Is an Olive Branch Doula right for me?
Do you feel...
anxious or worried about your upcoming birth experience?
Do you want...
someone who knows you well and will be by your side for the duration of your labour?
Do you desire...
continuity of care, feeling calm, supported, prepared, and ready for birth?
Doula
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Our team of birth doulas provide physical, practical and emotional supportive care to women during pregnancy, labor and the postpartum period. Allowing our clients and their family to be supported during their birth experience.
What we do:
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Our team of birth doulas will be your advocate when you are at your most vulnerable yet most empowered moment. Pregnancy, birth, and the immediate postpartum period can be an overwhelming and emotional experience. You can rest easy knowing that you have a support by your side that is dedicated to you and your family. It is important that you feel safe and supported during your birth experience. Everyone’s birth experiences and preferences are vastly different, therefore the support can look different from family to family. We look forward to spending time with you during the prenatal period to get to know you and your wishes for your birth and early postpartum period. We attend your labor at your invitation.
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We know that selecting a doula is a personal decision. That's why we offer a free online complimentary visit. This is your opportunity to ask questions and get a sense if our doulas are right for you. If you are interested in learning more about our doula services please fill out the doula client intake form.
The Essentials Package:
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A free complimentary virtual visit
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1 prenatal visit in your home.
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Phone, email or text support from 37 weeks until the
birth of your child. -
Continuous labour support
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Immediate postpartum support following the birth of your baby for a duration of 2 hours
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1 postpartum visit in your home
starting at $800.00
FAQs
What is a doula? Do I really need one?
A doula is a non-medical assistant that supports you and your partner during your prenatal, childbirth, and postpartum period. Your Doula is here to provide physical, emotional and practical support, and to facilitate a safe and positive birth experience for you. Many scientific trials examining doula care demonstrate remarkably improved physical and psychological outcomes for both pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people and their baby. Doulas have a positive impact on the well-being of the entire family.
What does a doula do and not do?
Doulas nurture and support the birthing women throughout labor and birth. Their essential role is to provide continuous labor support, no matter what decisions the client makes or how they give birth. Importantly, the doula’s role and agenda are tied solely to the birthing person’s agenda. This is also known as primacy of interest. In other words, a doula’s primary responsibility is to the birthing person—not to a hospital administrator, nurse, midwife, or doctor. A doula will focus on providing you with physical, emotional, and informational support throughout your labor. This may look like a labor massage or assisting with water therapy, providing you with reassurance, encouragement, and emotional support, or providing evidence-based information and guidance for decision-making during your birth. Your doula will also help you advocate for your needs and preferences, ensuring that your voice is heard and respected at all times. A doula is not a medical care provider. We do not offer medical advice or provide clinical treatments, make decisions for you, or pressure you to make a particular choice for your care. Doulas do not take over the role of your partner, nor do we perform clinical tasks like monitoring your blood pressure, checking your baby's heart rate, or catching your baby.
What is the difference between a doula and a Midwife?
Midwives provide primary care to clients that experience low-risk pregnancies, labour and delivery. Midwifery is funded by Ontario’s health care system. A Midwife is a regulated Health Care Provider governed by the College of Midwives of Ontario who provides prenatal care, care during labour and delivery, and postpartum care to clients and continues to provide support to client and her baby for up until 6 weeks postpartum. Midwives are able to perform clinical examinations and order diagnostic tests such as blood tests and ultrasounds, they manage labour and delivery, and care for a client during the postpartum period by ordering tests and performing clinical examinations. A doula is an unregulated birth professional who is chosen by a client to support them during their pregnancy, labour and delivery, and postpartum period. Doulas are privately funded and work directly for the client, not your primary caregiver or place of birth. Doulas provide physical, emotional, and practical support, as well as education to the client during their journey into motherhood.
What areas do our doulas service?
Our doulas provide home birth support to clients located in Hamilton, Ancaster, Caledonia, York, Canfield, Canborough, Caistor Centre, Grassie, Winona, Stoney Creek and everywhere in between! We also provide birth support services to our local hospitals. Such as McMaster University Children's Hospital or St. Joseph’s Healthcare hospital.
Can't my partner or best friend be my doula?
If your partner will be with you during labor, they are already fulfilling a very important role. They are the person in the room who knows you, and your preferences, best. They are bringing an amazing tool to your labor - their love and support. But they are not your doula. A doula is an impartial third party that can support both of you during your labor. Most partners will experience a range of emotions during labor, from joy and excitement to fear and nervousness. Many will forget a lot of the helpful tips or tricks they learned in birth class when the pressure is on. It is also very difficult for someone to fully support you when they are managing their own intense emotions in a stressful setting! A doula can help you both navigate your emotions and guide you through any unexpected changes to your birth plan, thereby allowing your partner to be fully present with you as your partner instead of as your birth attendant. Your partner is the expert in you. A doula is the expert in birth. Together, we can create an amazing platform of support to make sure you've got an incredible support team around you as you prepare to meet your baby.
What types of births do we support?
In general, doulas support ALL births. Doulas offer non-judgmental support. A doula's job is to help you make choices that are right for you - what those choices end up being are not important, so long as they are yours. Doulas are trained to support all kinds of births - at home, in the hospital, with midwives or doctors, medication free or with pain medication, vaginal or cesarean. However, at Olive Branch Wellness our purpose is about bringing care home. Therefore, we do have a preference to provide support to those wishing to experience birth at home. We do understand that sometimes home birth is not preferred or possible and so, upon request and as resources allow, we do continue to provide support to those having a hospital birth either vaginal or cesarean.
When should I hire a birth doula?
Whenever you want! We recommend beginning to look for a doula as soon as you decide that you would like a doula by your side for your birth experience. Some decide to hire a doula at 10 weeks gestation and others decide they’d like some extra support at the last moment. Looking for a doula early will give you time to decide who is right for you and hiring a doula early also gives you more time to build a therapeutic doula - client relationship.
How do I find the right birth doula for me?
Our doulas offer a no obligation complementary online meet and greet. So that you can get to know us and we you. Please feel free to ask us questions and get to know us better! We look forward to supporting your family.