(ies).
Your birth doula will help coach you with respect to positioning and guide you through contractions. They will ensure you have the correct information at hand and allow you to ask the appropriate questions of the medical staff at the right time. The Birth Doula will also assist in the first hour or two after birth, usually to ensure that breastfeeding has commenced according to your birth plan.
Two postpartum visits are also included in your Birth Doula package to provide you with additional postpartum and feeding support.
“The doula is trained and experienced in providing emotional support, physical comfort, and nonclinical advice. She draws on her knowledge and experience as she reassures, encourages, comforts and empathizes with the mother. She advises the partner about how to help, suggesting when to use particular positions, the bath or shower, and specific comfort measures.”
Penny Simkin – The birth partner
The Benefits Of A Birth Doula
Research has shown that women who have a birth doula have shorter births, less caesareans, fewer interventions, and more positive overall birth experiences. The birth doula can also help the medical staff who are busy dealing with the birth and are not necessarily able to provide emotional support. The Birth Doula can concentrate solely on relaxing the mother-to-be, making her less anxious and allowing the medical team to concentrate on their job.
- Tends to result in shorter labours with fewer complications
- Reduces negative feelings about the childbirth experience
- Reduces the need for Pitocin or other labor-inducing drugs, forceps or vacuum extraction, and caesareans
- Reduces the mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals
Contact us today to book your Birth Doula in Toronto (& wider GTHA) & Calgary.
I wasn’t sure about the idea of having a postpartum doula, but now that I’ve had Karla around, I wish every new parent could this experience! Karla has been amazing. She knows exactly what a new mom needs without ever asking, from refilling water bottles, making me a snack, helping prep dinner, changing diapers, washing baby laundry or light tidying. She was amazing with my infant daughter, and often got her down for naps, or entertained her when she was awake. All of this is to say, the mental and physical break she provided allowed me to be a better mom to my preschooler and my baby. So happy to have had Karla as part of my postpartum journey this time.
Victoria from TorontoSasha, my postpartum overnight doula, was absolutely wonderful. Even though I was exclusively breastfeeding, she helped me get more sleep and that’s all a new mom can ask for! She also helped with laundry and prepping healthy snacks for me for the next day. I would recommend her to anyone. She has great advice and her warm demeanor made me feel so comfortable.
The staff, especially Jessica, were amazing through the entire process. From beginning to end, she was very responsive and super helpful.
I would recommend this company, and Sasha, to anyone who is looking for extra help. You will not regret it!
Casey from VancouverWe hired Keli to help ease the transition of single parenting during the day, with my husband’s return to work after parental leave. We were incredibly happy with the care she provided to our daughter – she has such a calm demeanour and natural talent in connecting with children on their level. We felt completely confident leaving Keli alone in charge of our daughter, allowing me to run errands and get our household in order. We can’t recommend Keli enough!
The McLeod Family from CalgaryHow You Can Access this Service:
Private
Private is a great option if you prefer privacy or want to host amongst friends or family in the comfort of your own home.
On-Site
On-site is not available for this service at this time.
Virtual
Virtual classes are not available for this service at this time.
FAQ
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When should I book my birth doula?
We recommend booking your birth doula as far in advance as possible to allow you the opportunity to meet and interview our Birth Doulas ensuring we match you up with the person who has the right philosophy for you and your family.
Early booking also allows you to build a relationship with your birth doula and get to know her during your pregnancy. Your birth doula can also be your postpartum doula if you wish to extend the time you have together. Please let us know at the time of booking if this is something that you are interested in.
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Who will be my doula?
At the New Mummy Co., we hand-select the doulas we work with to ensure the service we offer is of the highest standard. It is important that you have the right person for your doula which is why we give you the opportunity to interview Doulas to select the candidate who will be exactly the right fit for you.
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How does the doula work with my partner?
Firstly, the doula will never make your partner feel ‘redundant’. Your birth plays a crucial role in ensuring your partner is involved to the extent they feel comfortable. They can give encouragement and suggestions to your birth partner and strengthen their role in the delivery of your baby.
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Is there evidence that a doula can help with birth?
Yes, absolutely. In 2012, a study was published in the Cochrane review on the use of continuous support for women during childbirth. In a randomized trial, the researchers reviewed women in labour who either received continuous, one-on-one support or regular nursing care. The results showed that in situations where women received 1:1 support were more likely to have a vaginal delivery and less likely to have taken any pain medication during labour. Most women felt positive about childbirth and in fact had shorter labours.
Statistics indicated that when continuous labor support is provided by a doula, women experienced a:
- 31% decrease in the use of Pitocin
- 28% decrease in the risk of C-section
- 12% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth
- 9% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief
- 14% decrease in the risk of newborns being admitted to special care nursery
- 34% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience
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What is the difference between a birth doula and a midwife?
We are asked this question many times and you can have both a midwife and a doula help you during the birthing process. We have provided some information below to help you when deciding the type of support, you are looking for at this most special time.
Birth Doula
A birth doula, also known as a labor doula is a birth companion to support the mother or the couple during labour. The word doula comes from the green meaning “a female servant” and now refers to a professional labour support companion.
Birth boulas advocate for the mother and are a non-medical birth coach ensuring you have continuous emotional, physical, and practical support during labour.Midwife
A midwife is a trained medical professional, they play a key role during the birthing process. Certified nurse-midwives can do many of the same things as doctors, meaning they can perform gynecological exams, provide prenatal care, administer pain medications, give labor-inducing drugs, monitor the fetus using electronic equipment, given an epidural and episiotomy, and stitch tears. -
Does a doula make decisions on my behalf?
No, a doula will not make decisions for you but will work to ensure that your decision making is informed and support you emotionally and practically. They will advocate for your wishes but do not speak on your behalf.
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Can my friend be my doula?
Doulas are trained and qualified professionals with in-depth knowledge and experience of supporting and empowering women through their delivery and birth. They are trained in pain-reducing comfort measures, measures to keep labour progressing, and will be familiar with local hospitals’ policies and procedures. A friend can be an excellent birth partner but would not be able to provide the professional level of support that a Doula is trained to.
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How does a doula advocate for me?
A critical part of the process are the two prenatal meetings you have with your Birth Doula. At the New Mummy Co. this is included as part of the birth doula package. At these meetings, the doula will get to know you, understand your preferences, help you with a birth plan and answer any questions you may have about your birth. This in-depth level of understanding allows your doula to advocate for you through delivery.
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your questions?
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