A birth doula is a person trained and experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth. It is our joy at Wise Choice to provide this service to moms and families at such a pivotal time in their lives.

The medical research indicates that the presence of a doula dramatically increases women's satisfaction with their birth experiences, and decreases the need for many unnecessary medical interventions. See the DONA position paper for further information, and their FAQ section for more details on doulas.

Wise Choice doulas have gone through DONA International training and have experience in labor support. We encourage you to get in touch with us for a totally free, no-obligation consultation to see if we might be a good fit to help you with your plans for your ideal birth.

After meeting with us, if you should decide to use our doula services, our total cost is a flat fee of $400. A non-refundable $100 deposit is required to reserve your due date with the balance due within two weeks after delivery. This includes:

• unlimited labor support continued until at least 1-2 hours after birth, including emotional and physical support for mother and partner and assistance with establishing breastfeeding
• two prenatal meetings to discuss and establish goals, philosophies, and a birth plan
• unlimited phone and/or e-mail support throughout your pregnancy
• a postpartum in-home visit within several weeks of the birth to check on the family and discuss any concerns

In return, what we will ask of you includes:

• the goal of a natural birth
• a healthy and balanced diet, including a goal of 80-100 grams of protein daily
• avoidance of any potentially harmful substances in pregnancy (alcohol, drugs, tobacco, chemicals, etc.)
• some form of prenatal education on pregnancy, labor/delivery, newborn care and parenting, via books, videos, classes, or a combination of all three (Wise Choice does have a Bradley Method® class option)
• agreeing to a short required video viewing and reading list