FAQ
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What is a doula , and where did the name “doula”
come from?
In the book, Mothering the Mother, How a doula can
help you have a shorter, easier and healthier
birth,
By: Marshall Klaus M.D., John Kennel M.D., and Phyllis
Klaus M. Ed., C.S.W., They define doulas as “a
caring, experienced woman providing continuous
support. In searching for a term to describe this
role, we wanted a word with a nonmedical connotation
that would stress the value of a woman companion as
attentive and comforting. We turned to the Greek
word “doula”, meaning a “woman caregiver”. Our first
exposure to the word came from Dana Raphael’s use of
the term to describe “ one or more individuals, often
female, who give psychological encouragement and
physical assistance to the newly delivered mother. We
use the word in the now widely accepted sense of an
experienced labor companion who provides the woman and
her partner both emotional and physical support
throughout the entire labor and delivery, and to some
extent afterwards. “
We like the definition found in Hands of Love,
Seven Steps to the Miracle of Birth, By: Dr. Carol
J. Phillips, “A doula is a person who provides the
family with continuous spiritual, physical, emotional
and informational support before, during and
immediately following childbirth.”
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What are the benefits of having a doula on
childbirth and early parenting?
In 16 publicized, randomized, controlled studies
involving over 5000 women comparing outcomes with and
without continuous support from a Birth Doula; the
following obstetrical discoveries were made:
Physical Benefits for Mother
- Reductions in the length of labor.
- Reductions in Cesarean Births.
- Reduction in the mother's need for narcotic pain
medication.
- Reduction in the need for epidural analgesia or
anesthesia.
- Reduction in maternal fever.
- Reduction in forceps deliveries.
- Decrease in women using oxytocin.
- A highly significant overall increase in women
birthing without interventions.
Emotional Benefits for the Mother
- Women felt better prepared for the emotional
aspects of birth.
- Women felt nurtured and cared for.
- Women were highly satisfied with the individual
care that they received.
- Women's individual perception of their labor was
much more positive.
- Mothers who were supported by a Birth Doula spent
more time with their baby.
- Women bond more easily with their babies.
- Women feel better prepared to be mothers.
- The Psychological Outcome at Six Weeks Post-Partum
showed:
-Highly significant decrease in anxiety and
depression and a highly significant increase in
self-esteem.
-Increased self-esteem and belief in her ability
to navigate the challenges of labor and birth.
-Feelings of control and active participation in
decisions regarding her medical care and
participation in her birth.
-Significantly less fear, tension, stress, self
doubt, and anxiety.
Physical Benefits for Baby
- Shorter hospital stay for baby.
- Mothers who were supported by a Birth Doula spent
more time with their baby.
- Babies had fewer septic work-ups.
- A report of Infant Health Problems at Six Weeks
showed:
Highly significant decrease in reports of
vomiting, colds or runny nose, cough, and poor
appetite and a significant decrease in reports of
diarrhea.
Benefits to the Breastfeeding and Mothering
Relationship
- Breastfeeding relationship is easier and without
as many complications.
- Six weeks post-partum showed: A highly significant
increase in the amount of women breastfeeding
exclusively, and feeding on demand; A highly
significant decrease in the amount of feeding
problems and supplemental feeding.
- Maternal Outcome at six weeks showed a highly
significant increase in mothers responding to
their babies crying. Mothers also spent
significantly less time away from their babies,
felt that their baby cried less than others, was
special, easy to manage, clever, beautiful, and
regarded their baby as a separate and sociable
person.
- Women breastfeed longer.
Benefits to the Couples Relationship
- Women are pleased with their partners support
during birth.
- "At Six Weeks Post-Partum mothers in the doula-
supported group reported a great increase in
satisfaction with their partner since the birth of
the baby and a much greater percentage of mothers
reported that their relationship was better right
after the birth."
"Continuous support from a Birth Doula during labor
provides physical and emotional benefits for mothers
and health bonuses for their babies.
With less medical interventions, fewer complications,
and shorter hospital stays, there may be financial
savings as well."
-HARVARD HEALTH LETTER
"Labor pain, like all other pain, is a function of the
whole person, and we can go even farther than that and
say that the experience of pain in labor is profoundly
influenced by the values of the society in which the
woman grew up."
-SHEILA KITZINGER,
The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth
"At six weeks (post-partum) the doula-supported
mother's perceptions of themselves and their babies
were clearly more favorable. They were more positive
on all dimensions involving the specialness, ease,
attractiveness and cleverness of their babies"
-THE DOULA BOOK
"Women in general have . . . (Much) to gain from the
presence of a female companion who is not just
sympathetic but is informed as well, and therefore in
a much better position to provide the sense of firm
reassurance which is so sorely needed at this time."
-DRS. KIERIN O'DRISCOLL AND DECLAN MEAGHER,
&NBSP Active Management of Labor
“Continuous labor support reduces a woman’s likelihood
of having pain medication, increases her satisfaction,
and chances for spontaneous birth, and has no known
risks. Supportive care during labor may involve
emotional support, information and comfort measures.
Such care may enhance normal labor processes, and thus
need for obstetric intervention. Women who received
continuous labor support were less likely to use pain
medications and were more likely to be satisfied and
to give birth spontaneously(with neither cesarean nor
vacuum nor forceps). In general labor support was
more effective when it was provided by women who not
part of the hospital staff.”
-The New Cochrane Review study on the effects
of continuous support for women during childbirth.
View Full Study:
Click here.
“Continuous Labor Support Offers Big Benefits for
Mothers and Babies, with no downsides”
-The Maternity Center Associations study of Labor
Support
View full study:
Click here.
(Statistical information from Mothering the Mother:
How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier and
Healthier Birth; Klaus Kennell & Klaus, 1993)
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What is the background of the Kairos doulas?
Our director, Allison Harris, is a licensed massage
therapist, as well as a doula. Prior to birth work,
Allison worked as a consultant and head therapist,
building and opening massage programs in hotels,
health clubs and hospital based programs. Allison
started the Shady Grove Hospital massage program.
Allison moved from massage into birth support. She
has worked independently, as well as writing the
original Holy Cross Hospital doula program, and
working as the Holy Cross doula program coordinator
and head of the perinatal grief and loss program for a
number of years. Since leaving Holy Cross, Allison
has operated her own doula service.
All doulas on the Kairos Holistic Healing Arts
Birth Support Services team are chosen for their
similar birth philosophy , as well as giving heart of
service. Each doula has not only a doula
certification, but also additional life, work and/or
educational experience which uniquely qualifies her to
be a Kairos doula. We at Kairos believe that
supporting young women as they transition into their
new role as mother, whether it be through labor
support or postpartum care, is an honor and a
privilege. It is more than just a job, it is a
ministry , and we don’t just work, we serve with our
whole heart. To begin the life of a new mother in a
loving , supported fashion, begins the life of the
child successfully, joyfully, and sets the stage for a
healthy, happy family. We believe there is no job on
earth more important than that of a mother, raising
our future generation, our artists, poets, public
speakers, senators, lawyers, judges, fire fighters,
musicians, teachers, college professors, astronauts,
pastors and priests, and presidents. We take our job
very seriously, and continually strive to add to our
knowledge and training through additional reading,
classes, trainings, lectures and other continuing
educational efforts.
Being a group, rather than an individual doula,
also gives us the advantage of being able to share and
benefit from the collective wisdom, experience, gifts
and talents of all the doulas in the Kairos group,
allowing us to serve our clients even better. We
often consult with one another on the best answer to a
situation, or for additional wisdom or sources if
needed. We can also match clients very well, having
differing unique gifts, talents and experiences to
draw from.
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My
husband/boyfriend/partner/mother/sister/friend is my
coach. Why do I need a doula?
A doula is a trained childbirth professional who has
experience and knowledge gained from her education and training, as well as her experiences in attending multiple births. She will inform you of ,and explain hospital protocol and procedures, as well as things you will need a doctors written order for, and things that your pregnancy complications or conditions will not allow. A doula will help to ask questions, offer, clarify and gather information so that you have all you need to make informed and educated decisions about your health care and that of your baby. She can can also educate you on your available options, alternatives and choices, and act as a liason between patient and medical caregiver. Your doula can explain what is happening all day and why,and apprise you of your progress, positive accomplishments , and what to expect during your labor. A doula is trained and experienced to help you with support and comfort measures, laboring positions, and the use of labor tools for pain management, and to know which ones would be most beneficial to employ when. A doula is also a cool head in times of emergency, when the emotional connection between family and husband/partner, can make it difficult to remain calm and think through fast decisions that may need to be made. Although a doula does not perform medical tasks, she is trained to recognize signs of an emergency situation and can alert medical staff in a hurry. Your doula is also there to help your husband/partner so that he never runs out of ideas of how to support you, and reminds him to care for himself too by eating, drinking, and taking needed breaks. Your husband and family bring a precious, loving emotional connection, and intimate knowledge of you that the doula does not have, which, when added to the professional expertise of your doula, creates the very best possible level of support for the laboring mother.
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I’m not sure I can handle “natural”
childbirth...if I have a doula, can I also have an
epidural?
All birth is "natural" but some women choose to use
medications, and some do not use medications. We
realize that we are all individuals, having different
pain tolerances, coping skills and life circumstances
and experiences ,which affect how we deal with pain,
and that what is right for one person , is not
necessarily the best choice for another. Our clients
make various choices, from using no pain medications,
to wanting to begin with no medications ,but reserving
the right to change her mind if the pain becomes too
challenging; to deciding right from the start that she
wants pain medication as soon as she can have it.
None of these decisions are wrong, just different. At
Kairos Holistic Healing Arts, we feel the choice of
whether or not to use pain medication is strictly up
to the mother. A labor support doula is there to
support your decisions, not to make them for you.
Your doula will help to educate you about your pain
management options, both medicated through the use of
IV narcotics, or epidural, or through the use of non-medicated methods like massage, hydrotherapy, heat and cold techniques, guided imagery, music therapy, distraction and relaxation techniques, the use of birth balls and labor tools,or a combination of all of these. Your Kairos doula will help you to create a written birth preference outline, which will list your chosen pain control methods.
During your labor, should you feel a need for a change in your pain control plan, your doula is there to assist you, by educating, gathering information, and helping you to understand and choose the best option for you. You doula will support you with pain management skills both medicated and unmedicated, whatever your decisions or needs may be. Either way you go, medicated or unmedicated, your doula is there to inform, support and assist you to reach your goal of a safe, and joyous birth, and a happy, healthy baby.
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I want to have a completely non-medicated
childbirth. Can I do that? And can I have that in a
hospital setting?
Absolutely. When you create your birth preference outline with your doula, she will discuss and explain all the pain management options available to you, and help to create a plan that best serves your needs and desires for an unmedicated birth. We discuss pain management, comfort measures and support, as well as how we can plan to create an atmosphere as close to your dream birth as possible, in your chosen birth setting. Once your birth preference outline is completed, we ask that you share a copy with your OB/midwife, to get his/her ok for your choices, and to allow you to discuss your wishes and desires for your birth with your doctor/midwife.
We feel that an unmedicated birth is usually an active birth, and in many cases your doula will recommend laboring positions, pain management, distraction, and relaxation techniques that you and your partner should practice during your pregnancy, in order to be familiar with them, and ready for an active birth, when you reach the labor room.
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My sister had an epidural and swears that is the
only way to go. My best friend went totally "natural"
and says that is the only way to go. How do I know
what is right for me and what are the best support
measures to use to help me get through?
During your prebirth conference your doula will go over a client history with you to learn about past pregnancies, miscarriages, births, and any medical conditions that may impact your labor and delivery. She will ask you a series of questions designed to help your doula learn more about you, and understand what your normal, day to day methods of coping with pain, stress and challenging situations are. We at Kairos believe that all women are unique individuals and we all give birth in our own fashion, but that we certainly do give birth the way that we live. So if we can understand how you operate day to day, and deal with stress and challenges, we can get a good picture of what comfort techniques and support measures will work best for you, and be able to devise an individually tailored plan for your support. We can also recommend what we think the best relaxation and pain management techniques would be for you to practice during your pregnancy, and what new skills would be beneficial for you to learn. This process also allows us to point out to you strengths you already possess that will serve you well in labor, that you did not know would be helpful.
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Can my husband act as my doula, and will he feel
pushed out of the way if a doula is present?
Kairos doulas understand that this is not just the glorious birth of a baby, it is also the birth of a mother, a father and a family, and we are committed to supporting the entire family as you welcome your new child. During our prebirth conference, we ask the father to tell us about the level of participation he feels comfortable assuming. We discuss the ways that he and the doula can work together as a team, to support and care for the laboring mother. The presence of a doula at your birth will complement and strengthen the father’s role and allow him to participate at his chosen comfort level, so he can truly experience the joy and wonder of watching his baby come into the world. We can offer suggestions for support techniques if he runs out of ideas, show him ways we can work together, such as the mother and father in a particular supported labor position, and the doula behind the mother massaging her back. We can also watch out for Dad, and remind him to eat, drink and take rest breaks, as fathers may not realize how emotionally tired they will become after a long labor.
In the study: Realistic expectations of the labor coach. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 1988 Sep-Oct;17(5):354-5 (ISSN: 0884-2175) Berry LM [Find other articles with this Author] Dalhousie University School of Nursing, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This descriptive, retrospective survey (part of a larger study) employed a questionnaire to determine the behaviors of 40 expectant fathers to the stress generated by their spouses' labors and deliveries. Results indicated that the experience was stressful for all the expectant fathers, and expectant fathers only coached their spouses with their breathing exercises at labor's peak. Fathers spent more time trying to hide their feelings and worrying about their usefulness. These findings have significance for the prenatal education of couples, the education of health professionals, and the practice of labor and delivery nursing. When there is an emotional tie involved, it can be very challenging to see someone we love in pain, and to not know what to do to help them. If complications should arise during labor, the father can be even more challenged. A trusted professional doula with a cool head, and childbirth experience can act as a guide to help not only the mother, but the father as well, to navigate the challenges of labor and childbirth.
In Mothering the Mother, How a doula can help you have a shorter, eaiser and healthier birth, they say this about fathers as main support persons:
“In asking fathers to be the main support, our society may have created a very difficult expectation for them to meet. This is like asking fathers to play in a professional football game after several lectures but without any training or practice games. Couples sometimes get the mistaken impression from childbirth classes that by using a number of simple exercises, the father can be a main support and knowledge for the entire labor when the nurse is unavailable. This is true for a small number of fathers, but most fathers, especially first time fathers, do not get enough opportunity in classes to observe and practice. In no other area of the hospital is a family member asked to take on such a significant caretaking role as in childbirth. When working in the obstetrical unit we have often been struck by how relieved fathers are when an experienced nurse or midwife enters the room and remains with them. This feeling of relief enables the fathers to be much more relaxed, loving, and emotionally available than when they bear the burden of responsibility alone. As one father put it, I’ve run a number of marathons, I’ve done a lot of hiking and with a heavy backpack, and I’ve worked for forty hours straight on call; but going through labor with my wife was more strenuous and exhausting than any of these other experiences.”
“ For first time fathers, the labor and delivery unit of a hospital is a strange place with strange smells, sights, and sounds, including the cries of women in labor. Even more stressful are the changes occurring in the mothers, the people they love most, obvious pain, anxiety, unusual sounds, and fluid discharges never seen before. The changes in appearance of laboring women can be extremely distressing to new fathers, as can the woman’s sometimes dramatic changes in behaviour – becoming alternately overwhelmed, demanding, desperate, and even antagonistic. Fathers also face the dilemma of what to do and where to stand, how much to touch, and what kind of touch to offer, and how much loving affection to show in front of strangers. The stress is increased by the father’s feelings of direct responsibility for the woman’s distress and the added responsibility, in some cases, of making significant decisions about the medical care during labor. It is difficult for father’s to be objective; there is too much at stake. There is anticipation and excitement, mixed with concern and anxiety about the potential danger and the unknown. No matter how much experience a father may have had with childbirth, he cannot remain emotionally distanced enough to meet both his own and the mother’s needs at this intense time. In suggesting the support of a doula, our intent is not to diminish the role of the father, but to enhance it, to free him up to stand by the mother. With the doula present , the father is never left as the sole, isolated, responsible person caring for the laboring mother. This vital ingredient , the support of an experienced woman, has been lost in modern obstetrical care.
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I have a great OB and I hear the labor nurses at
my chosen hospital are wonderful. Do I still need a
doula?
We at Kairos feel that communication and trust between patient and caregiver is very important, and we work to help enhance and deepen this communication and trust. Kairos doulas work with your doctor and labor nurses to become a part of the maternity care team. The doctor is your chosen caregiver in charge of your pregnancy and labor and delivery medical care, and your nurse is there to care for your medical needs during labor and birth as well, while your doula takes care of your emotional, physical and educational needs. Each member of the maternity care team has their own useful role in supporting the laboring mother. In a busy hospital, the doctor and the nurse most often have responsibilities of multiple patients, and cannot stay in the labor room throughout your entire labor, providing one-on-one continuous care and support, the way a doula does. The doula never leaves your side, through shift changes, or long births, the doula is the one trusted presence you can count on to remain by your side throughout your entire labor and birth.
A study reported in the journal of Maternal Child Nursing, in September of 2001, to examine the amount of support being provided by labor and delivery nurses to women during childbirth, states:
“ Nurses spent only 12.4% of their total time providing supportive care to laboring women. Interviews with nurses suggested that perceptions of the components of supportive care were comparable to the study’s operational definition of support namely: physical, emotional and instructional/educational support and advocacy. Although nursing support has been identified as an important aspect of nursing care in childbirth, this study demonstrated an incongruity between what nurses perceived as being supportive care and the amount of support that was actually provided. Nurses sited some of the barriers as being lack of time, the need to spend a large amount of time charting, preparing and maintaining medication and equipment used during labor, as well as multiple patient responsibility and high patient load.
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, prescribe intrapartum support as a key intervention in enhancing maternal and fetal outcomes during childbirth. It does not replace family support but is complementary to it. The presence of a support person providing encouragement and comforting touch has been shown to significantly increase the mothers’ satisfaction with the birth experience. Given the benefits of intrapartum support, and its importance to most laboring women, birthing units must facilitate implementation of this valuable resource.”
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What if I have a c-section, can I still use a doula?
Even in a surgical setting, the doula is able to calm and support parents, and help facilitate a positive birth. Before the birth she can play soothing music, employ massage techniques, and explain what is happening, so the mother remains calm. She can also assure the father that all is well with his wife and baby. Sometimes the surgery can be scheduled for a particular time, but get pushed back to accommodate emergency patient needs, and cause the mother to have to wait longer than anticipated, which can cause her to become tired, anxious or fearful. The doula is there to keep her company, read to her, play cards or board games, tell jokes and keep the mood light, explain things and help the time pass more easily. In some cases, the doula is able to accompany her clients into the OR, with the permission of the OB and anesthesiologist, unless it is an extreme emergency requiring general anesthesia. Birth does not end the minute the baby is delivered, and the doula is also there to help during recovery and the initiation of breastfeeding.
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I read somewhere that the doulas are again the
hot thing. Why, in this age of information overload,
with books on what to expect, Internet bulletin boards
for support, and last, but not least, dear old dad for
support, would something as seemingly old-fashioned as
the notion of doulas become the high point of birthing
fashion?
Yes, doulas have been around for 3000 years, but obstetrical care has moved from low-tech to high-tech in the last 20 years. It is unfair to expect birthing couples to retain and put to use, at appropriate times, ALL the information they have absorbed. Especially under duress, uncommon circumstances or being faced with so many more medical procedures. The doula is objective and able to act as a personable on-site childbirth educator. Trends in obstetrical care have dramatically changed affecting the nurse: patient ratio, and the doula unconditionally offers a continuous presence and continuity of care. A study was also conducted by renowned childbirth lecturer and author, Penny Simkim, the founder of DONA, Doulas of North America. Penny had students from her childbirth education class write their birth experiences down, then after 25 years she had them write it again. The study revealed that woman remembered finite details about their experiences, nurses names, how they were treated, what people were wearing etc. It concluded that birth is not just about procedures and mode of delivery, but the experiences as a whole and how women are treated.
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Once I contract for a Kairos doula, will the
doula who is originally assigned to me be the one who
accompanies me to the hospital in labor, or will I
have a backup doula?
We at Kairos understand that childbirth is loaded with unknowns, especially for the first time mother. If you have a large practice you won't know which doctor is on call when you arrive in labor, you are unfamilar with the hospital , the machinery and equipment; you have never met the labor nurses and they don't know anything about you, and even the process of labor and childbirth itself is unfamiliar to you. All these unknowns can leave a new mother feeling scared, helpless and less in control. We believe that you possess all you need to navigate the challenges of childbirth, but with so many unknowns, it is hard to know exactly which tools to pull out of your bag of tricks. Your doula is there to help you decide, and to be the one constant, with whom you feel comfortable and confidant, that you can count on. We are careful how we schedule our clients as we understand that you and your doula have built an important bond of trust, caring and understanding during your pregnancy. Most of our doulas only take two or three clients per month, to ensure that due dates do not overlap. It is our preference that the doula you originally contracted with, will be the one who goes into the labor room with you. In most cases this is so. In the event that there is a major emergency, all the Kairos doulas back each other up, and your primary doula will share all your information, client history and birth preference outline with a professional doula colleague from our group, who will accompany you in her place. All of us take our job very seriously and get rather attached to our clients, and none of us likes to use a back up, or miss the birth of one of our clients with whom we have developed a friendship, and feel responsible for her care and support during the very important birth of her baby, unless it is definately an unavoidable emergency. We strive very hard to have the primary doula attend her clients as often as possible.
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How will the hospital staff react to the
presence of a Kairos doula?
Kairos doulas are committed to working with your medical care providers as a part of the maternity care team, with an attitude of respect, professionalism and diplomacy. We feel there is never a good reason for creating an antagonistic atmosphere in the labor room, and causing the mother to reap the negative consequences. The doula is there to support the mother, and to alleviate fears, allowing her to relax and surrender to the process. If a doula were to create an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion, turning the laboring mother against her chosen doctor or midwife, we have done the mother a great disservice, and caused her to remain hypervigilant and unable to relax, which could impede her labor process, and we have not actually provided support or served her at all. We believe in enhancing communication and trust, and creating a birthing team atmosphere wherein everyone does their part to serve the laboring mother. It is our hope to help to create a beautiful birth celebration and precious memories of the day your child is born. We at Kairos have worked very hard to establish good professional working relationships with the doctors whose patients we support, which allows us to offer a much higher level of support, as all your caregivers work in cooperation and mutual respect. Most of the doctors we work with refer their patients to us on a regular basis, and we all know each other very well, and work together as an especially capable team. We are still first and foremost your staunch advocate, but we at Kairos do not believe that we have to work in opposition to your medical care team to achieve this. Please see the professional reference section of this site to read recommendations and references we have received. You may see your own doctors name among the list.
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How can the presence of a doula help labor to
progress and the acheivement of good labor outcomes?
A labor doula can be a calming influence, allowing the woman to let go and surrender to the wisdom of her body, and the assistance of her birthing team, so her body can successfully birth her baby. When a woman is stressed, fearful and tense, her body reacts with a fight or flight response and releases chemicals and hormones, which can slow the production of oxytocin, the hormone that produces contractions in labor.
A deer in the forest, if she hears hunters approaching as she is laboring, will experience a fight or flight response, causing her body to release hormones which cause her labor to stop, allowing her to flee to safety. When she once again feels safe and relaxed, her body will begin to produce oxytocin once again ,and her labor will resume. Our body works the same way, and a good doula knows this, and can employ methods to help the mother remain calm and relaxed so she experiences instead, what Herbert Benson MD coined as the relaxation response, and her labor progresses easily and effectively.
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How is my doula chosen for me, and how do I move
ahead with doula services once I have decided to
contract for a Kairos doula?
At Kairos Holistic Healing Arts Birth Support Services we believe that doula services are one of the most intimate services you will ever contract for. It is also one of the most important days in your life, the day you become a mother, and welcome your precious new baby into your lives. The day you married your husband was the celebration of the love between man and wife. The day you give birth to your baby is the celebration of the fruit of that love, and we believe the people who have the honor of attending this celebration should be carefully chosen. A great deal of important work is going to be done between you and your labor support doula before you even reach the labor room, which will prepare you to have a joyous birth experience. For these reasons, we take great care in matching just the right doula to each client we serve.
Once you have looked over our website, downloaded, printed and read over our description of services, and contracts, you are welcome to call the Kairos office, to discuss further questions, your personal needs and desires for your birth, and any complications or conditions which may require special care. To get the doula contract process rolling, we ask that you would please print both a contract and our client registration form, fill them out, and mail them to our Kairos office. When we receive your forms and request for services, a doula will be chosen and assigned to your case, and will call you to set up an initial meeting. We require a $40 good faith deposit, which is to be paid to the doula , at the initial meeting. This deposit will be deducted from the fee for services when you finalize the contract process by approving our choice of doula for you. After your initial meeting, we ask that you please call the Kairos office within one business day of the meeting to let us know how the meeting went, to approve of the doula, and finalize the contract. You can then send a check or make a payment by credit card, for the full fee for services. Once your payment is received, your doula will call you to set up a prebirth conference and birth planning session.
If you have reservations about the doula you meet initially, we may be able to send a second doula for you to meet, depending on staffing, availability on the doula calendar, and the needs of each individual client. Doulas will be chosen and assigned based on your pregnancy and birth needs, as well as any pregnancy and or birth complications or conditions of this present birth, and possibly past births, as well as our schedule availability. These assignments are made based on our experience in the birth field, knowledge of our staff and their experience and qualifications, and our understanding of what will be needed to serve each client. As our clients have sought our services based on their belief in our having experience, knowledge, expertise and training necessary to support them during birth, and into the postpartum period, we ask that you would have faith and trust in our ability to choose and match the best doula to serve each individual client.
It is suggested that couples would complete the contracting process by no later than the beginning of the last trimester, or three months prior to their due date, to ensure that there is still space available on our doula calender. For those couples how need to contract at the last minute, within six weeks of their due date, we will do our best to accommodate you, and find space on our doula calendar, but you will need to accept the doula we assign, and there will not be a second doula to meet.
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