Being pregnant is strange and new and full of surprises – even for people who have been there done that. Not only is pregnancy weird, but pregnant people get bombarded on all sides with all types of advice. “Do this!” “Don’t do that!” “Do it my way!” “Do it the way my mom did!” “My sister’s college roommate’s uncle said that his wife…” And at least one person will say “OH! You’re PREGNANT! Let me tell you how HORRIBLE birth was!” So how do you sift through all this noise? How do you find the information that is actually going to be helpful on your journey through pregnancy and birth? By finding the right doula!
The dictionary definition of a doula is a Greek word meaning “woman’s servant”. Nowadays we use that word to describe a trained labor support professional. In the simplest terms, doulas give birthing families emotional, physical, and informational support before, during, and after their birth.
Okay, I hear you saying, sounds GREAT! But what does that translate to in practice? Here are answers to some of the questions we get asked a lot.
If you hire us as a part of your birth support team, this is what you can expect:
Before your birth
A free get-to-know-you chat that helps us decide if we are a good fit.
Private pre-birth meetings to help you feel confident and informed about the choices you have as a birthing family. These sessions last anywhere from 1-2 hours and help you to envision what is most important to you about your birth and fill your birth partner’s toolbox with comfort measures, breathing techniques and other insider tips for an easier, faster, more confident birth.
Community Prenatal Meetings held twice monthly at a central location. You are welcome to attend as many of these meetings as you like to talk with your doulas, meet other expecting families in the area, ask questions, or get support.
A partner who feels more confident, more able to help and more excited to be on the labor train with you.
Referrals to other helpful birth and baby professionals if needed, and unbiased resources for information on topics relevant to your life and family.
Anytime support via email or phone from the moment we sign a contract until your baby is 6 weeks old.
During your birth
- 100%, one-on-one attention.
- Help answering the epic question every birth partner (and laboring person!) has – “When do we go to the hospital??”
- Suggestions for managing the intensity of labor with natural pain coping techniques such as breathing, massage, touch, movement, and vocalization.
- Help in deciding if and/or when medical pain-management is right for you.
- Suggestions for how to help kick a slow-to-start labor into high gear.
- Suggestions and tools to get the information you need from your care providers so you can make an informed decision at every stage of your pregnancy and labor.
After your birth
- 1-2 hours of immediate postpartum support, including help getting your brand-spankin’ new baby to latch on and start nursing, if that’s what you want.
- One postpartum visit to help get your family off on the right foot with feeding, sleep, and figuring out when you can actually get a shower and eat.
Good question! Most people who support women in labor are sort of birth geeks. We read all the books and take all the workshops. Our job is to stay up to date on evidence-based practices in the maternity world. We check up with what ACOG is saying these days. We network with midwives and other birth support professionals.
When you first find out you are pregnant, there are so many questions that you have never had to consider before. Is it a boy or a girl? Are we going to co-sleep? Should I see an OB or a midwife? Should I cloth diaper or use disposables? Am I allowed to eat sushi while pregnant? Can I drink alcohol? What is the best pregnancy book? The list goes on and on! Then, in the last few years, everyone is asking “Should I hire a doula?” and “What questions should I ask a doula before I hire her?”
My answer to the first one is “Yes! Of course you should hire some type of labor support!” No matter what kind of birth you are planning… medicated, natural, hospital, c-section, home, squatting in the woods with a baby deer and butterflies braiding flowers into your hair… a childbirth coach is there to give you unconditional support throughout your pregnancy and birth. Your choice of birth team location can DRAMATICALLY affect your birth, so be choosy!
As far as the questions to as a doula in an interview, here are our suggestions:
- Why did you decide to start supporting birthing families?
- What do you like best about being a childbirth support person?
- I want to have a (insert type of birth you are hoping for here) birth. How do you feel about supporting this kind birth plan?
- Have you ever worked with my care provider?
- (Ask this question of yourself, after the doula leaves): Did I like this doula? Do I feel comfortable with them? Did my partner like them?
This last question is the MOST IMPORTANT ONE. It is not how many births a doula has attended, and not their training, certifications, and expertise. All those things are valid questions, and by all means ask them if you like. But the best-qualified doula on paper may not be the best doula for YOU.
So really ask yourself: Do you LIKE them? Do you feel comfortable talking to them? Did she make you feel good about yourself and your upcoming birth and your birth preferences? Our very favorite interviews are the ones where we asked barely had time to ask questions. Why? Because we spent the time chatting and enjoying each other’s company!
Jenny began her training as a labor doula in December of 2012 by attending a workshop approved by DONA. She completed the rigorous certification requirements in late 2013. On January 27, 2014, she earned the DONA credentials of a certified childbirth doula – CD(DONA) – which she maintained for 6 years (2013-2019) with hundreds of hours of hands-on experience and continuing education classes. She completed the Stillbirthday training course in December of 2014. In June of 2023, Jenny chose to certify with ToLabor, an organization that better aligns with her values as a doula and as a birth advocate. She has completed the Spinning Babies workshop to assist in optimal fetal positioning and worked in DC at the Community of Hope Family Health and Birth Center for two years, providing volunteer labor support. Jenny has attended Penny Simkin’s “When Survivors Give Birth” workshop, as well as Yiska Obadia’s wonderful Comforting Touch for Doulas training. She is continually looking for new ways to broaden her experience and learn new ways to support her clients.
Rose is a ToLabor certified doula as well as a Stillbirthday® Birth/Bereavement Doula, in which she plays a leadership role and volunteers in many different capacities.
She has trained with DONA, Madriella as Birth/Postpartum Doula, Spinning Babies, Yiska Obadia’s Comforting Touch for Doulas, and Gena Kirby’s Rebozo Training, and completed a Breastfeeding for Doulas workshop. She was also a Certified Hypnobabies® Childbirth Instructor/Doula for twelve years.
In this area, finding a solo OB practice or midwife is pretty much a non-starter. You have no idea which doctor will be there for your birth. You don’t know how many different nurses will come and go during the time you are at the hospital. One of the big reasons to have a doula is to guarantee you know and trust least one person in the birthing room. A group doula practice simply cannot offer that. There is just no way to develop a trusting relationship with 4-6 doulas. Sort of like there is no way to develop a trusting relationship with every doctor in your large OB practice.
With our partner practice, Rose and Jenny are your doulas. Period.
One of the two of us will be there for you, from start to finish. You get the option to have a private meeting with both of us before you hire us. Sometimes this consult is via Skype. Sometimes they are in person. But in all cases, the focus is on just you, and your questions for us. After that, we get to meet at least one time – if not more – before your birth. We can visit at the 2 community prenatals, your private prenatal, and an optional Skype visit. We also give you the option to add on extra prenatal visits (for an extra fee) if you want more time with us.
The vast majority of the time, the doula who starts with you is the one who will stay through the end of your birth. But when you have two doulas you know and trust on your team, you have a backup for very long births. The other doula can come and bring fresh energy and ideas into the birth room.
Rose has been a doula since 2006 and Jenny since 2013! We have worked in birth, postpartum, childbirth education, breastfeeding, and newborn care. We have attended more than 200 births between the two of us. That’s a lot of experience to have on your side!
More about ToLABOR
Together, we have have had the honor of attending almost 500 births as labor support doulas in DC and the surrounding area. We’d love to meet you and talk about how we can help you love your birth and love your life with baby!
(UPDATE BIRTH NUMBERS HERE)
Rose and Jenny work as a team. We have a rotating call schedule that determines who attends a birth on any given day (or night…who are we kidding??).
You have the opportunity to meet us both prior to signing a contract during a private virtual meeting. We schedule private video consults with all of our potential clients because we feel that talking one-on-one gives us the best opportunity to get a feel for each other. And there is never any pressure to sign a contract until you are ready – inviting someone to be a part of your birthing experience is a big decision and it shouldn’t be made lightly or in haste.
After signing with us, you can get to know both doulas at our community prenatal meetings held virtually via zoom. We strongly encourage all clients to attend at least one workshop so they can meet and talk to both of us at greater length.
You will meet with both doulas either virtually or in-person (depending upon which contract option you choose) during your private prenatal visits. The doula on call at the time your labor begins will provide your labor support, immediate postpartum and breastfeeding support. This doula will also provide you with a postpartum visit in your home.
Both of us are available for 24-7 postpartum assistance via phone, text, or email for 6 weeks following your birth, though the doula who attended your birth will be your primary postpartum contact.
Please note that we work exclusively as a team. We are not available for individual hire, and we do not have the ability to guarantee or promise which of us will be the one to attend your birth. We set this healthy boundary to limit birth worker burnout (this can be a huge issue for those of us living the on-call life), guarantee time for our own families, and make sure that we can continue providing support for new and growing families by maintaining as much of a healthy work-life balance as can be had when you work the unpredictable birth world.
If you want to hire a single doula who can (almost) guarantee she will be the one to attend your birth, we are not the practice for you. We do know some amazing doulas who work this way and would be happy to refer you to them!
Silver Spring Doula enjoys working with our BIPOC clients and would love to meet with you! But if you are also interested connecting with a BIPOC doula, we can recommend these fantastic Black and doulas of color that serve our local community:
In acknowledgement of the profound disparities
in birth outcomes between white and BIPOC birthing people, and in an effort to prioritize racial equity in birth, Silver Spring Doula donates a portion of each of their birth client fees to DC/MD/VA local Black birth organizations such as Mamatoto Village and B.I.R.T.H Equity Maryland.
All are welcome here.
Silver Spring Doula and My Gentle Birth, LLC are woman-owned and proud to serve the LGBTQIA+ community.