Doula comforts woman birthing in birthing pool

Birth & Postpartum Doula Care Services

I'll support and comfort you during labor, and provide restorative care as you heal. We're in this together.

Birth & Postpartum Doula Care Services

I'll support and comfort you during labor, and provide restorative care as you heal. We're in this together.

The value of a birth doula

Doulas provide remarkable benefits to birthing people and their families! Research highlights numerous advantages, including lower use of pain relief medications, reduced anxiety and discomfort during labor, improved communication with your medical care team, and lower rates of unplanned cesarean sections, among others. If you're interested in learning more about the benefits of a birth doula, please contact me. I’d be delighted to offer a free one-hour consultation to discuss how I can support you!

Ask me more about the benefits of a birth doula

I'll provide information and resources to empower you to prepare for the birth you want, and to make informed choices for the birth your baby needs.


But what if I have a birth partner?

A Birth Doula is still a great investment

Even with a great support system, a doula can still be invaluable to your birth. As your doula, I'll be there to create space for you to voice your preferences, be a nonjudgemental source of care and support, provide space for your partner to rest and eat, help arrange your birth space, provide recommendations to your partner on how to provide relief and counter pressure, suggest positions for advancing labor, apply cool washcloths and offer massage. Your experience is my priority!

What if I am having a ceserean, epidural, or induction?

When medical interventions are a part of your birth plan they often can begin a chain reaction that can sometimes lead to further intervention. At each step of your labor and birth, I will be there to create space for you to ask questions and make fully informed decisions for your care. I'll be there as a calming and comforting presence whether your birth goes exactly as desired, or if you need to pivot to provide your baby with the birth they may need. You deserve the birth you desire!

Hospital or Home Birth?

Wherever you desire to birth - whether you are planning to birth at home, in a hospital, or at a birth center - I can support you! We'll work together to create a birth plan that reflects your values and desires for birth, and I'll support you in communicating your wishes to your medical care team. If you're unsure where you would like to birth, or what your provider options are, I can provide you with resources and helpful questions to ask your care team to find the best fit for you and your baby.

Postpartum Care

Caring for you throughout the 4th trimester

As your postpartum doula I'll be there to provide you with research-based educational information, and emotional and physical support as you recover and adjust to your new identity as a parent to a brand-new, tiny human.

A doula provides practical support for you and your family by creating space for you to process your birth, navigate emotions, hormones, and healing, getting some rest, bonding, feeding and bathing your baby, light cleaning, snacks and beverages, nesting areas, nursery set-up, and more!

Our Process


01.


Contact me


Send me a message and tell me a little about yourself, what type of services you are looking for and your due (guess) date if you are expecting.



02.


Set a date


I'll call you within a few days to have a brief chat and set up a meeting in a public location. You are welcome to bring your support person with you as well!



03.


We'll meet


When we meet, we'll spend some time getting to know each others personalities and preferences, and go over what is covered in our care packages.



04.


It's a match!


If we click, and you are ready to move forward, we will sign paperwork and put down your deposit. At that time your care dates are reserved and I'm officially on call as your doula!

Doula Care Packages

Every family deserves the support of a Doula.

Custom packages, sliding scale and payment plans available.

Birth Doula Support Package

Standard package $2500

Custom packages available!


Includes 4-5 prenatal support visits (to cover topics important to you, such as: birth preference planning, childbirth education basics, hands-on skills for coping with labor, advocating and informed consent, building your care team, newborn feeding planning, and postpartum planning), doula on-call from 37 weeks, unlimited text, phone, and email support leading up to labor, continuous labor and delivery support, up to 2 hours of immediate post-delivery support and comfort care, and 3 in-home postpartum visits (review of and reflection on your birth experience, transitioning to newborn care and parenting, and postpartum healing).

birther in labor with her support team

Postpartum Care Package

$45/hr day/Evening, $50/hr /Overnight

Day and Evening Minimum: 3 hrs

Overnight Minimum: 7 hrs (shifts begin at 8pm or later).


Our custom packages can include daytime, evening or overnight support, or a combination of these. Postpartum doula support brings care and comfort for you and your baby, support with baby feeding and bathing, information on normal infant development, safe sleep and normal baby sleep patterns, postpartum healing, baby laundry, organization, meal train creation, meal prep, sibling support, light tidying - basically whatever is going to support your recovery, confidence in parenting and bonding! Each visit you'll have the opportunity to relax or nap, take a shower, drink a hot beverage, talk, laugh, vent or reflect on your birthing and new parent experience, and enjoy snuggles with your family.

Intimate black and white photograph showing tender family moments.

Can I add you to my Registry?

With BeHerVillage you can easily add Bearing Brightly to your baby gift registry. Your family and friends can contribute funds in any amount towards Doula care services or photography packages!

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FAQ

How early should I hire a doula?

Because birth-related services are so unpredictable and involve on-call work, we schedule a very limited number of clients each month. There’s no time too early to secure the services of a doula. Some people choose to enlist doula when they first start trying to conceive, and others decide when they first realize they are in labor! The earlier you reserve your dates the more time it gives us to help you prepare for a confident and empowered birth experience. We recommend reaching out during your first or second trimester.

What if the cost is a barrier for me?

Every birthing person deserves empowering information and supportive care during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Every family deserves photographs that they'll treasure. Sliding scale pricing, payment plans, discounts and bartering options are available to help make these services more accessible to all. If cost is a barrier, please reach out!

Can I combine multiple discounts?

Sadly, we cannot combine any promotions, discounts, sliding scale, or other offers at this time. I am happy to work with you to create a custom package that meets your needs.

Our website reflects our current rates and is subject to change at any time. Only rates or promotions that are current on the day of booking (with paid retainer/deposit) may be applied.

If you have received a promotional offer or service rate that is not shown on the website, it may have expired or it may be a limited/private offer. Please contact us to see if the rate or promotion is still able to be applied before booking!

Do you accept insurance plans or Medicaid?

We now accept the following private insurance plans: Carrot Fertility.

We accept the following Medicaid plans: straight Medicaid, Aetna Medicaid, Blue Cross Complete Medicaid, McLaren Health Plan, Meridian, Molina, Priority Health, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan.

We also work with clients through Mae, a service meant to support women of color during pregnancy and postpartum, and provides a lot of extra free support that is exclusive to Mae clients. We accept Aetna, Meridian, and Molina HealthCare clients through Mae and can help you get started!

For Medicaid recipients in Michigan there is no out of pocket cost for Doula support! Medicaid plans typically cover doula support at your birth and 12 visits that may be split as desired between prenatal and postpartum support.

Check with your insurance to see whether Doula services are a covered benefit. We are happy to provide you with a super bill that you can submit to your insurance, FSA or HSA for reimbursement of out-of-pocket costs!

Do you offer custom packages?

For Medicaid doula clients we are limited to what your insurance provider covers/allows which is usually 12 prenatal/postnatal visits and continuous labor support. Birth photography and other non-covered services can be added for my Medicaid doula clients at an out of pocket cost. I also accept a handful of model clients each year who receive free photography in exchange for the full image rights.

For private-pay clients, we offer custom packages to meet your exact needs (birth or postpartum doula, birth photography, newborn lifestyle photography, childbirth education, nursery design, registry assistance, etc) and budget. Sliding scale pricing and payment plans are available - please ask for details!

What payment types do you accept?

While we are able to directly bill Medicaid plans that we accept, we do not bill private insurances. Out-of-pocket payments for services are due in advance of the service date and can be paid by cash, check made out to Bearing Brightly, or by credit card.

Let's get in Touch!

baby sleeping on blanket