What is the difference between a doula and a midwife?

Doulas navigate emotional landscapes, tailoring care to each family. Doulas are trained offer unique emotional, physical, and spiritual support all the way from fertility and pre-conception to postpartum, and even through loss (abortion, miscarriage, and death doula support). Doulas provide non-medical, educational, and hands-on assistance, empowering families to make informed decisions and reduce unwanted risks and interventions. They offer comfort measures such as massage, mindfulness coaching, breathwork coaching, counter pressure, and more. Doulas advocate for patient-centered and/or family-centered care, and help create a trusting, serene atmosphere.

Midwives provide expert prenatal health care, medical assistance during labor and delivery, and postnatal assistance to ensure the well-being and safety of mother and child. Families in Toronto and Ontario can choose to have a midwife as a more holistic alternative to an obstetrician or doctor for their birth. Midwives attend home births, hospital births, or births at the Toronto Birth Center. Midwives carry with them medical equipment equivalent to that of a level one hospital. Together, midwives and doulas enrich the lives of expectant families.

Can I have a doula at a hospital birth?

Yes, doulas have a crucial role in hospital births. Prenatally, doulas help families understand their options during a hospital birth. Whether labour is medicated or unmedicated in the hospital setting, the doula brings specific knowledge help aide the effectiveness of medical interventions, prevent unnecessary or unwanted interventions, and shorten and ease labour. Doulas offer comfort measures, assist with communication between the birthing individual and medical staff, and provide continuous support throughout the process.The doula is an advocate for movement in labour and methods such as hydrotherapy to increase comfort and safety in birth even in the hospital setting. Sometimes the doula supports at home in early/active labour and helps the labouring individual determine when it’s the appropriate time to transfer to the hospital. Hospital staff have always responded positively to the added support and calm environment a doula brings to the hospital birth setting.

Toronto Birth Doula has worked effectively alongside healthcare providers at Mt Sinai Hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Center, Sunnybrook Hospital, North York General, Michael Garron, Markham Stouffville, St. Michael’s Hospital, Peterborough Regional Health Center, Credit Valley Hospital, and Trillium Mississauga Hospital, and more.

Are there any disadvantages to doula care?

In most instances, doulas are an out-of-pocket expense. While research shows that doulas play a critical role in labour and birth and have been proven to shorten labour and reduce the use of costly medical interventions, doulas are sadly still not covered by the government and families must prepare in advance for the cost of a doula. Toronto Birth Doula offers payments plans for all clients so payments are spread out the duration of the contract/pregnancy.Toronto Birth Doula also works with student doulas and offer discounted doula services to families in need, where requested and possible. Doula care is considered by many to be an investment. The experience of birth stays with birthing individuals for their whole lives, so the doula’s role in reducing birth trauma and aiding in a positive and empowering experience is meaningful.

Although Toronto Birth Doula has never missed a birth to date, it does occasionally occur that labour happens so fast a doula cannot make it to the labour/birth itself. While refunds are not usually offered in this case, the doula arrives on scene as soon as possible and still plays an important role in guarding the postnatal “golden hours” after birth, helping the birthing individual to process and shape a positive memory of their birth, and sometimes even provide support by phone/video if necessary. Toronto Birth Doula has found that even 10 minutes on the phone can significantly shift a labouring individual’s mindset and improve their attitude in birth. These supports, along with the prenatal and postnatal care a doula provides, are still considered important by most families even if the doula cannot make it in time for the birth.

Do doulas support VBACs or HBACs?

Yes, doulas support families regardless of type of desired birth. Doulas are specifically trained with tools and comfort measures that can improve the success rate of a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) or home birth after cesarean. Many individuals who seek to have a VBAC or HBAC also wish for a generally more positive birth experience than they had previously, wherein the support of a doula aids in that. Toronto Birth Doula has experience supporting several successful VBACs and is aware of early warning signs of potential risks during a VBAC delivery. Doulas encourage individuals who are candidates for a VBAC or HBAC to be informed and confident in their decision for a VBAC and help to make that possible.

Do I need a doula if my partner will be with me during labour/birth?

Partners play a crucial role in labour/birth. The doula helps to guide and encourage the partner to be as involved and supportive as possible. The professional skillset of a doula cannot be replaced by a doula, but rather, the skillset of a doula can supplement the loving presence of a partner. The doula may show the partner where to press/massage the labouring individual, when to back off, when to offer fluid hydration and so much more. The doula also helps the partner to be an advocate for the birthing individual when the birthing individual cannot easily advocate for themself. Toronto Birth Doula encourages as much partner involvement as desired, and understands how the affectionate touch and presence of a partner can aide in labour (i.e. increase labour hormones, shorten labour, etc.). In long labours/deliveries, doulas and partners support each other by taking turns offering essential physical support such as counter pressure or double hip squeezes, which becoming tiring for the support person after hours on end. The doula and partner may also relieve each other for bathroom or food breaks, ensuring that the labouring individual is constantly supported and never left alone. For these reasons, many families choose to use the support of a doula in addition to the support from a partner.

Can doulas assist during Cesarean-section deliveries?

Doulas are often permitted into the operating room (OR) during C-section births, however sometimes reasons of a medical or hospital policy nature prevent the doula from entering the OR. Regardless, the doulas reassuring presence immediately before and immediately after surgery are often deemed as crucial. The doula offers comfort measures post-surgery including warm compress, massage, deep breathing, and can assist with baby’s skin-to-skin and breastfeeding/chestfeeding. In the case of an unplanned C-section following labour, the doula will either come into the OR or wait in the waiting room and attend the birthing individual once their surgery is done. Many families find this support reassuring and helpful. Toronto Birth Doula offers an option for families who end up requiring a planned C-section to skip birth doula support and opt for 12 hours overnight postpartum support instead if this is a better option for the family.

Many families also choose to hire Toronto Birth Doula for overnight doula care in hospital and/or at home following a Cesarean birth. In this case, the doula provides essential newborn care such as diapering baby, swaddling, dressing, and sometimes bottle feeding baby. The doula can also assist with maternal comfort in recovery, breastfeeding/chestfeeding support, hand expression of colostrum/breastmilk, and more.

How much does a birth doula cost?

Toronto Birth Doula packages start at $2,050 + HST. Most families spend $2,050-$3,500 on a birth package, and may invest several hundred to several thousands of dollars in postnatal care (night doula or daytime doula support in the first days, weeks, and months after birth). If a family is planning to have a comprehensive prenatal, birth, and postnatal support package over the course of many months, it is best to budget for $3,500-$12,000 or more. The $2,050 base package birth doula support is highly effective for individuals and families who mostly want to prioritize support leading up to and on the day of birth. Payments are usually made in instalments. Discounted doula services may be available if a family is interested in working with a newer, student doula. Please inquire if you require financial assistance.

Does Toronto Birth Doula attend Home Births and/or Water Births?

Yes. Toronto Birth Doula supports home births and water births. Depending on a variety of factors, those who wish to have a home birth or water birth may be able to do so with the help of a midwife and the support of a doula. Many families who want to have a home birth or water birth in Toronto choose to hire Toronto Birth Doula for our specialty in reducing risks and promoting positive outcomes. Doulas provide massage, acupressure, guidance, and most importantly, a calm atmosphere for those who wish for a home and/or water delivery. Toronto Birth Doula is trained to help set-up birth pools or draw a bath for individuals in labour as required, to maintain bath temperature, and guide in breathing techniques and in-water positions to help support successful water birthing. Toronto Birth Doula has attended many home and water births and also uses water therapy in hospital births wherever it’s permitted.

Does a doula or a photographer photograph my birth at if I choose to invest in birth photography with Toronto Birth Doula?

One of our talented photographers will photograph your birth if you choose to hire Toronto Birth Doula for birth photography. You may choose to just have a photographer present, or you may hire both a doula and photographer, or, you can hire just a photographer who also acts as your doula. The benefit of having a photographer separate from (or in addition to) a doula, is that the photographer’s sole job is to capture your journey. Where the doula is the photographer, they naturally miss some photography moments while actively/physically supporting the labouring individual, however they still are able to photograph most distinct moments. Book a consultation to find out which photographer.

Is birth photography the only option, or can I have a birth video too?

Birth videography may be a part of your birth photography package if you so wish, at no added cost. The photographer will focus on either video or photo primarily and may do a combination of both. An edited video and/or photo slideshow set to music will be provided with all birth photography packages. You may also choose to have raw film footage from your birth developed as part of your photography package.

Can overnight doula care be offered in the hospital?

Yes, a night doula can provide care and assistance either in home or in hospital. An overnight parking fee may apply, but otherwise the price is unchanged. A night doula provides a similar role to a night nanny or baby nurse and may assist with feeding, swaddling, diapering, breastfeeding support, expressing colostrum, maternal recovery assistance, and more. This can be especially helpful to have overnight doula support in the hospital following a Cesarean section. Toronto Birth Doula offers in-hospital or in-home overnight baby care in all areas of Toronto and within up to two hours of the GTA (including Muskoka and Collingwood).