Birth Doula Services

Update: November 15, 2020

I will not be offering any doula services until at least 2022.

Original Post:

Our relationship as doula and client begins from the moment you hire me. I am happy to be available by phone or e-mail to answer questions, provide resources and research, and discuss topics related to the birth of your baby. To prepare for your birth, we will meet in your home for two prenatal visits, and if we decide we need more time to help you feel confident and prepared for your birth, we can add a third prenatal visit. Once your labor begins, I will remain with you from the time you request my presence until an hour after your baby is born.

After the birth of your baby, I will follow-up around a week later for a postpartum visit. At this time we can discuss your birth, review any breast-feeding concerns, and and I will provide any professional or community resources of interest to you. In addition, as a certified lactation counselor and a La Leche League leader, I can continue to provide additional breastfeeding support within my scope of practice.

All interviews for my doula services, by phone, in person, or both, are free of charge. I would like for you to feel comfortable in your decision to hire me by being able to have the time to ask any questions and decide if my personality and philosophy combine to meet your vision of a positive birth experience!

As a DONA certified doula, I am prepared to provide comfort measures and consistent emotional support throughout your labor and birth. My current birth doula fee is $900.

I work with two back-up doulas who will attend a birth for me in the event that an emergency causes me to be unavailable:

Anna Cole –http://www.joyfulnoisedoula.com

Devon Handel – http://www.birthandbreath.com

Check out my availability calendar on doulamatch.com! http://doulamatch.net/profile/7397/daphne-flowers-clc

PostPartum Doula Services

As parents, we are all meant to have a support team to help us in the early weeks with a new baby. Some of enjoy the benefit of having family surround us with a sincere desire to meet our needs as parents. Others of us either do not have family that can spend time with us, or perhaps our family support struggles a bit with providing the type of help we need. Additionally, our culture has normalized the false image that life will easily return to normal, with grace, the moment your baby is born.

If you would like to give yourself the best support possible to allow you to focus on being the best parent for your baby, I would be happy to provide postpartum doula services for your family!

It’s difficult to describe exactly what a postpartum doula does because it can look completely different at each house.

For day visits, I usually am there for four hours, and my primary concern is caring for the mother, making sure she has snacks, meals, rest, and a companion to talk through how to adjust to a new lifestyle with baby. During my time at your home, I might help with laundry, cut up some fruit, figure out how to set up your new baby swing, unpack some Amazon boxes, vacuum a few rooms, change baby’s diapers, hold baby while you nap between feedings, feed baby if you are not exclusively breastfeeding, empty the dishwasher, and most importantly, be available to discuss what’s on your mind, from your birth experience to postpartum recovery to day-to-day topics. I ask that you try to make a to-do list for me. My focus will be on you, and I will fit in tasks on the list as I have time when I’m not directly caring for you.

If you wish to have my support overnight, I am usually there for eight hours. During the night, my primary task is taking care of baby to allow you to sleep as much as possible. If you are breastfeeding, I will bring baby to you when he or she wishes to nurse. Then, at your request, I would take your baby back after the feeding for burping and a diaper change. For bottle-fed babies, I will take care of all feeding needs during the night. Outside of feeding, I will encourage baby to sleep but will be happy to hold and soothe baby when he or she is unable to settle and sleep. (As of April of 2018, I am not offering overnight postpartum doula services.)

My hourly rate for postpartum day or night work is $28.

I am also available to stay overnight in your postpartum room at the hospital if you are interested in having an attentive, compassionate person who is knowledgeable about breastfeeding and newborn care to be consistently available to you throughout the night. The fee for overnight postpartum support in the hospital is $300 for 12 hours.