What is a Labor Doula?


A doula is a person who attends the birthing family before, during, and just after the birth of the baby. The certified doula is trained to provide non-medical emotional, physical, and informational support. CAPPA states, "The doula serves as a labor coach and information source to give the mother and her partner the added comfort of additional support throughout the entire labor. She encourages and promotes self-advocacy, informed choice, and excellent communication between the mother and care providers."

What Does a Labor Doula Do?
Typically, doulas meet with the parents in the second or third trimester of the pregnancy to get acquainted and to learn about prior birth experiences and the history of this pregnancy. She may help you develop a birth plan, teach relaxation, visualization, and breathing skills useful for labor. Most importantly, the doula will provide comfort, support, and information about birth options.

A doula can help the woman to determine prelabor from true labor and early labor from active labor. At a point determined by the woman in labor, the doula will come to her and assist her by:

  • Helping her to rest and relax
  • Providing support for the woman's partner
  • Encouraging nutrition and fluids in early labor
  • Assisting her in using a variety of helpful positions and comfort measures
  • Constantly focus on the comfort of both the woman and her partner
  • Helping the environment to be one in which the woman feels secure and confident
  • Providing her with information on birth options
A doula works cooperatively with the health care team. In the event of a complication, a doula can be a great help in understanding what is happening and what options the family may have. The doula may also help with the initial breastfeeding and in preserving the privacy of the new family during the first hour after birth.

For Labor Doula Services, I cover the Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley, and surrounding areas.

My rate for standard Labor Doula Services is $3,000
Packages

Birth Support Package

2 prenatal meetings, each lasting for 1 hour
Unlimited email, phone, and text support from time of hiring through delivery
Access to back-up doula
Access to local resources
24/7 on-call beginning at 38 weeks until delivery
Attendance at birth from active labor through delivery
Support for 1 hour immediately following the birth to assist with breastfeeding and answer questions
1 Postpartum Follow-up meeting lasting 1 hour to discuss the birth and answer any questions
Price: $3,000

Nurtured Parent Package

2 prenatal meetings, each lasting for 1 hour
Unlimited email, phone, and text support from time of hiring through delivery
Access to back-up doula
Access to local resources
24/7 on-call beginning at 38 weeks until delivery
Attendance at birth from active labor through delivery
Support for 1 hour immediately following the birth to assist with breastfeeding and answer questions
20 hours of Postpartum Doula Support in the first 2 weeks after birth (dates and times to be pre-arranged and agreed upon by doula and clients)
Price: $3,900*
*prices are for Santa Clarita Valley only. Prices higher outside of the SCV.

Ultimate Parent Package

*2 prenatal meetings, each lasting for 1 hour
Unlimited email, phone, and text support from time of hiring through delivery
Access to back-up doula
Access to local resources
24/7 on-call beginning at 38 weeks until delivery
Attendance at birth from active labor through delivery
Support for 1 hour immediately following the birth to assist with breastfeeding and answer questions
40 hours of Postpartum Doula Support in the first 4 weeks after birth (dates and times to be pre-arranged and agreed upon by doula and clients)
Price: $4,800.
​*prices are for Santa Clarita Valley only. Prices higher outside of the SCV.

Add-ons

Additional 30 minutes in each prenatal appointment. Helpful for those that did not take childbirth education classes*: $90
*NOTE: Childbirth Education with Yvonne Novak at Pure Births is HIGHLY recommended!
Additional hours of postpartum doula support: $50+ per additional hour
Placenta delivery to a local encapsulator: $50 travel fee (does not include encapsulation)
Other services available upon request