FAQs | South Florida Doula

What types of births do doulas attend?
- Birth doulas are trained professionals who are capable of supporting your birth WHEREVER and HOWEVER you choose to bring your baby (or babies) in to this world. This just may be a home setting, birth center, and/or hospital.

What are some tasks can't my doula do?
- Although your doula receives training to support your pregnancy, labor, and birth in a emotional, informational and physical manner- she is legally bound to refrain from giving medical advice or performing medical tasks (like checking baby's heart rate, checking cervix or advising on the best way to deliver your baby (or babies).

Can I hire a doula instead of a CNM,CPM, LM, nurse practitioner, physician, or OB/GYN?
- Your doula never replaces your health care provider: in fact, the support of the PROPER doula (for you) typically enhances the overall experience w/ your healthcare provider.

How can labor support provided by a doula benefit my birth experience?
- Statistics show that the presence of a trained birth professional can mean: more likely to have spontaneous vaginal birth, less likely to ask for pain medication, more likely to report being satisfied with overall birth experience, may experience slightly shorter labors, and less likely to have a cesarean section. All of this can be attributed to the training your doula receives to help with pain management, fostering a relaxed birthing atmosphere, using distraction techniques, and/or using emotional intelligence to serve you during this vulnerable time.

What does the payment process look like? Can you travel out of South Florida to offer birth support services?
- After your consultation meeting, we allow 2 weeks to determine whether or not you wish to hire us. When you make your decision, we will review the birth agreement once more and sign. Once signed, you will be asked to provide your deposit that will secure your expected delivery date in calendar (-/+ 2 weeks) and will secure the on-call policy. Deposits are considered 50% of your package. Remainder 50% will be split into 2 additional payments due before or at week 35 & 37. Payments accepted through 'CashApp' transfer, cash, money order, or check (made payable to 'Hija Del Sol Birth Services, LLC. || Currently, doula services outside of South Florida are negotiable but rare. All transportation fees and expenses would become client's responsibility in addition to package price. All meetings are completed virtually.

Why should I hire a doula if I already have support from my partner and/or family?
- Doula support is provided by an experienced and trained professional who takes on a unique role because she can support you in ways your family usually can't. Your family/partner KNOWS you- we KNOW BIRTH.
- Your doula has been at quite a few births and takes an evidence-based approach to your care in comparison to family/friends emotional/experience based approach.
- A doula receives birth-related trainings, keeps up with birth related research and has attended quite a few births within the scope of her practice. Your doula knows when to bring out the rebozo or one of the many pain management/distraction techniques to help get you through the laboring period with less stress.
- Family members and/or friends are irreplaceable forms of support! Similarly, this support can be biased because they care and love you so much. A doula understands that its her role to provide unbiased information to help your family make the best choices for you. Making informed and consensual decisions is at the forefront of our minds; THIS IS YOUR BIRTH.

What does "On-Call" mean to 'Hija Del Sol Birth Services?
- On-call means you are welcome to contact me via call or text at anytime and expect an immediate response (2 weeks before or after your expected delivery date.) Serving multiple families can be easier when everyone understands this. All other situations will warrant a response (call back or text response) as soon as possible.