Our Services
Providing quality doula services to families living in Manistee, Wexford, Mason, Lake, Oceana, Newaygo, and Muskegon Counties
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Education
Education is an integral part of our work because we believe that empowered, informed birth should be common. This means we do not limit our education services to just our contracted clients. We offer birth classes regularly and cover such topics as: pregnancy support, hormones of labor, physiological birth (ie; how birth happens), comfort measures, labor positions, common labor interventions, postpartum hormone changes, normal postpartum transition, breastfeeding, and newborn care. Classes meet in-person over the course of five weeks. The cost for these five weeks is $200 per family. An additional video reviewing what to expect for inductions and c-sections is also made available to students. If you are only interested in the class covering breastfeeding and newborn care, the cost is $50 per family.
Scholarships are available if the cost of the full class is prohibitive.​​​
2
Birth Doula
If you decide to hire us as your birth doula, you also gain:​
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24/7 text/call access to us with questions and discussion of options
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At least two prenatal appointments and access to our birth classes at a discount
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Personalized information and discussion regarding your pregnancy
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On-call availability for continuous labor support from 36 weeks gestation.
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One postpartum visit at home to review birth experience and to help with the postpartum transition.*
Our birth doula package is $850.** Unlike some doulas, we do not charge an extra fee if a client's labor takes longer than 12 or 24 hours. We do, however, charge a long-distance fee of $150 if clients live more than 30 miles from Exit 158 off US 31.
*If you would like more help during the postpartum period, you can add on 18 hours of postpartum care to your contract–for a combined birth and postpartum package of $1200.
**If cost is prohibitive, please discuss with us options regarding slide scale fees and Medicaid coverage.
3
Postpartum Care
We offer postpartum care in addition to our birth doula services or as a standalone option. We offer both night time and day time care.
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Nighttime support would outlined before the baby comes so that the Postpartum Doula can be prepared when we arrive at a client’s home and involves ongoing education for parents regarding newborn care, especially for babies with special considerations. The nighttime rate is $30/hr**
Abby and Maggie are able to offer shared daytime care (ie; rotating based on each doula's availability) and do any number of things, from light cleaning or housekeeping, helping with older children, talking over the birth experience, etc. However, we believe one of the most beneficial things we offer for your family, body, and baby during the postpartum period is to ensure you are eating the most nutrient-dense meals possible in order to help your body heal and replenish.​We highly recommend you check out this podcast on the importance of eating nutrient-dense food throughout pregnancy and postpartum. Our daytime rate is $25/hr**
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Whichever package you choose, clients also gain:
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Text access to us with questions until the cessation of care.
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Personalized information and discussion regarding the postpartum period, infant care, and breastfeeding.
It is important to note that we do charge a long-distance fee for clients living more than 30 miles from Exit 158 off US 31.
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**If cost is prohibitive, please discuss with us options regarding slide scale fees and Medicaid coverage.
What are the benefits of a Doula?
Doulas Of North America (DONA) defines a doula as "a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to their client before, during and shortly after childbirth to help them achieve the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible." Birth is a time of transformation, with highs and lows, a process that can be extremely rewarding, but also fatiguing and overwhelming.
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Doulas allow families to focus on the emotions and changes that birth brings about by providing practical support, experience, and knowledge about the birth process. They can act as a guide and an advocate for families, no matter if it's the first baby or the sixth.
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Doulas are not medical professionals, which means their entire focus, throughout prenatals, labor, delivery, and postpartum is centered on what YOU need. From discussing expectations or fears about childbirth, to giving massages, practicing comfort measures, suggesting different labor positions, a doula's entire purpose is to help you feel empowered to give birth well. Because they are not a paid medical staff member, most doulas do not take shifts, meaning you will have a constant, trusted, team member throughout your entire labor and birth. Doulas also help to support partners, who are often experiencing their own roller coaster of emotions and do not wish to have to "play gopher" or anticipate the needs or policies of the medical providers.
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Research has shown that Doulas, on average, decrease the length of labor, reduce the need for pain medication, significantly reduce the need for an emergency cesarean, and also positively increase the couple's feelings about their birth experience, leaving the couple more satisfied with the event as a whole. Women who have hired doulas often feel more confident in their bodies abilities, in their abilities as a mother, and in their ability to navigate the postpartum adjustment period.
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For more information about the benefits of Doulas, check out Evidence Based Birth's article on Doula Support.