The Lotus Family Support & Education Center
Great news! Our Harrowgate location has moved to Brewerytown! We are now accepting applications!
What is a Birth and Parenting Doula
A doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to mothers and their partners before, during and after childbirth to help them achieve their personal birth experience.
What does a birth doula offer?
Physical Support
Position ideas for comfort and labor progression with hands-on comfort measures like a gentle touch, counter pressure, breathing techniques and other doula tricks.
Emotional Support
Doulas help families feel supported by easing the emotional experience of birth and helping to create a space where the hormones of labor can work at their best. This emotional support is offered to families who opt to experience a completely unmedicated birth or have medically complex births. Every family can benefit from nurturing and tender connection of a doula.
Partner Support
Husband, romantic partner, a friend or other family member like the baby’s grandma receive physical and emotional support. Doulas are there to support the birth partner in being as involved as they would like during the birthing process.
Information and Advocacy
Doulas are trained to help families connect with evidence-based resources so they can ask great questions and make informed decisions about their births. They serve as a bridge of communication between families and their providers, guiding them and helping them to find their voices and advocate for the very best care.
What does a parenting doula offer?
Information and Resources
Parenting is a hard job and one that comes with a lot of questions. Like a birth doula, a parenting doula offers families evidence-based information and resources so they can make informed decisions about their child's development.
Emotional Support
Dealing with the emotions of raising another human being can be exhausting. A parenting doula support parents through the trials of parenting. They provide families with a listening ear and a place to discuss how they are feeling without being judged.
Birth Doula Services
Birth Doula Services
As your birth doula, I will provide you and your family with support needed to make informed decisions during your birthing experience.
Package 1:
Prior to Baby:
- (1) FREE Consultation to discuss your birthing desires, our services & to determine compatibility
- (6) Prenatal Visits to learn about you and your pregnancy, discuss comfort measures, relaxation methods and to address any questions/concerns you have
- Continuous informational, emotional, and physical support throughout your entire pregnancy, birth and early postpartum period*
- Unlimited support by phone/email
- 24 Hour On-Call availability beginning at 24 weeks, and continuing until your baby is born
Labor and Delivery:
- Support beginning in early active labor, until the baby is born
- Initial breastfeeding support for those who desire it
- After the baby is born, I will stay with you for 1-2 hours, providing additional, as-needed support
After Baby is Born:
- Telephone support 1-2 days after birth to answer any questions and see if there are any problems/concerns.
- (3) In-home visit after birth to discuss your birth, assess your postpartum needs and address any questions or concerns you have about feeding, baby care, your ever-changing postpartum body and more.
- Continued informational, emotional and physical support including breastfeeding & postpartum resources and referrals.
- Continued support by phone/email for the first 6 weeks, based on your needs.
Package 2
Prior to Baby:
- (1) FREE Consultation to discuss your birthing desires, our services & to determine compatibility
- (4) Prenatal Visits to learn about you and your pregnancy, discuss comfort measures, relaxation methods and to address any questions/concerns you have
- Continuous informational, emotional, and physical support throughout your entire pregnancy, birth and early postpartum period*
- Unlimited support by phone/email
- 24 Hour On-Call availability beginning at 24 weeks, and continuing until your baby is born
Labor and Delivery:
- Support beginning in early active labor, until the baby is born
- Initial breastfeeding support for those who desire it
- After the baby is born, I will stay with you for 1-2 hours, providing additional, as-needed sup
After Baby is Born:
- Telephone support 1-2 days after birth to answer any questions and see if there are any problems/concerns.
- (2) In-home visit after birth to discuss your birth, assess your postpartum needs and address any questions or concerns you have about feeding, baby care, your ever-changing postpartum body and more.
- Continued informational, emotional and physical support including breastfeeding & postpartum resources and referrals.
- Continued support by phone/email for the first 4 weeks, based on your needs.
Package 3
Prior to Baby:
- (1) FREE Consultation to discuss your birthing desires, our services & to determine compatibility
- (2) Prenatal Visits to learn about you and your pregnancy, discuss comfort measures, relaxation methods and to address any questions/concerns you have
- Continuous informational, emotional, and physical support throughout your entire pregnancy, birth and early postpartum period*
- Unlimited support by phone/email
- 24 Hour On-Call availability beginning at 24 weeks, and continuing until your baby is born
- Labor and Delivery:
- Support beginning in early active labor, until the baby is born
- Initial breastfeeding support for those who desire it
- After the baby is born, I will stay with you for 1-2 hours, providing additional, as-needed support
After Baby is Born:
- Telephone support 1-2 days after birth to answer any questions and see if there are any problems/concerns.
- (1) In-home visit after birth to discuss your birth, assess your postpartum needs and address any questions or concerns you have about feeding, baby care, your ever-changing postpartum body and more.
- Continued informational, emotional and physical support including breastfeeding & postpartum resources and referrals.
- Continued support by phone/email for the first 2 weeks, based on your needs.
Sliding scale for no and low-income families
Check to see if you qualify for Lotus Support
Packages created based on your family needs
Monthly payment plans available