What does a Birth Doula do?

🫶 Emotional Support

• Offering continuous encouragement and reassurance during labor.

• Helping the birthing person feel safe, confident, and supported.

• Creating a calming environment (soft lighting, music, grounding techniques, etc.).

• Supporting the partner or family so they can also be involved and at ease.

💪 Physical Support

• Guiding and assisting with comfort measures like:

  • Position changes

  • Breathing techniques

  • Massage or counter pressure

  • Warm or cool compresses

  • Use of birthing tools like a ball or peanut ball

• Encouraging movement to help labor progress naturally.

• Helping maintain comfort whether unmedicated or with pain relief options (like an epidural).

🧠 Informational Support

• Explaining options and procedures in clear, non-medical language.

• Helping parents understand their birth plan and make informed choices.

• Encouraging communication between the birthing family and medical team.

• Providing evidence-based resources before and during birth.

🫂 Advocacy Support

• Supporting the birthing person’s preferences (not speaking for them, but amplifying their voice).

• Helping ensure their wishes are heard and respected when possible.

👶 Before and After Birth

• Prenatal: Meeting with the family to discuss birth preferences, answer questions, and prepare for labor.

• During labor: Being present from active labor through birth for continuous support.

• Postpartum (immediate): Assisting with initial bonding, breastfeeding support, and helping the family settle in after birth.

✨ Important note: A doula is not a medical professional—they don’t diagnose, give medical advice, or deliver babies. They work alongside medical teams to enhance the birth experience through personal support.

What does a Postpartum Doula do?

🫂 Emotional Support

• Offering a calm, reassuring presence during the transition to parenthood.

• Listening without judgment and providing encouragement.

• Helping parents process their birth experience and adjust emotionally.

👶 Newborn Care Support

• Assisting with baby soothing techniques, swaddling, diapering, and bathing.

• Teaching parents how to understand their baby’s cues.

• Supporting infant feeding (breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or combination).

• Helping establish healthy sleep habits for baby and family.

🤱 Parental Support

• Encouraging rest and self-care for the birthing parent.

• Offering basic education and confidence-building for both parents.

• Assisting with light household tasks so parents can focus on bonding with their baby.

• Watching the baby while parents nap or shower.

🍼 Practical Help

• Light meal prep, snacks, or making sure parents stay hydrated.

• Doing light laundry and tidying baby-related spaces.

• Setting up or organizing baby gear and supplies.

🌙 Overnight Care

• Caring for the baby through the night so parents can rest.

• Bringing the baby to the parent for feedings or handling bottle feeds.

• Ensuring a smooth nighttime routine.

🧠 Informational Guidance & Resources

• Offering evidence-based information on newborn care, postpartum recovery, and feeding.

• Guiding parents on what’s normal and when to seek medical advice.

• Referring to lactation consultants, therapists, or medical professionals when needed.

• Supporting siblings or helping integrate the baby into family routines.

✨ Important note: A postpartum doula provides non-medical support — they don’t diagnose or treat but create a nurturing environment to help families thrive.

What does a Night Nanny do?

🌙 Overnight Newborn Care

• Feeding the baby during the night (bottle feeding or bringing the baby to the parent for breastfeeding).

• Burping, changing diapers, and soothing the baby back to sleep.

• Keeping track of feeding times, wet/dirty diapers, and sleep patterns.

• Monitoring the baby’s safety and comfort throughout the night.

🫂 Support for Parents

• Allowing parents to get uninterrupted rest.

• Gently helping establish a nighttime routine.

• Supporting breastfeeding parents by bringing the baby to them and handling everything afterward (burping, changing, resettling).

• Offering tips or gentle guidance on newborn sleep and care if requested.

🍼 Practical Tasks

• Washing and sterilizing bottles, pump parts, and pacifiers.

• Restocking diapers, wipes, and nighttime essentials.

• Light tidying of baby-related items or nursery organization.

🧠 Informational Support

• Sharing observations about the baby’s sleep and feeding habits.

• Offering reassurance and evidence-based newborn care tips.

• Providing updates in the morning so parents know how the night went.

✨ Important note: A night nanny is not a medical professional, but they’re experienced in caring for newborns overnight and creating a calm, restful environment for both baby and parents.

What is a Virtual Doula?

🧠 Prenatal Support

• Virtual prenatal meetings to talk through birth preferences, comfort techniques, and what to expect.

• Helping create or review a birth plan.

• Answering questions and providing evidence-based information about pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.

📲 Labor Support (From Afar)

• Being “on call” when labor begins for real-time guidance and reassurance.

• Coaching through contractions, breathing techniques, and comfort measures via phone or video.

• Supporting the partner with tips on how to provide hands-on help.

• Offering encouragement, emotional support, and reminders of birth preferences.

🫂 Postpartum Support

• Virtual check-ins after birth to offer emotional support, answer questions, and give newborn care tips.

• Providing guidance on breastfeeding, bottle feeding, and newborn routines.

• Recommending trusted resources for any additional needs (like lactation consultants, therapists, or local support services).

✨ Benefits of a Virtual Doula

• Flexible and accessible no matter where the family lives.

• Continuous support without travel or time limitations.

• Ideal for families who prefer privacy at home but still want expert guidance.

• Cost-effective compared to in-person doula care.

A virtual doula doesn’t replace medical care or in-person support, but they can be a steady, knowledgeable presence throughout pregnancy, birth, and early postpartum — even from miles away.