How do I find a doula near me?
Not long ago, one of the most common questions we heard as birth professionals was “what is a doula?” Now, we just as often hear “how can I find a doula near me?” This shift has come because so much awareness has been raised about what a game-changer hiring a doula can be for a parent’s birth and postpartum experience. Their popularity continues to rise each year, and we are so thankful to be a part of it.
Are you an expectant parent and learning about doula support for the first time? We encourage you to keep exploring it as an option. It might make all the difference for your birth and postpartum experience.
During labor and delivery a doula can:
-Help you to determine your birth preferences and help make them a reality
Experienced doulas know the (many) various options you have for your birth experience. They may open your eyes to many things you weren’t aware of and that you will be grateful to use during your labor. And once the big day comes, they will help to execute your preferences so that you can focus on the task at hand.
-Make your birth experience a happier one
Families that use a doula are less likely to report a negative birth experience. They also tend to have births around 40 minutes shorter.
-Help you cope during labor
Doulas offer continuous support during labor. This in itself is known to make things easier on the birthing parent. They also bring to the table expertise in various coping strategies and pain management.
And during the postpartum months, a doula can support your family in
-Support you in day-to-day tasks as you recover from birth
Keeping up with a home and tending to other family members can be challenging in the early days after a baby is born. A postpartum doula will help make it all come together.
-Help take care of your infant as you transition to your new life
Postpartum doulas love to take care of infants and are wonderful to have in your home after the baby comes. Whether you are showering or simply taking a break, having someone experienced around to help will make all the difference.
-Emotional support and expert insight into new parent struggles, breastfeeding, setting the family schedule, and preparing meals
Welcoming a new baby to your family comes with new “firsts” every day, whether it is your first child or your third. A postpartum doula can listen to concerns, answer questions, and help you to learn the ropes regarding infant care.
Sounds wonderful. How do I find a doula near me?
Because a lot of awareness about the benefits of doula support has been spread, there are a lot of different ways to find one. New York is blessed to have a lot of doulas providing wonderful service to families, and it can quickly get overwhelming to know where to begin. And it can easily become nerve-wracking as well: what if you miss someone you might be a great fit with?
Baby Caravan was created by women in the New York area who bring with them experience as both birth professionals and parents. Part of our goal is to simply make things easier on you. Our doulas range widely in background and approach and we would love to select a handful who would work well for you.
Ready to start meeting doulas? Just complete this form and we will search for you.
What happens after I get in touch?
Part of what makes Baby Caravan so unique for families in the New York metro area is that we are able to do a lot of the “heavy lifting” for expectant parents. We are a well-established agency and our team knows each other very well. Because of this, we can send a list of doulas in your area who we know will suit your birth preferences.
Once we receive your information we will be in touch quickly with a list of potential matches. This typically takes just 24 business hours. You can then set up an initial meet and greet with the 2-3 that most excite you.
Do you have a lot of questions about working with a doula? If you would like to connect one-on-one with someone to talk about the process and your family’s needs you can also schedule a 20-minute consult to speak with one of our founders.
Will I get to know my doula before my birth?
Prenatal visits are a part of all doula packages. This will give you a great chance to get to know each other and talk about expectations for your labor and delivery. A typical Baby Caravan birth doula package includes:
2 prenatal meetings of around 2 hours each
Unlimited phone, email, and text support throughout the package duration
Being on-call for your birth from 37 weeks on
Phone, video, and in-person support through your labor and birth
Immediate postpartum help
2-hour postpartum check-in visit
How do I select a doula near me?
Because a doula supports you during such a personal time in your life, it is important to find one that is a good personality match. One of the most important things is to find someone you can see yourself spending a lot of time with. This can often happen simply by having conversations with them about your birth goals and then trusting your gut. Besides this, it is important to make sure that you are on the same page about the important aspects of your labor. Some topics to ask questions around include:
-How a doula most often supports a family during labor
-Birth options they do or do not have experience with
-Pain coping techniques they use
-Extra skills they may bring to the table
-If they are familiar with your birth location
-Fees
-Extra services
-How they interact with partners and birthing location staff
More resources for your pregnancy journey:
Your Pregnancy Map: A Checklist of Prenatal Essentials
The Top 5 Foods for Pregnancy