What We Do
What does a doula do?
Introductory definition: A doula is a professional support person for a birthing family. Doulas provide physical and emotional support during labor and delivery plus the early postpartum period. A doula is a seasoned guide to partner with while you walk the path of your birth journey.
They don’t:
Provide medical care
Make health decisions for the client
Speak on behalf of the client
Replace the dad or any family member (or good friend).
What do we do at CornerStone Doula Support and Beyond?
We are proud to offer support in Halifax and surrounding areas to support you in your birth and postpartum journey.
We will support you with facts, reducing your stress, and all the love and connection of a best friend.
Your emotions, culture, faith, family, and good friends are all important parts of you and, in turn, an important part of your birth and postpartum journey. We will strive to give you the best support and assist in giving you the confidence to help you in achieving the birth you want.
Types of births I attend and families I serve
It is often thought that doulas only support natural birth (vaginal, unmedicated). Quite commonly, people think doulas are for home births. As for me, this is what my services are available for.
Any location: hospital, or home
Births with obstetricians and births with midwives
Vaginal births
Cesarean births, whether scheduled or unplanned
Any type of pain management: all natural or epidural or somewhere in between
Low-risk births
High-risk births
Singletons or multiples
Expected healthy outcome
Expected health problems
Perinatal and infant loss: miscarriage, stillbirth, fatal diagnosis or health issues that are expected to cause death
All types of families: Whether you're married, single, dating, divorced, somewhere in between, or you have a multi-parent family, I'm happy to partner with you on your journey. I also support surrogacy. I have and can work with the birthing family and the intended parents as they walk this path together. Likewise, with adoption, and can be hired by the birthing mother or the adoptive mother (with birthing mom's permission). I'm happy to provide services to all people.
I serve people from a variety of religious beliefs, political perspectives, and different backgrounds. I enjoy working with a wide variety of people. I believe diversity strengthens healthcare workers and the world in general.
Want me to sit quietly and listen to jazz music, we can do that. Want me to listen to some traditional indigenous drumming, Absolutely! Want me to learn a special mantra with you, I will do my best. Want me to pray with you, happily! This is YOUR journey and we will help in any way we can.
Do I need a doula if I have a partner?
A birth doula isn’t a replacement support person. Your partner will still be in the main support role. A doula goes where they are needed. I can recommend certain ways for your partner to comfort you or apply pressure to certain spots, and some comfort measures require two people ect. A birth doula also is there for both the partner and the birthing woman. Sometimes support partners get caught up in all the excitement and are so focused on the birthing woman that they forget to eat or drink themselves. A birth doula will make sure your both getting what you need. It can also be very beneficial for the mental health of the support partner to have someone else there that they are comfortable with and know to talk to during the labour, as it can sometimes be a very long process. A birth doula will also make it easier for the partner to step out of the room for a few minutes, whether it’s to grab something to eat or call family/friends to update them, or just take a moment for a walk to stretch their legs and not sit in a hospital chair. There are so many benefits to having a birth doula AND your birthing partner present.
Studies have shown significantly better outcomes in births where the woman had a supportive partner AND a doula in comparison to women who did not.
The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology reported in March 2014, “Published data indicate one of the most effective tools to improve labor and delivery outcomes is the continuous presence of a support personnel, such as a doula. Given that there are no associated measurable harms, this resource is probably underutilized.”
Read more about doula benefits here
Who needs a doula? Anybody who wants one. Whether single or married, you can benefit from a doula. Whether planning a natural, vaginal delivery or a planned c-section or anything in between, a doula can assist you. You may especially benefit from a doula if you are nervous about birth, don’t want to be left alone during labor, don’t have a supportive partner, live away from family, are a military wife with a deployed husband, struggle with depression or anxiety, or suffer from addiction and need support to have a birth without pain medication. Everyone can benefit from having a doula!