FAQs

What if I book the doula and then I decide to have a planned caesarean birth?

Apart from the non-returnable deposit our service is flexible and allows for changes of plan. Read more about how we do this here

If doulas are only with the mum for labour and birth, why are their fees so high?

Well, for a start, they are not only there for labour and birth but will aim to have lengthy meetings with the mum and partner before the baby is expected, and afterwards.

In addition, babies are unpredictable; in order to be truly available for the mother around her due date the doula must be very careful what work, if any, she takes on over that period of time. Therefore her earning capacity is very restricted and unlike a midwife she does not work on a shift basis.

What’s the difference between a postnatal doula and a mother’s help?

Make no mistake, we love cooking and tidying but as postnatal doulas we bring a range of extra skills and qualifications into the job: holistic sleep consultations, baby massage, breastfeeding support, counselling skills and newborn observation.

Does a birth doula replace the woman’s partner during labour and birth?

That’s not what we would expect! Of course if the couple agree that that’s how they want things to be then the doula may be the sole birth companion. Some couples agree that it’s more appropriate for the partner to be at home with an older child, for example. Mostly we work as a team with the woman’s partner. As partners often say, it’s good to feel there’s “someone experienced on your own team”.