FAQs
How far in advance do I need to get in touch with/book Christina?
I generally meet with potential clients anywhere between the 20th to the 38th week of pregnancy, but it is never too early or late too call. Call me and I will either set up a meeting with you or refer you to one of my trusted colleagues if I am booked.
Do you have a backup doula?
Yes. I do not book clients close together, but in the extremely rare circumstance where I am at a birth when you call me, I will make sure that your birth is attended by another trusted and well-loved doula.
What if I have a quick labor? Will I get a refund?
Quick labors do happen but they are never as fast as they are in the movies! It is your responsibility to contact me at the first signs of labor and then to continually update me as to your progress. If I miss the birth due to any fault of my own, I keep the retainer in payment for consultation and being on call and the remainder will not be required. If I miss the birth due to your failure to call me, no refund will be offered.
Will my insurance cover doula costs?
There are some insurance companies that will reimburse you for doula services (both labor and postpartum), but most do not. If yours does, we will be happy to provide you with documentation. You can most likely get reimbursement with a FSA (Flexible Spending Account). We are also able to provide documentation for this claim. We do not file claims for you.
If I hire Christina do I need to take childbirth-education classes too?
Education is key to making informed choices about your care. Childbirth-education classes help you determine your birth preferences and give you an idea of what to expect and what will be happening with your body and baby. I will then work with you to make your labor experience as positive as possible.
Is a Birth Plan important?
I like to call them “Birth Preferences” because I have found that it is impossible to “plan” your birth! I find that flexibly outlining birth preferences is a good way to make sure you have researched and thought through all of the options and interventions that may come up during your labor. Labor is not the time for taking in new information. Stating your preferences in a non-confrontational format makes it clear to your caregivers (Dr., Midwife, Nurses and Doula) that you are informed and you plan to make educated choices about your healthcare.
Click here to create a birth plan for free.
How does Christina work with partners of laboring women?
The role of the loving partner is essential and not one that can be filled by a doula. I reassure your partner that what happens during birth is normal, thereby allowing them to be emotionally present for the laboring woman. It is a dance between dads and a doula; in no way does my presence as a doula overshadow your experience as a couple at the birth of your child.
If I am planning on using pain medication, should I hire a doula?
You should consider hiring a doula if you feel it is important to have educational, emotional, and physical support. Labor is unlike any other experience, and having continuous support from someone who has expertise increases positive outcomes. Also, not everyone has the expected relief from pain medication. Having a doula present can help you make educated and conscious decisions. She can help you relax, reassure you that what is happening is normal, and encourage you to continue being an active participant in your labor.
Sometimes, when a lot of interventions are hastily involved without explanation, it can make a couple feel powerless. Feeling empowered by your labor and birthing a healthy baby, no matter whether you have a natural childbirth experience, use medications, other interventions, or a c-section, is the most important outcome. A doula’s job is to support you and help you really own the experience, no matter what your choices are.
Do you provide references?
Yes! Please talk to my previous clients to make sure I am the right fit for you. Feeling right about your decision is essential.
Should I take the hospital/birth center tour?
Absolutely. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the environment in which you will give birth. However, I have found that occasionally incorrect information is given about what you can expect. Remember, the tour is designed to interest you in that hospital so that you will choose it for your care. Any information about hospital procedures should be discussed directly with your care provider.
I generally meet with potential clients anywhere between the 20th to the 38th week of pregnancy, but it is never too early or late too call. Call me and I will either set up a meeting with you or refer you to one of my trusted colleagues if I am booked.
Do you have a backup doula?
Yes. I do not book clients close together, but in the extremely rare circumstance where I am at a birth when you call me, I will make sure that your birth is attended by another trusted and well-loved doula.
What if I have a quick labor? Will I get a refund?
Quick labors do happen but they are never as fast as they are in the movies! It is your responsibility to contact me at the first signs of labor and then to continually update me as to your progress. If I miss the birth due to any fault of my own, I keep the retainer in payment for consultation and being on call and the remainder will not be required. If I miss the birth due to your failure to call me, no refund will be offered.
Will my insurance cover doula costs?
There are some insurance companies that will reimburse you for doula services (both labor and postpartum), but most do not. If yours does, we will be happy to provide you with documentation. You can most likely get reimbursement with a FSA (Flexible Spending Account). We are also able to provide documentation for this claim. We do not file claims for you.
If I hire Christina do I need to take childbirth-education classes too?
Education is key to making informed choices about your care. Childbirth-education classes help you determine your birth preferences and give you an idea of what to expect and what will be happening with your body and baby. I will then work with you to make your labor experience as positive as possible.
Is a Birth Plan important?
I like to call them “Birth Preferences” because I have found that it is impossible to “plan” your birth! I find that flexibly outlining birth preferences is a good way to make sure you have researched and thought through all of the options and interventions that may come up during your labor. Labor is not the time for taking in new information. Stating your preferences in a non-confrontational format makes it clear to your caregivers (Dr., Midwife, Nurses and Doula) that you are informed and you plan to make educated choices about your healthcare.
Click here to create a birth plan for free.
How does Christina work with partners of laboring women?
The role of the loving partner is essential and not one that can be filled by a doula. I reassure your partner that what happens during birth is normal, thereby allowing them to be emotionally present for the laboring woman. It is a dance between dads and a doula; in no way does my presence as a doula overshadow your experience as a couple at the birth of your child.
If I am planning on using pain medication, should I hire a doula?
You should consider hiring a doula if you feel it is important to have educational, emotional, and physical support. Labor is unlike any other experience, and having continuous support from someone who has expertise increases positive outcomes. Also, not everyone has the expected relief from pain medication. Having a doula present can help you make educated and conscious decisions. She can help you relax, reassure you that what is happening is normal, and encourage you to continue being an active participant in your labor.
Sometimes, when a lot of interventions are hastily involved without explanation, it can make a couple feel powerless. Feeling empowered by your labor and birthing a healthy baby, no matter whether you have a natural childbirth experience, use medications, other interventions, or a c-section, is the most important outcome. A doula’s job is to support you and help you really own the experience, no matter what your choices are.
Do you provide references?
Yes! Please talk to my previous clients to make sure I am the right fit for you. Feeling right about your decision is essential.
Should I take the hospital/birth center tour?
Absolutely. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the environment in which you will give birth. However, I have found that occasionally incorrect information is given about what you can expect. Remember, the tour is designed to interest you in that hospital so that you will choose it for your care. Any information about hospital procedures should be discussed directly with your care provider.
Do you offer breastfeeding support?
Yes. I am trained and experienced in assisting breastfeeding women. There are many basic techniques that I can teach you to get you comfortable and confident. If you experience extended difficulty, we highly recommend having a consultation with a lactation specialist.
Is it too late to change my care provider?
We find that often the more educated women become about their options in childbirth, the more often they question whether their care provider is right for them. We recommend you ask your Doctor or Midwife the following questions (taken from Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn by Simkin, Whalley and Kepler). If you definitely don’t feel comfortable with the answers, perhaps it is time to investigate a change. Please feel free to contact me for recommendations of OBs and Midwives who will respect your choices.
- What do you see as my role and responsibilities during pregnancy and childbirth?
- Are there any restrictions on my partner being with me throughout labor and vaginal birth? During a cesarean birth? During my hospital stay?
- How do you feel about other family members (children, grandparents, and so on) or friends attending prenatal appointments or being present at the birth?
- How do you feel about a doula being present during my labor and vaginal birth? Cesarean birth?
- What recommendations do you make on nutrition during pregnancy (foods to eat/avoid, weight gain, and so on)? Do you provide nutritional counseling?
- Do you have specific recommendations on exercise, sex, and the use of medicines and drugs?
- What are your feelings about childbirth preparation classes? Natural, non-medicated childbirth?
- Approximately what percentage of your clients or patients is interested in natural childbirth? How many of those actually have it?
- Do you have routine standing orders for your patients in labor about IV fluids, pain medications, and so on? What are they? Can these routines be altered to conform to my needs and desires?
- Would you encourage and help me prepare a birth plan? Will you check my birth plan for safety and compatibility with your practices and hospital policies?
- What are the chances you will be present when I deliver? If you are not there, who covers for you? Will I have a chance to meet that person? Will that person respect the arrangements I have made with you? Will the hospital staff?
- How often and under what circumstances do you find it desirable or necessary to use labor induction or augmentation, IV fluids, artificial rupture of the membranes, continuous electronic fetal monitoring, episiotomy, forceps, and vacuum extraction?
- What is your cesarean rate or how often do you find it necessary to do a cesarean birth?
- What are the most common reasons for cesarean birth among the women in your practice? What, if anything, can I do before and during labor to help reduce the likelihood of a cesarean?
- If I should develop complications during pregnancy or labor, would you manage my care? If not, to whom would you refer me?
- What usually happens to the baby immediately after birth? Does the baby go to the nursery or may she stay with us? May I/we hold her for her initial assessments? Who will examine the baby after the birth? When is this usually done?
- What is the usual hospital stay after a vaginal birth? Cesarean birth?
- Is follow-up care routinely available for our baby and me? If so, how soon after discharge may I expect the follow-up? Who initiates the follow-up? Would it include home or clinic visits with the nurse, midwife, or doctor, or just phone follow-up?
I will not make any medical decisions for you. Your OB/Midwife’s role is to perform clinical tasks and to make medical diagnoses. My role is to provide continuous support for you and your partner, whether you need education, emotional and physical support or an informed liaison to help you interact with your care provider.
