This year has required a lot of creativity, both in the way we play and the way we work.
A once hands-on service like doula support has certainly had to make some adjustments in the way we serve pregnant people and new families. Luckily, the main way we support people hasn’t had to change one bit — being a 24-hour source of calm and confidence.
Once upon a pre-pandemic time, a doula’s most used tools were their ears and phone. And that hasn’t changed. Here are some of the major benefits of hiring a virtual doula:
Round the Clock Pregnancy Support
Having a birth professional that you can text or call at any time of day or night brings peace of mind that all parents (especially first-time parents) deserve. The internet can be a confusing place that arouses more questions than answers, so having a doula be your “Google” when you feel a strange sensation, or a nagging worry can bring the calm you need to feel safe.
Reputable Pregnancy & Labour Resources
Again, the internet isn’t always the most reliable resource. Your doula can make recommendations for care-providers, perinatal specialists, books, peer support groups. If there is something you need in your pregnancy, chances are, your doula can help you find it!
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Personalized Care for Pregnant People
Prenatal classes, reading books, learning about the different ways you can birth and parent is important BUT all those resources are generalized and may provide information that doesn’t pertain to you. There is so much to learn, and being able to filter through the bits that are relevant to you is something your doula can help you with. Virtual prenatal visits with your doula are tailored to your individual pregnancy and priorities. Your doula gets to know you so they can give you the information that would be most helpful to your journey.
Powerful Pep Talks Before Labour
When the time comes for you to birth your baby, there can be uncertainty and lots of decisions to make. Your doula is once again available 24 hours a day to help you assess if you are in labour (and what stage), remind you of ways to labour comfortably and efficiently, and provide the reassurance and normalization that will give you the confidence to labour at home until it is the appropriate time to proceed to your birthing venue. Once at the hospital, there is a lot to navigate, and that puts a lot of pressure on the non-birthing support person. A trip out to the hallway to video call your doula is just the confidence boost non-birthing partners need to walk back into the room with a calm smile, and words of loving support for their birthing person.
Ongoing Support for New Parents
Many are feeling the lack of family and friend support once they are home with their new baby. New parents feel isolated enough as it is. But your doula continues to be there for you. When the nights are long and you don’t know who you can call at 4 am, call your doula. When you are worried about baby, but don’t know if there is really a problem, call your doula. Many of your needs in pregnancy continue in the early postpartum period (providing resources, relevant reading material, etc) and your doula continues to be the source of calm to get you through a tough time.
A virtual doula is able to provide the same unbiased, non-judgement, personalized, comfortable, informative support you need. Pants optional.
