What is a Birth Doula?
There are a variety of ways in which people define the role of a birth doula. Read on to learn how we describe it at Boston Doula Circle!
Childbirth is typically the most emotion-filled event of a person’s life. However, within our current healthcare system, no one on the medical team is designated to provide emotional care for the birthing family.
An experienced birth doula helps fill this role. We help you to tap into your capabilities and strength, and to be able to respond with confidence whether labor is very short or very long, complicated or straightforward.
In addition, doulas are experts in labor support and effective comfort techniques – a role which no one else on the healthcare team is designated to fill. Research shows that parents-to-be expected their nurses to spend approximately 53 percent of their time providing labor support, yet in reality less than 10 percent of nurses’ time is spent in this way! Most of their time is spent on medical care and charting.
Finally, we serve as your advocates – a role which, again, no one on the medical team is specifically designated to fill. We know what questions to ask the healthcare team, when to ask them, and which options to suggest that have not yet been proposed. We help empower you to make confident, informed decisions about your birth.
In the 1980s, Dena Carmosino became one of the first professional doulas in Boston and the U.S., and she went on to be the Founder of Boston Doula Circle. In the 1990s, Ananda Lowe became the Assistant Director of A.L.A.C.E. (now ToLabor), the oldest national doula training organization. She is now the Director of Boston Doula Circle.
Doulas carry on the longstanding tradition of women in the community providing support to people giving birth, found in cultures around the world for centuries of human existence. Boston Doula Circle would be honored to be part of your village!
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How does your partner fit in?
The birthing person's partner plays an essential role in providing support. A doula cannot make some of the unique contributions that the partner makes, such as intimate knowledge of and love for the birthing person and their baby. The doula is there in addition to, not instead of, the partner. With a doula present the pressure on the partner is decreased so that he or she can enjoy the birthing experience.
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Partners often feel relieved when they can rely on a doula for help and are able to participate at their own comfort level. For those partners who want to play an active supporting role, the doula assists and guides them in effective ways to help the person in labor. If fact, research shows that partners participate more in supporting the laboring person and during the early postpartum care of mom and baby, as a result of the presence of a trained doula.
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Our Approach
Boston Doula Circle is a pioneer of the "Doula Team Model" for birth doulas.
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What does working in a team model mean?
The older model for birth doulas is working alone, in solo practice. An emerging alternative is the team model, where a small group of birth doulas work together with the same clients and share an on-call schedule.
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What are the advantages to a team model?
Collective wisdom -- The doulas in our group possess a much broader skill set together than we could alone. We share this collective wisdom with each other and with you!
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No need for backup -- In solo practice, doulas need to find back-up -- sometimes at the last minute -- in cases of emergency, illness or conflicting births. In a group model, this isn't necessary. You will always have a doula you know, who knows you!
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Always an energized doula -- It's perfectly normal for birth to last 24 to 72 hours or more. Eventually you may get tired, and so may your doula! In a team model, you would instead get a well-rested doula bringing a new burst of energy to your birthing space.
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Do you have other questions about our group, or what a team model is and whether it may be right for you? Contact us to learn more!
What's Included
Boston Doula Circle's birth doula package includes these services and benefits:
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Free access to all BDC-led workshops. Topics include childbirth education, lactation and feeding, preparing for baby and postpartum, pregnancy massage, infant sleep, and more!​
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A copy of The Doula Guide to Birth, authored by BDC Director Ananda Lowe
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Monthly phone calls with your Doula Guru (team contact person), and unlimited email and text support
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Attendance at our Meet The Doulas event to get to know all BDC doulas who may be supporting you
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Assistance with creating your written birth plan
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One 2-hour prenatal visit in your home
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We are on-call for your birth starting from the time that you sign your contract. There are no limits to the dates of your on-call period.
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Telephone and/or virtual support in early labor, then continuous in-person support from active labor until 1-2 hours after birth
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One post-birth visit in your home
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DAILY postpartum check-ins to support successful lactation and feeding​
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Fees
Our fee for birth doula services is $2800
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You may request a payment plan to spread out our fee.
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Doula fees qualify for FSA/HSA reimbursement.
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You can include doula services on your baby registry, so family and friends may contribute to the fee like so:
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BDC is not yet approved as a MassHealth provider. To find a doula who is approved as a MassHealth provider, visit: