Birth: Doula Support

Birth: Doula Services

~ Informational, Emotional, & Physical Support During the Birthing Journey ~

On this Page:

Introduction;
Benefits of a Doula
Birth Doula Packages: Birth, Birth+Birth Recovery, Birth+Well-Being, and Birth+Postpartum;
Virtual Birth Doula Services; and
Testimonials

INTRODUCTION to My BIRTH DOULA Services

If you have taken a peak elsewhere on my website, you may have seen that I have long been passionate about holistic, integrative, physiologic approaches to health and well-being, and this passion likewise informs my support throughout the birthing journey -- during pregnancy, birthing (aka labor), and postpartum. As has been very clear over my years of being a birthworker, holistic, integrative, physiologic approaches can be invaluable for enhancing comfort, confidence, connection to self & dear ones, ease, and other aspects of well-being for the different stages of the birthing journey.

My birth services are informed both by my background in general well-being practices (bodywork/massage, yoga, stress management, and more) as well as in well-being practices specific to the unique circumstances of the perinatal/birthing time (such as Body Ready Method® and Spinning Babies® , prenatal yoga, traditional postpartum recovery care (aka "mother roasting" / "postpartum sealing"), and more). This integrative approach is suited to those interested in:

greater comfort and well-being throughout the rest of pregnancy;
physiologic/natural approaches for birthing (including coping with sensations and/or facilitating birthing progress/timing), whether
- in lieu of or in addition to any medications/interventions and
- birthing in a hospital, birthing center, &/or home; &/or
recovery and well-being after birth (with the use of practices such as gentle hip/belly binding, herbal steams, sitz baths, moxibustion, bodywork, guided deep relaxation, and/or more);

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.

~ BENEFITS of a DOULA ~
(research-based)

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 birth givers)

For a conceptual model by Rebecca L. Decker, PhD, RN based on research results on the benefits of birthing support, see here.

“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

BIRTH DOULA PACKAGE
~ Basic / Fundamentals ~$3,000*

My Birth Doula package includes the following offerings:

at least 3 Private Prenatal Appointments focused on:
prenatal balance for comfort, ease, & facilitating fetal position during pregnancy and for birthing, including, but not limited to Body Ready Method® and Spinning Babies® practices;
birthing (aka "labor"), including knowledge of and expectations for birthing; your desires, priorities, and concerns; formulating & communicating your birthing preferences; birthing period at home &/or elsewhere; sensation management, comfort techniques; participation of and support for any birth partner(s);
early postpartum period, including postpartum planning and considerations for recovery, bonding, and the well-being of your family
On-Call 24/7 for birthing, officially starting 2 weeks before your estimated due date;
Birthing & Immediate Postpartum Support: Grounded, trusting, safe presence and continuous support until 1 to 2 hours after birth;
- Backup Doula support, if needed;
2 Postpartum Appointments:
- Appt. 1: 1 to 2 hour appointment supporting your return to &/or settling in at home with your newborn; if desired, processing/integrating your birthing experience and/or, if applicable, your postpartum stay at the hospital; &/or otherwise checking in on how you are all doing and offering support accordingly
- Appt. 2: 1 hour appointment for belly binding &/or other Physiologic Birth Recovery Care for the Birth Giver to support the nervous system to be in a deep state of rest, facilitate healing/recovery from birth, and nurture sense of well-being
Resources & Referrals to local perinatal providers; and
Phone & Email Support.

My Birth Doula clients may also enjoy Discounts on Additional À La Carte Services booked by the Birth Giver &/or Birth Partner(s) during the pregnancy &/or the 4th Trimester (1st 3 months after the birth):

Yoga classes: The Birth Giver &/or the Birth Partner(s) may benefit from a discount on purchasing a pass to attend 5 or 10 of my online group yoga classes, such as Prenatal Yoga (for the Birth Giver), Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, and/or Restorative/Therapeutic Yoga. (Each individual is asked to purchase and use their own pass(es).)
- purchased & used* prenatally:
  - 5-class pass: $45
  - 10-class pass: $75
  - *NOTE: These steeply discounted rates are offered as a motivator for self-care prior to birthing. If, however, you are unable to use all of the classes purchased in the package prenatally, you can use the remaining classes in the pass in the 4th Trimester.
- purchased in the 4th Trimester*:
  - 5-class pass: $55
  - 10-class pass: $85
  - *NOTE: These class passes expire 6 months following your baby's birth.
Private hourly appointments: approximately 27% discount off of my regular hourly rate for Prenatal Balance Support, Physiologic Birth Recovery Care), and/or any of my well-being support offerings (Breema® Bodywork, Yoga, TRE®, Self-Breema® Exercises and other self-care support services)

*Please see here for more details (service area, deposit deadline, etc.)

BIRTH + BIRTH RECOVERY PACKAGE
~ Birth Doula Package + 10 Extra Hours of Birth Recovery Services ~
Note: The fee for this package reflects an approximate 43% discount off of my regular rate per hour.

This package includes my basic Birth Doula services plus 10 additional hours of Physiologic Birth Recovery Care services to support the Birth Giver's recovery following birth. These are offered in 2 hour to 3 hour appointments, and may include any combination of the following during the Fourth Trimester:

traditional postpartum practices such as herbal steams, belly binding, closing of the bones" ceremony, and/or more;
private Yoga (Hatha, Restorative, Yin, Yoga Nidra, &/or Yoga for Stress Management);
contemporary well-being support (Breema® (Bodywork &/or Self-Breema®); TRE®; EFT; etc.)

BIRTH + PERINATAL WELL-BEING PACKAGE
~ Birth Doula Package + 20 Extra Hours of Well-Being Support ~
Note: The fee for this package reflects an approximate 47% discount off of my regular rate per hour.

This package includes my basic Birth Doula services plus 20 additional hours of well-being support services to support the Birth Giver &/or Partner(s) prenatally &/or after the birth. These are offered in 1.5 hour to 3 hour private appointments, and may include any combination of the following offerings:

before birthing
- extra* prenatal balance support
- Self-Breema® Exercises, EFT, &/or other well-being support for the Birth Giver &/or the birth partner(s)
- Prenatal yoga class(es) for the Birth Giver
- Yoga, TRE®, &/or Breema® Bodywork for the birth partner(s)
during the the 4th Trimester (1st 3 months postpartum)
- Physiologic Birth Recovery Care for the Birth Giver
- Breema® (Bodywork &/or Self-Breema®) for the Birth Giver &/or the birth partner(s)
- Yoga, TRE®, &/or EFT for the Birth Giver &/or the birth partner(s)

* Prenatal balance support is usually included in my Birth Packages.

BIRTH + POSTPARTUM DOULA PACKAGE
~ Birth Doula Package + 20 Hours of Postpartum Doula Services ~
Note: The fee for this package reflects a discount off of my hourly Postpartum Doula services rate.

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:

Nurturing the Birth Giver -- preparing &/or serving you a healthy meal, snack, &/or warm beverages; setting up a bath; emotional support and sounding board; etc.;
Resourcing the Household -- stocking up feeding stations, light pick-up around your home (sweeping, vacuuming, dishes, laundry, etc.), grocery shopping/unpacking, & similar errands;
Self-Care & Family Connection support -- attending to your newborn while you take a moment for yourself to bathe, etc., spend some quality time with your other child(ren), &/or connect with your partner(s) / core member of your personal support system, etc.; &/or
Educational/informational support & resources

These appointments do not include my Recovery Care or Well-Being services.

**Day vs. Night Postpartum Doula Support
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:

bring baby to parent(s) for feedings*; attend to baby's waking needs (burping, changing, etc.); and sleep when baby sleeps;
have an 8 to 10 hour minimum time commitment per night; and
charge more for night work than day work.

* If the parent(s) isn't building or maintaining milk supply, the NPpDs can tend to bottle-feeding while the parents sleep through the night.

“If a Doula were a drug, it would be unethical NOT to use it.”
~John H. Kennell, MD

~ CA Hospital Ratings ~
See CalHospitalCompare.org and filter by "Mother & Baby" to find hospital ratings for Cesarean births, VBAC, bodyfeeding, episiotomy, & Midwife rates.

~ SPECIAL OFFERS ~

See here to learn about my Belly Binding Special and/or my other postpartum recovery support services,
Rachel Yellin's Yes to Birth! savings:
- Save 20% off of "Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond" Audio Relaxation Program using code "delighted" at check-out.
- Save $25 off of Childbirth classes using code "25BUCKSOFF" at check-out.

~ VIRTUAL Birth Doula Services ~

For those interested in &/or when circumstances require birth doula services on a virtual or hybrid (mix of in-person & virtual) basis, following is an overview:

prenatal appts.: Zoom is an excellent option for virtual support and lends itself very well for the content usually covered in our prenatal appts. Meeting via Zoom also allows me to offer more flexibility in scheduling (including splitting a long appt. into 2 shorter ones, allowing you to process & integrate information in smaller doses). If desired and circumstances allow (you live locally, etc.), we might meet in person for at least 1 prenatal appt. and virtually for the others, especially if the Birth Giver would like to feel me demonstrating a number of partner practices for pregnancy &/or birthing before guiding the Birth Partner(s) in doing them.

birthing time: Zoom is an excellent option and lends itself very well for offering informational support, emotional support, and guidance or coaching on physical support. Even prior to the pandemic, I had been educating my clients prenatally on comfort, space, alignment, & other well-being support approaches (including, but not limited to, Body Ready Method® and Spinning Babies® , and stress management content) for pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum. This has included DIY as well as partner-based practices. Getting an understanding of and developing a relationship with these approaches prenatally facilitates and enhances virtual doula services during the actual birthing time. While birthing hormones, excitement, and/or fatigue can often lead to both the Birth Giver and the Birth Partner(s) forgetting everything they learned prenatally (whether through me, childbirth prep classes, and/or elsewhere), with a Zoom connection during birthing, I can watch and listen for what's happening and resource my clients live, adapting to what is occurring in the moment. Whether reminding them of and/or guiding them through familiar sensation management, fetal positioning, and/or birthing progress techniques and/or introducing new ones based on certain variations of birthing -- I can support the Birth Giver and the Birth Partner(s) through what I am observing as birthing is unfolding and/or based on their questions. Of course, all of this virtual informational support, emotional support, and guidance or coaching on physical support also can be invaluable in navigating any transfer to another location, medical decisions, and/or any medical interventions.
postpartum appts.: Zoom is an excellent option and lends itself very well for reflecting and discussing the birth, what's been happening since the birth, and resourcing my clients with how things are in the moment, which is the focus of our 1st postpartum appt. (and often revisited at the start of our 2nd and any additional appointments). The 2nd appointment (focused on the birth giver's healing and well-being) can easily be done via Zoom, as I have learned a variety of ways to resource my clients physically, emotionally. and energetically that don't require me to be in the same physical space, however, another option is to offer this support in person if desired and circumstances allow (you live locally, etc.)

After exploring my Birth Doula services on this page, please contact me to schedule a free meet & greet to learn more.

~ 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)

***

"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

***

"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

***

"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.

“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)

~ Soizig's Other Services ~
These services can be provided on their own and/or in combination with the Doula services, described above.

Prenatal Balance

Perinatal Consult

Birth Recovery

Bodywork

TRE®

Yoga

Self-Breema®