Well we have been looking into Doulas for well over a month now. It is something that I've been interested in prior to knowing we were having a baby! After much discussion with many great people in my life who have been fortunate enough to have a Doula's support during their pregnancy and birth - it felt like a no-brainer! I have spoken to several Doulas as well, and was beginning to get a little discouraged. Apparently hiring a Doula isn't cheap! After much investigation and research (I spoke with over 8 Doulas), the fees seemed to range from $400 - $800. That's just not what we were hoping for...UNTIL...I asked a mom who attends one of our groups at work who her Doula was. She gave me her name, but really I was interested in her other tip...
She has a friend, Chantell, who just did her Doula training and is required to have three births prior to getting her certification with DONA. Well, I contacted Chantell, and things just fit into place right away. Unlike other Doulas I contacted, she was very easy to get ahold of and responded very promptly and warmly. She is honest, sweet, and educated. She has three children of her own and is really excited to be a Doula! I would be her first "Doula" birth - and I love that. Out of all the ladies I've talked to, none have been as eager and sincere as her. We met for coffee tonight and hit it off right away. We ended up chatting in Starbucks for two hours. One of my favorite parts is she lives in Terwilliger, which is just across the Henday (literally 5 minutes away!). This was a huge selling point as one lady we were interested in working with lived in Red Water and for 5 weeks, we tried to schedule a time with her...and were unsuccessful. Chantell was on top of everything and gave me a nice little package. I am so very excited to have crossed paths with Nikki - who led me to Chantell. Sometimes things are just meant to be. One of the other best parts is - she has no fees! Yippee! How great is that?! Obviously we will do something for her, but it beats the $800 that we weren't able to budget for! A win-win situation for both sides! Anyways...there are a few more details below as to what a Doula typically provides throughout this process (and with Chantell, I feel like it's just the tip of the iceberg as, like I mentioned, she is eager and willing to be a part of whatever is needed!)...
Services Include...
- A free get-to-know-you session with no obligations
- Two prenatal visits
- Help with creating a birth plan
- 24/7 on-call labour availability
- Unlimited telephone and email support
- Resource accessibility
- Early labour support at home
- Continuous labour support during active labour and birth
- Photographs of labour and delivery
- Stays after birth until family is settled
- One post-partum visit
- One-of-a-kind Birth Story
- Breastfeeding support
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