Birth: Doula Services

​On this Page:  ​
Introduction & Birth Philosophy;
Birth Doula Packages: Birth, Birth+Birth Recovery, Birth+Well-Being, and Birth+Postpartum; 
Benefits of a Doula; Hospital Ratings; & Testimonials Excerpts (from Doula clients)
​
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:
  • ​belief and trust in the birthing process and my clients' intuition and discernment about what is right for them;
  • great respect for and appreciation of both the rich wisdom of cross-cultural traditional practices as well as modern evidence-based research;  
  • passion for illuminating and facilitating physiologic (innate, intuitive, body/baby-directed) birth and birth recovery -- whether excluding or including medical interventions;
  • a complementary background in self-care and other well-being support training and services; and
  • a desire to help my clients feel more prepared, confident, and connected to themselves, their baby, and their birth partner/team in their birth journey and beyond.
​
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. 
“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   $1,800*
My Birth Doula package includes the following services:
  • 3 Prenatal Visits at your home focused on:
    1. prenatal balance for comfort, ease, & facilitating fetal positioning during pregnancy and for birthing;
    2. labor/birth, including knowledge of and expectations for birthing; your desires, priorities, and concerns; formulating & communicating your birthing preferences; laboring at home; sensation management; birthing in the hospital; and
    3. early postpartum period, including postpartum planning and  considerations for recovery, bonding, and the well-being of your family
  • On-Call 24/7 for labor, starting 3 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 Visits visits at your home to help you settle in to being at home with your newborn; processing/integrating your birthing experience and/or, if applicable, postpartum stay at the hospital; &/or otherwise checking in on how you are all doing and offering support 
    • Optional:  If interested, one or both of these visits will include Physiologic Birth Recovery Care ("mother roasting" and/or "postpartum sealing" services for the Birth Giver, such as steaming, abdominal work, belly wrapping, etc.) to support the nervous system to be in a deep state of rest and to facilitate the recovery process
  • Resources & Referrals; 
  • Phone & Email Support; and
  • Discounts on additional appointments booked on an hourly basis for my other services related to birthing (Prenatal Balance Support and Physiologic Birth Recovery Care) and/or well-being (Breema® Bodywork, TRE®, Self-Breema® Exercises and other self-care support services):
    • during pregnancy & the 4th Trimester (1st 3 months after the birth)​​
      • $50 OFF of the first appointment and 25% OFF any any subsequent appointments for the same service 
      • additional $75 OFF of a 1.5 hour TRE® appointment for the Birth Partner when the appointment occurs prenatally (Normally this is $175, so this appointment would be $50 after the discount.)
    • anytime during the 1st year postpartum
      • 25% OFF of all appointments
​
*Please see here for more details (service area, deposit deadline, etc.)
BIRTH + BIRTH RECOVERY PACKAGE 
Birth Doula Package + 10 Hours of Birth Recovery Services   $2,425
Note: The fee for this package reflects a 50% discount off of my regular non-Doula 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:
  1. 3x 2 hour visits in 1st week postpartum, 2x 2 hour visits in 2nd week postpartum;
  2. 3x 2 hour visits in 1st week postpartum, 1x 2 hour visits in 2nd week postpartum, 1x 2 hour visits in 3rd week postpartum; or
  3. within the first 40 days postpartum, at least 6 hours of which are within the first 2 weeks postpartum

Additional well-being support hours may be booked separately from my Birth Doula package as follows:
  • Package of 20 hours (1.5 hour minimum per visit): $1,667
  • ​Single appointment: $125/hour (minus the discount described above if scheduled within the first year postpartum)

​*Please see here for more details (service area, deposit deadline, etc.)
BIRTH + PERINATAL WELL-BEING PACKAGE 
Birth Doula Package + 20 Hours of Well-Being Support   $3,050*
Note: The fee for this package reflects a 50% discount off of my regular non-Doula 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 appointments, and may include any combination of the following:
*Prenatal balance is usually part of the first prenatal appointment in my Birth Package.   

Additional well-being support hours may be booked separately from my Birth Doula package as follows:
  • Package of 20 hours (1.5 hour minimum per visit): $1,667
  • ​Single appointment: $125/hour (minus the discount described above if scheduled within the first year postpartum)

​*Please see here for more details (service area, deposit deadline, etc.)
BIRTH + POSTPARTUM DOULA PACKAGE 
Birth Doula Package + 20 Hours of Postpartum Doula Services   $2,600*
Note: The fee for this package reflects a 20% discount off of my regular hourly Postpartum Doula 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 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.  Postpartum services are provided during the daytime** in five 4-hour visits (totaling 20 hours), and may include:
  • Emotional support -- being a kind, familiar face offering a non-judgmental ear to listen when you need to talk, etc.;
  • Nurturing support -- setting up a bath; preparing &/or serving you a healthy meal, snack, &/or warm beverages; etc.;  
  • Household support -- stocking up breastfeeding stations, light pick-up around your home (sweeping, vacuuming, dishes, laundry, etc.) and/or doing grocery shopping & 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 / core member of your personal support system, etc.; &/or 
  • Educational/informational support & resources​

Additional Postpartum Doula hours may be booked separately from my Birth Doula package as follows:
  • Package of 5 visits (4 hours per visit):      $45/hour
  • ​Single visit (3 hours minimum per visit): $50/hour

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

**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 parents aren't building or maintaining milk supply, the NPpDs can tend to bottle-feeding while the parents sleep through the night.
 
~ DISCOUNT CODES ~
Save money on these Rachel Yellin Yes to Birth! products:
  • 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.
“If a Doula were a drug, it would be unethical NOT to use it.”
​~John H. Kennell, MD

​~ 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, rates.  
TIP: Enter your zip code, then in left sidebar, select "Mother & Baby" from "Rank By" options.  The hospitals will likely appear in the left sidebar list in the order of overall ratings.  (For example, as of 11/2018, SFGH & Sutter Vallejo are rated "Superior" and so appear at the top of the list.) Open each hospital in a separate window to preserve the filter settings.
~ Testimonial Excerpts ~
Excerpts of what clients are saying about Soizig's Doula services.  See here to read these testimonials in their entirety and/or to read others.
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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
***​
"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.
​~ Soizig's Other Services ~
​These hourly services can be provided on their own and/or in combination with the Doula services, described above.​

Prenatal Balance
Prenatal Balance
Perinatal Consulting
Perinatal Consult
Birth Recovery
Birth Recovery
Bodywork
Bodywork
TRE®
TRE®
Self-Breema®+
Self-Breema® +
“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)
For more quotes/passages that I love & find inspirational for bringing new life into this world, please see here.
Copyright ​© 2016 Soizig Le Boulch