Birthing Hands offers a one-hour complimentary consultation that allows us to get to know each other. We learn about your vision, and any cultural and lifestyle issues that may be part of your birth experience.
We are sensitive to the fact that the birth doula is being given permission to share in one of the most private, personal and sacred moments in your life. At the end of this hour, we are confident you will feel comfortable in choosing us. Descriptions of what's included in Birthing Hands’ doula service packages are below.
Please e-mail Claudia for more information and pricing details or call (202) 236-1764.
Arrangements for special circumstances can be made for families who cannot afford to pay the basic service package fee. Please talk to us before you decide a doula is not for you due to financial concerns.
Doula Service Packages
Included in the Basic Birth Doula Package:
Attend one (1) complimentary consultation.
Access to the Birthing Hands of DC lending library of videos and books.
Provide 24-hour on-call telephone support from date of hire. Going forward, we are available by phone or email to answer any questions about your pregnancy and your upcoming birth.
Telephone consultation to discuss supplemental prenatal and post partum services that could enhance the pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience for you, your family and your newborn baby. Provide referrals for these services to Birthing Hands prenatal and post partum supplemental services team members and other service providers.
Attend two (2) prenatal home visits, usually scheduled for the 32nd and 36th weeks. Sessions include discussion of the anatomy and physiology of pregnancy at this stage and strategies for coping with any discomforts, nutrition, exercise, sleeping techniques, your birth preference plan, labor comfort techniques, labor and birth options, what to take to the hospital, vaginal delivery procedures and your hospital stay, and basic breastfeeding information. Additional visits for Breastfeeding Basics or Optimal Fetal positing instruction can be arranged for a fee. (Birthing Hands is committed to providing 2 prenatal visits for a client who retains a birth doula prior to her 33rd week. If our doula services are retained at or after the 34th week, Birthing Hands is committed to providing the client one prenatal visit.
Arrange post partum assistance with Birthing Hands post partum doulas.
"Labor sit" with you by telephone during early labor to offer reassurance, informational, emotional, and physical support. Provide guidance on the signs and symptoms of early labor and offer coping and comfort techniques.
Attend to you at your home once labor is established, or if you prefer, meet you at the hospital or birth center. Services include informational, emotional and physical support before leaving for the hospital or birth center. Techniques to ease labor discomfort include: massage; heat and cold therapy; hydrotherapy; acupressure; rebozo; guided imagery; various position changes; other comfort and relaxation techniques; and other labor tools.
Remain with you throughout labor and delivery. Provide physical, informational, and nurturing support at the hospital or out-of hospital birth setting throughout labor and delivery by using various position changes, comfort and relaxation techniques, emotional support, information on the labor and delivery process, and provides understandable explanations of various medical techniques and procedures to facilitate discussion with your doctor/midwife and medical staff.
Stay with you for a minimum of one (1) hour after your baby's birth to provide emotional, physical or informational support for mother. Help you initiate breastfeeding and bonding; provide information on hospital resources and other resources for new baby care, post partum care, and breastfeeding support services. In the case of an out-of-hospital birth, remain for a maximum of 4 hours.
Call you once while you are still in the hospital. In the case of an out-of-hospital birth, call once within 24 hours after the birth of your baby.
Visit you once within 3-7 days after the birth of your baby to provide advice and referral information on infant care, mother care, bonding, breastfeeding, and other issues that may arise as a new mother.
Arrange a referral to a Birthing Hands Board certified lactation consultant if there are additional breastfeeding issues that need assistance.
Prepare a customized herbal sitz bath and bring it to on the post partum visit (for an additional fee).
Provide telephone and email support as needed for up to two weeks post partum.
A customized Birth Doula Package can be designed to meet your individual or family needs, lifestyle and cultural birthing preferences. Please e-mail Claudia to discuss services and fees or call (202) 236-1764.
Basic Midwife Birth Assistant Package: Home and Birth Center Births with CNM and CPMS
For those expectant mothers who have decided upon birthing with a midwife in a birth center or home birth setting, Birthing Hands midwife birth assistants are available to serve you. We haves extensive experience and training in serving as both birth doulas and midwife birth assistants with both Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) and Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) in home and birth center birth settings. We are currently working with Birth Care and Women’s Health in Virginia and with several local midwives. We will work with the midwife of your choice. Please e-mail Claudia to discuss services and fees or call (202) 236-1764.
Included in the Birth Doula Service Package for an Anticipated or Planned C-Section
Enjoy the calming, nurturing and knowledgeable support of an experienced Birthing Hands doula even in a hospital or surgical setting. We offer two care packages make a C-section birth choice less stressful for expectant mothers and their partners.
C-Section Service Package I:
One (1) complimentary introductory visit.
Use of the Birthing Hands lending library of books and videos.
24-hour on-call telephone support from hiring date. From that moment, we are available by phone or email to answer any questions about your pregnancy and your upcoming birth.
On the day of the scheduled C-section, meet you and your partner/husband at the hospital. Provide physical, emotional/nurturing, and informational information on the labor and delivery process, and understandable explanations of various medical techniques and procedures involved with the C-section procedure and the recovery, help you get acclimated, and facilitate communication between you and the hospital staff. Once you are in the recovery room, join you to provide emotional, physical or informational support for you and your partner/husband. Help you initiate breastfeeding and bonding; provide information on hospital resources and other resources for new baby care, post partum care, and breastfeeding support services. Remain at the hospital for the post partum period for no more than 3 hours.
Call you once while you are still in the hospital.
Visit you once within 7 days after you return home to provide advice and referral information on infant care, post partum C-section mother care, bonding, breastfeeding, and other issues that may arise as a new mother.
Provide telephone and email support as needed for up to two weeks post partum.
C-Section Service Package II:
One (1) complimentary consultation.
Use of the Birthing Hands lending library of books and videos.
24-hour on-call telephone support from hiring date. From that moment, we are available by phone or e-mail to answer any questions about your pregnancy and your upcoming birth.
Two (2) pre-natal home visits, usually scheduled around the 32nd and 36th/37th weeks. Sessions include discussion of the anatomy and physiology of pregnancy at this stage and strategies for coping with any discomforts, nutrition, exercise, sleeping techniques, your birth preference plan, labor comfort techniques, labor and birth options, and basic breastfeeding information, what to take to the hospital, vaginal and c-section delivery procedures and your hospital stay, and how to plan for your recovery.
If at or around your 36th. /37th week visit, your care provider decides that a c-section delivery is in the best interest of you and your baby, Birthing Hands will provide the following services under Optional Service Package I.
If at or around your 36th week, your care provider decides that a vaginal delivery is possible, Birthing Hands will provide the following services (the Basic Doula Service Package) under Optional Service Package II.
Optional Service Package I:
If at or around your 36th /37th week visit, your care provider decides that a c-section delivery is in the best interest of you and your baby, Birthing Hands will provide the following services:
Meet you and your partner/husband at the hospital. Provide physical, emotional/nurturing, and informational information on the labor and delivery process, and understandable explanations of various medical techniques and procedures involved with the c-section procedure and the recovery, help you get acclimated, and facilitate communication between you and the hospital staff. Once you are in the recovery room, join you to provide emotional, physical or informational support for you and your partner/husband. Help you initiate breastfeeding and bonding; provide information on hospital resources and other resources for new baby care, post partum care, and breastfeeding support services. Remain at the hospital for the post partum period for no more than 3 hours.
Call you once while you are still in the hospital.
Visit you once within 7 days after you return home to provide advice and referral information on infant care, post partum c-section mother care, bonding, breastfeeding, and other issues that may arise as a new mother.
Provide telephone and email support as needed for up to two weeks post partum.
Optional Service Package II:
If at or around your 36th week, your care provider decides that a vaginal delivery is possible, Birthing Hands will provide the following services (the Basic Doula Service Package):
Meet you and your partner/husband at the hospital. Provide physical, emotional/nurturing, and informational information on the labor and delivery process, and understandable explanations of various medical techniques and procedures involved with the c-section procedure and the recovery, help you get acclimated, and facilitate communication between you and the hospital staff. Once you are in the recovery room, join you to provide emotional, physical or informational support for you and your partner/husband. Help you initiate breastfeeding and bonding; provide information on hospital resources and other resources for new baby care, post partum care, and breastfeeding support services. Remain at the hospital for the post partum period for no more than 2 hours.
Call you once while you are still in the hospital.
Visit you once within 7 days after you return home to provide advice and referral information on infant care, post partum c-section mother care, bonding, breastfeeding, and other issues that may arise as a new mother.
Provide telephone and email support as needed for up to two weeks postpartum.
