A birth doula provides continuous emotional, physical, and informational support to a birthing person and their partner before, during, and immediately after childbirth. The main goal is to help ensure the most positive and empowering birth experience possible, whatever that looks like for your family.

Here’s what a birth doula typically does:

 Prenatal Support:

• Meets with the family during pregnancy to discuss birth preferences, expectations, and fears. As well as create a birth plan that best fits your values and wishes  

• Provides education about the stages of labor, comfort techniques, and common procedures

• Will offer resources and referrals

• Helps both the birthing person and partner feel prepared and confident
  
  

During Labor and Birth:

• Offers continuous presence within the birthing space and/or when laboring at home.

• Provides comfort measures, such as:

  • Breathing techniques

  • Massage or counterpressure

  • Position changes and movement suggestions

  • Visualization and relaxation tools

• Helps facilitate communication with medical staff, ensuring you understand options and decisions

• Encourages and supports partners/support people, by showing them how to participate in a way that feels helpful for the birthing person. Focuses on the 5 love languages to help best guide both the birthing person and the partner/support person 

• Creates a calm, supportive atmosphere, whether at home, birth center, or hospital
  
  

After Birth (Immediate Postpartum):

• Assists with initial bonding and feeding (breastfeeding or bottle-feeding support).

• Helps parents process the birth experience emotionally

• Will stay 1-2 hours after the birth 

A postpartum doula provides practical, emotional, and educational support to new parents after the birth of a baby. Their goal is to help families adjust smoothly to life with a newborn and to ensure both the birthing parent and baby are thriving.

Here’s a breakdown of what a postpartum doula typically does:

Newborn Care:

• Helps with diapering, bathing, soothing, swaddling, sleep routines

• Teaches parents about infant cues, development, and sleep patterns

• Provide overnight and day care so parents can rest
  
  

Support for the Birthing Parent:

• Assists with physical recovery from childbirth (C-section or vaginal)

• Offers breastfeeding or bottle-feeding support (positioning, latch help, feeding schedules)

• Encourages self-care and rest

• Supports postpartum depression and anxiety by providing resources and making them feel seen 

Practical Household Help:

• Prepares meals or snacks for the family   

• Helps with baby laundry and tidying up

• Keeps household tasks manageable so parents can focus on bonding and recovery
  
  

Emotional and Informational Support:

• Provides nonjudgmental listening and reassurance during the adjustment period of parenthood

• Shares evidence-based information and resources about baby care, recovery,  mood disorders,  and parenting choices

• Supports partners and other family members in adapting to their new roles