A doula provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support throughout your entire labor and birth.

Physically, we suggest labor positions that help your baby descend, apply counter-pressure to ease back pain, guide you through breathing techniques, provide massage, and help you move and change positions.

Emotionally, we offer encouragement when you doubt yourself, help you stay calm during intensity, and provide steady presence throughout.

Informationally, we help you understand what's happening at each stage, explain your options when decisions arise, and support you in communicating with medical staff.

We also coach your partner on how to support you effectively.

Unlike medical staff who rotate shifts, we stay with you from active labor through birth—whether that's 3 hours, 30 hours, or more.

Trauma-informed doula support means we begin by understanding your complete story—including any past trauma like sexual assault, previous traumatic births, medical trauma, or other experiences that shape how you feel about pregnancy and birth.

We recognize that labor's physical intensity and vulnerability can trigger trauma responses, so we adapt our support to help you feel safe throughout.

This includes: asking about your trauma history in our first prenatal visit, identifying potential triggers before labor begins, creating a plan for what helps you stay grounded if you start to dissociate or panic, and continuously checking in during labor to ensure our touch, words, and presence feel safe rather than overwhelming.

Midwives are medical providers who:

• Manage your prenatal care

• Monitor your health and baby's health throughout pregnancy and labor

• Perform clinical tasks (cervical checks, fetal monitoring, catching baby)

• Make medical decisions and recommendations,

• Deliver your baby

• Provide postpartum medical care

Doulas are non-medical support people who:

• Provide emotional support and comfort measures

• Stay with you continuously throughout labor

• Help you understand your options and make informed decisions

• Advocate for your preferences to medical staff and any of your visiting family and friends

• Coach your partner

• Ensure you feel supported throughout

You can have both a midwife and a doula—in fact, many people do! They work together as part of your birth team, each filling essential but different roles.

Absolutely not—we empower your partner, not replace them.

Your partner knows you better than we do, and their emotional connection with you is irreplaceable.

What we bring is expertise in labor support techniques and experience with birth that helps your partner be more effective.

We teach them where to apply counter-pressure, how to help you breathe through contractions, which positions to suggest when, what to say (and not say) during intense moments, and how to advocate for you with medical staff.

Many partners tell us they felt more involved and capable with doula support than they would have felt trying to figure it out alone.

We work as a team—your partner provides the love, we provide the expertise, and together we support you.

You share only what feels comfortable and safe for you.

We ask about trauma history not to pry into painful details, but to understand what you need to feel safe during birth.

You might say "I'm a survivor of sexual assault" without describing what happened, or "My first birth was traumatic because I felt unheard" without reliving every moment.

What matters most is understanding:

• What helps you feel safe?

• What might be triggering?

• What do you need from the people around you during vulnerable moments of your birthing process?

You control how much detail you share, and you can add information as we build trust throughout our prenatal visits.

Prevention starts in prenatal visits where we identify your specific triggers and create a plan together.

Common triggers during labor include:

• Certain touch (like someone touching your legs without warning)

• Feeling trapped or unable to move

• Not being asked before something is done to your body

• Loud or authoritative voices

• Feeling dismissed or not heard

• Being told what to do rather than offered choices

• Having too many people in the room

Based on your triggers, we develop strategies like:

• Having you give permission before we touch you

• Using your preferred language

• Ensuring you maintain control and choices

• Advocating for fewer interruptions

• Helping you change positions frequently so you don't feel trapped

• Watching for signs you're starting to dissociate so we can help you stay present

Yes, many survivors of birth trauma find that comprehensive trauma-informed support transforms their subsequent birth into a healing experience.

This happens when:

• You feel safe throughout labor rather than terrified

• You maintain control and choices rather than feeling powerless

• You're heard and respected by everyone on your birth team

• You have continuous support from someone who understands your trauma

• You successfully use the tools and techniques you practiced prenatally

• You stay present in your body rather than dissociating

Healing doesn't mean everything goes perfectly. Rather, it means you feel empowered, supported, and honored throughout.

Many clients tell us their second birth "gave them back" something their first birth took away, not because it was intervention-free or went to plan, but because they felt safe, heard, and in control of their experience.

Absolutely. We honor and celebrate all family structures: LGBTQ+ families, single parents by choice, polyamorous families, blended families, families with gestational carriers, adoptive families, and any other configuration.

We use your preferred language for: the pregnant person (pregnant person, birthing parent, mother, etc.), your partner(s), body parts (chest vs. breast, etc.), and your family structure.

What matters is supporting YOU and YOUR family with respect and celebration for exactly who you are.

Every family receives the same comprehensive care, no matter what they contribute.

My standard doula package includes two prenatal visits to prepare for birth, continuous support during labor and delivery, and two postpartum visits to help you adjust and recover in the early weeks.

In addition, I offer childbirth education and prenatal yoga for an additional fee, with these services provided at no cost for certain groups, including families on Medicaid.

This ensures that every family has access to consistent, compassionate, and personalized support throughout the entire birth and postpartum journey.