Dear reader,
Have you ever wondered what a doula can do for your birth experience? Have you questioned whether you really need one, or just assumed you couldn’t afford to hire someone even if you wanted to?
If so, this post is meant for you. I myself assumed I couldn’t hire a doula because I couldn’t afford it, and I also figured I’d make it through just fine without one. While both notions were true once upon a time, they are now unnecessary!
#1 thing to know – Many insurance companies cover doula services!
Medi-Cal covers doula care through Blue Shield of California and Anthem Blue Cross for birth, postpartum and pregnancy loss. Kaiser also covers full spectrum doula services, and CalPERS began covering doulas in January, 2025!
Since this coverage has only become available within the last two to three years, it is a HUGE win for California families’ access to adequate healthcare.
With access to care becoming more commonplace and funds not being as much of an issue, I can confidently recommend that every woman should hire a doula. Not only because they are beneficial at home births, where birthing teams often consist of the mother, father, doula and midwife – but they are practically essential at hospital births.
The reason I make this claim is this:
Doulas stay with you and support you throughout your labor. They are meant to be constant and dependable, offering calm, steady support from start to finish.
The reason this is so helpful at hospital births is because your doula might be the only person in the room who you’ve met before. Unfortunately, doctors are on a rotating schedule so it’s unlikely the doctor at your birth will be one you have a relationship with. In addition, nurses change throughout your labor and only enter the room as needed, usually to check heart tones and vitals/medications.
In my experience at hospital births so far, nurses largely leave you to it for the labor process. While they are supportive and often very kind, they have other patients to attend to and therefore leave the room for long intervals. Your doctor will usually only enter the room to perform a procedure or if you are ready to push.
Because of this, mamas and their partners are left to figure out how to manage the experience on their own and often become overwhelmed. If a doula is present, however, an experienced individual is there to guide, comfort and support you so that you never feel lost or alone and unsure of what to do.
The guidance doulas offer at hospital births also consists of helping you know when to ask questions. Often times hospital staff may get into a habit of directing patients to use positions or procedures that make things easier on the staff, but not the Mama.
Knowing when to ask questions will allow you to decipher when what they’re telling you to do is the best route for you or not. For example, they may direct you to lay down on your back, because that is what is easier for them; but there are many ways to labor that may actually be more effective and easier on you.
Another example would be if the doctor comes into the room and says “okay well labor isn’t progressing the way I’d like to see so we should consider a c-section.” You have the right to ask questions until you fully understand your options. It is also your right to make suggestions and tell them what you want to try next.
When it comes to tools to help labor progress more comfortably and effectively, doulas usually have more to offer. I’m super excited that hospitals often provide birth balls and peanut balls for patients to use now, so definitely ask to see if your hospital has them on hand. Aside from those, doulas also have items like rebozos, massage devices, and so on. Different doulas will have different tools in their kit, plus the knowledge of how and when to use them.
Talk to your doula about the tools she has available, and build them into your birth plan! Don’t worry though, even if they aren’t a part of the plan your doula should be able to bring them out at just the right moment in order to help you feel the most comfortable and at peace throughout your birthing process.
One last thing I’d like to bring up about the benefit of doulas, is to have a doula for your partner’s sake. Your birth partner — whether it be your mother, sister, friend, aunt, or the father of the baby — will want to be with you through it all and support you in any way they can. They might not know how to, however, which can become overwhelming. They may also need emotional support from time to time or a chance to take a break.
The main thing I needed from my partner during labor was counter pressure on my hips and back during strong contractions. My husband’s hands were a godsend, but it would have been nice to have a doula there to help him learn how to apply the pressure more effectively. I’m also sure that he would have probably liked a break at some point, since his hands and wrists were bound to be sore.
A doula’s job is to support the birthing person, but a large part of that is also supporting the birth partner. We can give guidance on how they can best support you, be there in times of emotional pressure, and be a desperately needed set of hands when you need more than one thing done at a time.
All in all, it’s highly unlikely that a doula would be a detriment to your birth experience. Another great thing is that you can interview doulas ahead of time and choose the one you feel fits you best! Take your time, and choose someone you vibe with. We, as doulas, would LOVE to support you.
Sincerely,
Destany
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