Birth: Doula Services
~ Informational, Emotional, & Physical Support During the Birthing Journey ~
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On this Page:
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Introduction & Birth Philosophy;
Birth While Sheltering in Place; Birth Doula Packages: Birth, Birth+Birth Recovery, Birth+Well-Being, and Birth+Postpartum; Testimonials to Soizig's Birth Doula Services; and Benefits of a Doula |
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Introduction & Birth Philosophy
I am passionate about supporting others along their birthing journeys, with a focus on providing a grounding, non-judgmental, birth-positive presence to help my clients feel safe, informed, and empowered. My approach to birthwork is influenced by:
I offer several Birth Packages (details provided further below), to suit those seeking varying levels of support:
A free Meet & Greet is available to those who are interested in my Birth Doula services to explore how well their needs and my offerings align, as well as how great a fit we are energetically. |
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Birth While Sheltering in Place
Birth Doula services are invaluable at all times, and equally (if not more so) when sheltering in place ("SIP") is advised for public safety. Much of the support that Doulas provide can be offered remotely when circumstances prohibit in-person care. Many agree that remote Doula support is better than no Doula support, especially when available care providers (nurses, doctors, etc.) are overwhelmed, under-resourced, and vulnerable. For the safety of all, especially those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and healthcare workers and others who are unable to stay at home, all Birth Doula services can be offered remotely through video, etc. when appropriate and/or desired. Depending on circumstances, level of risk/exposure, proper safety precautions, etc., some Birth Doula services may be provided in person while a SIP Order is in effect. There is also the option to postpone prenatal and/or postpartum appointments until the SIP Order has been lifted, if that is expected to occur in the upcoming days or weeks. Please see below to learn about my Birth Doula services and/or contact me to learn more, including how perinatal support can occur during SIP circumstances. |
“Asking your husband [wife, etc.] to be your sole guide through labor is like asking him to lead the way on a climb of Mt. Everest. He may be smart and trustworthy, you may love him, but in the Himalayas you’d both be a lot better off with a Sherpa!” ~Pam England, CNM
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BIRTH DOULA PACKAGE $2,200*
My Birth Doula package includes the following offerings:
*Please see here for more details (service area, deposit deadline, etc.) 
BIRTH + BIRTH RECOVERY PACKAGE
Birth Doula Package + 10 Hours of Birth Recovery Services $2,825 Note: The fee for this package reflects a 50% discount off of my regular rate per hour. For those who are interested in extra birth recovery support during their Fourth Trimester (the first 3 months after the birth), I offer a Birth Doula + Recovery Care Support combo package. This package includes my basic Birth Doula services plus 10 hours (reflecting a substantial discount) of postpartum well-being support services to support the Birth Giver's recovery. These are offered in 2 hour to 3 hour appointments, and may include any combination of the following during the Fourth Trimester:
Recommendations on how these 10 extra hours might be scheduled:
Additional well-being support hours may be booked separately from my Birth Doula package as follows:
BIRTH + PERINATAL WELL-BEING PACKAGE
Birth Doula Package + 20 Hours of Well-Being Support $3,450* Note: The fee for this package reflects a 50% discount off of my regular rate per hour. For those who are interested in extra well-being support along their birthing journey, I offer a Birth Doula + Perinatal Well Being Support combo package. This package includes my basic Birth Doula services plus 20 hours (reflecting a substantial discount) of well-being support services offered in 1.5 hour to 3 hour private appointments, and may include any combination of the following:
*Prenatal balance is usually the focus of the first prenatal appointment in my Birth Packages. Additional well-being support hours may be booked separately from my Birth Doula package as follows:
BIRTH + POSTPARTUM DOULA PACKAGE
Birth Doula Package + 20 Hours of Postpartum Doula Services $3,000* Note: The fee for this package reflects an additional 20% discount off of my already discounted rate for Postpartum Doula services. Recovery from birth and adjusting to the responsibilities of a newborn's needs can often be incredibly demanding, challenging, and overwhelming -- especially when one's community of friends and family are unable to provide the kind, quality, and/or amount of care needed. Many people benefit greatly from hiring postpartum doulas to support them while navigating this transition. For those who would like to secure some extra Doula support for their Fourth Trimester (first 3 months after the birth) while booking my Birth Doula services, I offer a discounted Birth + Postpartum Doula combo package. This package is for my Birth Doula clients who wish to have a little extra daytime help for their household that can be easily rescheduled around my other clients' births. My Postpartum Doula services are provided during the daytime** in five 4-hour appointments (totaling 20 hours), and may include:
Available to my Birth Doula clients only, Postpartum Doula support may be booked separately from my Birth Doula package as follows*:
I offer daytime Postpartum Doula support. If you are looking for a Postpartum Doula to be with you throughout the night to maximize your nighttime sleep, I can refer you to Night Postpartum Doulas ("NPpD"). NPpDs typically:
“If a Doula were a drug, it would be unethical NOT to use it.” |
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~ Testimonial Excerpts ~
Excerpts of what clients are saying about Soizig's Birth Doula services. See here to read these testimonials in their entirety and/or to see testimonials from others. "I had Soizig as my birth doula for my first pregnancy... I definitely made the right choice. Right off the bat, she was nurturing, supportive and extremely informative. My husband and I learnt so much from her in those pre-natal sessions and that empowered & prepped us well for the birth of our son.... it was fully natural & smooth with no epidural or any other pain relievers. I attribute that to the prep techniques & exercises that Soizig taught us in those pre-natal sessions. Also, her calm, comforting & nurturing presence was the grounding force that we needed... we'd definitely engage Soizig for her birth doula services again!" ~Eileen Ng, Los Angeles (previously San Francisco)
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"I cannot sing enough praises! When I first met her, I instantly felt a connection, felt at ease, and knew she was the one I wanted assisting the birth. Soizig's energy is positive with a smile that lights up any room. She is extremely caring, empathic, generous with her time, has a calming, very nurturing, grounding presence, and helped keep me "in the zone" during labor... she seemed to know all the right things to say when I needed to hear them... her support led me to feeling respected, taken care of, in charge, and safe. Soizig went above and beyond.
Thank you for guiding us through this journey, we are really grateful to have experienced your love and support." ~Evelyn, San Francisco ***
"I am wholeheartedly recommending her services! Her knowledge, passion and professionalism throughout the entire journey were invaluable.., her encouragements, energy and patience were incredible...Thank you Soizig for accompanying us, I learned so much throughout this journey and I'm so grateful to have gone through it with you!" ~Coline G., San Francisco
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"Soizig is such a special person who brings a sense of presence that is contagious. I feel so incredibly lucky to have had her support before and during the birth of my baby... I would recommend her services wholeheartedly to anyone looking for a steady and wise guide for the mind, spirit, and body."
~Shannon W., Sunnyvale ***
"Soizig has been a wonderful resource for us... She did a great job of making sure we were aware of all of our options, as well as her experience with those options while remaining very respectful and sensitive to allowing us to create our own journey. She is solution oriented, thoughtful, empathetic, organized, generous with her time and ideas, and perceptive. She opened our eyes to new ideas, Techniques, and methods. We look forward to partnering with her for our third child!" ~James Kilpatrick
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"From the start, Soizig was a grounding force... Choose Soizig if you need to learn, stay grounded, and be physically supported before, during, and after delivery. Our baby is happy and healthy, come into the world in the usual way thanks to her caring presence."
~Dom, San Francisco ***
"I can't say enough about how wonderful it was to have Soizig's Doula support during my labor... Thank you, Soizig!... I recommend Soizig wholeheartedly for her doula service as well as her other bodywork services."
~Eve G. ***
"Having Soizig present leading up to and during the birth of my daughter Savannah was wonderful.....Thanks again for all of your help and support!"
~Alex Diehl, San Francisco ***
"it was fantastic to have Soizig... I really felt like she was dedicated to making the birth experience as amazing as possible for us. I absolutely recommend her as a doula!"
~A.L. ***
"I would highly recommend Soizig as a Doula! She was a great support not only to me but also to my husband. It was really a team work!"
~C.K. For more testimonials, see here.
~ DISCOUNT CODES ~
Save money on these Rachel Yellin Yes to Birth! products:
~ BENEFITS of a DOULA ~ (research-based) “Continuous support from an experienced labor companion can be extremely beneficial... In studies of over 16,000 women comparing outcomes with & without such support, we have seen a major reduction in the length of labor, a greater than 50 percent drop in cesarean sections, a remarkable drop in the mothers' need for pain medication, & several other important & measurable benefits."
~Marshall H. Klaus, MD, John H. Kennell, MD, & Phyllis H Klaus, MFT, LMSW, The Doula Book “Women who received continuous labour support were more likely to give birth 'spontaneously’, i.e. give birth with neither caesarean nor vacuum nor forceps. In addition, women were less likely to use pain medications, were more likely to be satisfied, and had slightly shorter labours. Their babies were less likely to have low five-minute Apgar scores. No adverse effects were identified. We conclude that all women should have continuous support during labour. Continuous support from a person who is present solely to provide support, is not a member of the woman’s social network, is experienced in providing labour support, and has at least a modest amount of training, appears to be most beneficial.”
~Hodnett ED, Gates S, Hofmeyr GJ, Sakala C (Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth (Review), on results of 22 trials involving 15,288 women) For a conceptual model designed by Rebecca L. Decker, PhD, RN based on research results on the benefits of labor support, see here.
~ CA Hospital Ratings ~
See CalHospitalCompare.org and filter by "Mother & Baby" to find hospital ratings for Cesarean births, VBAC, breastfeeding, episiotomy, & Midwife rates. |
“A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.”
~Gandalf (character in JRR Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings)
~Gandalf (character in JRR Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings)
~ Soizig's Other Services ~
These services can be provided on their own and/or in combination with the Doula services, described above.
These services can be provided on their own and/or in combination with the Doula services, described above.
Prenatal Balance
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Perinatal Consult
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Birth Recovery
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Bodywork
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TRE®
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Yoga
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Self-Breema®
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Copyright © 2016 Soizig Le Boulch
