Frequently Asked Questions
Love.Our.Mothers
All Family Doula Care
What do you need to know before choosing a doula?
This page is here to offer clarity, comfort, and practical details, so you can feel confident about moving forward with the care that feels right for you. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions families have when considering doula support.
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Feel free to scroll through each and every question if you're not quite sure where to begin, or jump ahead to explore specific topics if you already have a very particular question in mind.
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General Doula Care - Frequently Asked Questions
Location Specific Support (Home, Birth Center, Hospital, etc) - Frequently Asked Questions
Birth Doula Services - Frequently Asked Questions
Postpartum Doula Services - Frequently Asked Questions
Placenta Services - Frequently Asked Questions
Lactation Education (Coming Summer 2026) - Frequently Asked Questions
Philosophy and Accessibility - Frequently Asked Questions
Logistics and Practical Matters - Frequently Asked Questions
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If you don't find answers to your questions here, please inquire freely via phone, text, direct message, email, or this contact form. I also offer free in-person consultations to all prospective clients, if you'd feel more comfortable speaking face-to-face.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
GENERAL DOULA CARE
What is a doula?
A doula is a non-medical support person trained to offer emotional, physical, and informational support throughout the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience (or during any other period of critical life transition).
I’m here as witness to your natural autonomy, your body’s wisdom, and particularly for the depths of your emotional and spiritual journey.
I don’t replace your partner, midwife, or OB — I work alongside them to provide a more comprehensive level of care that helps you feel safe, supported, and empowered throughout your childbearing year.
And I stick around a lot longer after you give birth than your standard medical providers will, especially during those first six-weeks where they just send you home with a couple how-to photo copies and a whole-ass baby to figure out, or even after most medical providers have shelved your file.
What’s the difference between a doula and a midwife?
Doulas and midwives both exist in the same realm of providing services during the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences, but their roles differ in quite distinct ways.
Midwives provide medical care. They monitor the health of you and the baby, they conduct diagnostic examinations, and in many cases can administer or prescribe certain medications.
Doulas don’t touch any of the medical stuff, but we specialize in connecting you with pretty much everything else you might need during that same time period.
Need help finding evidence-based information to help you make important medical decisions? A doula can do that. Need help making a move, mid-pregnancy, to a medical provider who is better aligned with your vision for your care? A doula can do that. Need help finding a quality childbirth education class? A doula can do that. Need help holding the feelings or concerns that are coming up as your labor progresses into a wild and untamable beast? A doula can do that. Need help getting that baby to stop making you feel like they’re gonna rip your nipple clean off during each feed? A doula can do that. Just want someone to come over and make you lunch and talk with you while you’re stuck bored in bed? A doula can do that, too.
A doula doesn't decide what you should do, or have done to you. We don’t prescribe or administer treatment. We don’t examine. We just care, and remain present, and listen, and maybe sometimes point you in the right direction IF you’ve specifically asked us for directions.
Do I need a doula if I already have a midwife?
Doulas and midwives exist as complementary collaborative care options. Their services are not exchangeable with one another.
Your midwife focuses on clinical health and safety. I focus on you—your experience, your emotional needs, your comfort and nervous system regulation, your ability to stay present and connected, and the ambiance of your space.
Doulas and midwives work together beautifully!
Do I still need a doula if I have a supportive partner [ie. my husband, my mother, my best friend] who will be with me?
YES - if anything, your partner(s) will thank you! My presence allows your loved ones to stay emotionally connected without the pressure to “know everything” in a high-stress moment. I can help them support you better, offer reassurance, and step in when they need a break.
Think of me as the calm, experienced guide who keeps things grounded while you two stay connected.
Will you judge me if I want an epidural?
Not at all. Epidurals are very useful tools, when called upon at the appropriate time.
Do epidurals sometimes have an unintended, negative impact on the natural progression of your labor? Yes, often. This doesn’t mean that no one should have them ever, though.
As part of your preparation for birth, through your childbirth education classes and the research you do for your birth plan, I trust you to decide if or when you might want to consider pain medication. No judgments, ever.
I’m having a scheduled cesarean. Can I still have a doula?
Definitely, absolutely! In fact, families facing high-risk and high-intervention births are often who can benefit from doula support the most. I provide gentle, informed support before, during (if allowed), and after cesarean births.
Having a doula can help you process the experience, advocate for your preferences, and feel empowered throughout the journey.
What if I’m not a “mother”? Will you still support me during my pregnancy/ birth/ postpartum/ lactation journey?
Most definitely! I support all families and individuals during their journeys.
Foster, adoptive, intended parents? Grandparents, aunties and uncles, older siblings, and cousins taking in their kin? Families with dads only? Gestational surrogates and people choosing adoption? If you’ve got a baby on the way, I’ll be your doula.
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How do I choose the right doula? What questions should I ask?
First question should always be whether or not they are available for the dates you are likely to need them.
Related to availability, you’ll definitely wanna get clear about what type of support they do and don’t offer as standard care, and make sure that lines up with your expectations. If you’re hoping for early labor support as part of your birth plan, make sure you don’t pick a doula who has an hourly maximum for how long they’ll stay with you. If you’re hoping for help getting your older kids out the door and off to school as part of your postpartum plan, make sure you don’t pick a doula who doesn’t enjoy sibling support. Get clear on what you want, and base your decision off of that.
And it’s always a good idea, too, to ask about a doula’s background and experience. It might be you feel more inclined to choose a doula who places a high emphasis on pursuing formal education and multiple certifications, or you might feel inclined to go with a doula who grew up as the eldest child of a large homebirthing family and has been assisting at births since she was old enough to hold a cold rag to her mama’s forehead. That decision, too, is gonna be up to you and what your priorities are.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
LOCATION SPECIFIC SERVICES
Will the hospital provide me with a doula?
We currently don’t have any hospitals in our immediate area (any of the areas I serve) that keep doulas on staff.
If you want one, you have to find one yourself … and fortunately you’ve found one.
→ EXPLORE: Love.Our.Mothers - All Family Doula Care
Do you support hospital births?
Yes, I absolutely will and do!
While I tend to attract more home birth and birth center clients, I choose to also offer support in hospitals because that is the only option available to certain families due to factors such as financial barriers, medical risk factors, or just straight-up peace of mind.
No matter where you give birth, you deserve support, presence, respect for the sacredness of your experience.
→ EXPLORE: Love.Our.Mothers - All Family Doula Care
Do you attend home births and birth center births?
Definitely! Most definitely!!
In fact, I’ve gained the majority of my experience supporting home and birth center births, and it’s most certainly where I thrive.
I also especially enjoy working with families planning VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean), HBACs (home birth after cesarean), and water births.
Do you attend freebirths/unassisted births?
I support any family’s right to choose a freebirth or unassisted birth, as they see fit. However, as a liability issue only, I choose not to attend freebirths or unassisted births in person.
I have just enough medical training to risk prosecution if something were to go wrong and the authorities wanted to make an example of someone, but not enough medical training to actually be responsible for your birth outcome. And also, my insurance won’t cover it. As I exist in this very complicated limbo state and have chosen this protective boundary for my practice.
Full respect, if you want a consult or even to hire me on during your pregnancy or postpartum, guaranteed I’ll serve you with my whole heart. I just need you to know beforehand that I won’t be present at the birth.
Where do our appointments take place?
We usually do the free 30-minute in person consultation in a neutral public location (like a coffee shop or cafe or park) to keep the vibes super casual and mellow, and so everybody can feel safe meeting a stranger.
If we decide to work together, subsequent visits usually take place in your home, since I’ll likely be spending a great deal of time there anyway for either your early labor or your postpartum care, and often we’ll be discussing some very sensitive, private topics.
If ever your home is unavailable as an option, I will try my best to find an alternate location for us to meet, or we may be able to conduct our appointment virtually.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
BIRTH DOULA SERVICES
When should I book a birth doula?
As soon as you feel ready! Many clients reach out in the first or second trimester to secure a spot.
I take on a very limited number of birth clients at a time in order to provide each family with the level of attention and service they deserve, so my availability does fill up fairly quickly and pretty far in advance.
I don’t typically take on clients past 32-weeks gestation, because I don’t feel like that leaves us enough time to adequately develop a trusting relationship before we need to critically rely upon one another during the birth.
→ EXPLORE: Birth Doula Services
→ EXPLORE: Inquire Now
What if somebody else already has the same due date as me?
Only about 5% of babies are born on their actual due date. Your doctor may assign you a 40-week EDD (estimated date of delivery), but your baby is most likely to come at some point between 38- and 42- weeks, which is pretty much an entire month-long window.
It would be extraordinarily rare for you to share a due date with someone and to also go into labor at the same time.
If, however, you went into labor at the same time as someone else with a different due date, I have a contracted back-up doula to make sure that all of my clients will receive the care that they’ve been promised, no matter what.
→ EXPLORE: Birth Doula Services
→ EXPLORE: Inquire Now
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
POSTPARTUM DOULA SERVICES
What does a postpartum doula do?
A postpartum doula’s services are very much centered around your postpartum needs.
Essentially we provide whatever kind of care helps you rest and recover so that you’re better able to directly take care of baby.
Need a load of laundry cycled through and folded? A doula can do that. Need someone to help get dinner on the table for the rest of your family? A doula can do that. Need someone to play fetch with your dog? A doula can do that. Need someone to hold the baby while you shower or pee? A doula can do that. Need someone to help you decide if you’re just exhausted, or if you might be showing signs of a life-threatening postpartum complication? A doula can do that, too.
We’re still not medical providers, we still can’t diagnose or treat, but we are trained to deal with everything that’s normal, and how to recognize what’s potentially not normal.
After you’re sent home from giving birth, there’s a very likely possibility that you’ll be left entirely on your to recover without monitoring until your six-week checkup. (Sidenote: I can’t believe that’s the level of care we’ve come to accept as standard, and then we wonder why our maternal mortality rates in this country are so abysmal!) A doula serves to fill that gap.
→ EXPLORE: Postpartum Doula Services
When should I book postpartum doula services?
The earlier the better—my postpartum availability is often booked at least 2-3 months in advance, and sometimes more like 6-7 ;)
I definitely recommend reaching out by your second or early third trimester.
→ EXPLORE: Postpartum Doula Services
→ EXPLORE: Inquire Now
What if I’ve already given birth, and now I'm realizing how much help I need? Can I still book with you?
Absolutely. If I have space in my calendar, I’m happy to jump in midstream.
In fact, I offer a specific mini-package designed exactly for the cases when people think they’re gonna be fine until they get home and realize, “Oh, crap! This is a lot of work!” I may not be able to immediately jump right in with a full package offering, but I can likely at least hold you over until more opportunity opens up.
Reach out as soon as you find yourself in need and let’s check my availability.
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→ EXPLORE: Postpartum Doula Services
→ EXPLORE: Inquire Now
Do you do overnights?
Overnight care, if available, is only available on a limited basis and in conjunction with pre-contracted daytime care.
It’s been my experience that offering only overnight care packages leads to severely impeded communication abilities. If I arrive at 10pm and only see you for five minutes before you crawl off to bed exhausted, and then I don’t see you again until five minutes before I leave as you’re crawling out of bed exhausted, I don’t know how baby’s been doing with you and you don’t know how baby’s been doing with me. We need daytime, awake talk, in order to effectively coordinate our care goals.
With that said, establishing good sleep habits is essential self-care, and I am willing to support that endeavor if my own cup is full.
Let’s discuss your needs and see if an overnight add-on might work.
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→ EXPLORE: Postpartum Doula Services
Can you help me “bounce back”?
Uh-uh, find someone else. I absolutely will not do that.
No shade if you’ve made plans to hit the gym as soon as you can walk again, but I’m probably not gonna be the right postpartum doula for you.
I really encourage my families, if at all realistically possible, to set mom and baby up for a 40-day period of exclusive rest and bonding. Any work that mom usually does around the house falls on the shoulders of the other family members, or friends who come to help, or the doula. She doesn’t lift a finger, and her only responsibility is tending to baby, skin-to-skin. We come to feed her, we come to fluff her pillows, we come to help her bathe and shower and change clothes.
If a full 40 days is not possible for your situation, I’m gonna stay firm on the 5-5-5 Rule -- five days in the bed, five days on the bed, and five days near the bed as a bare minimum.
Please, PLEASE, see my postpartum resources for more information related to this topic.
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→ EXPLORE: Resources Page
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PLACENTA SERVICES
How does placenta encapsulation work?
I come directly to your home with all my equipment and get set up in a corner of your home where I’ll be mostly out of the way.
I then clean, steam, quarter, and set your placenta to dry overnight. The following day I return to grind and encapsulate the dried placenta, thoroughly clean up my workspace, and present you with your placenta medicine and instructions for use.
While I’m there, though my primary task would be the job at hand, I bring with me all of my postpartum doula energy and am happy to help out with any practical or emotional needs that call to be met while I’m there.
→ EXPLORE: Placenta Services
How do I get my placenta?
You’ll need to confirm ahead of time that your birth location will release the placenta and keep it properly stored, and then confirm again at the start of your labor to ensure proper chain of command. Luckily, in our area, this is pretty common practice and is typically a fairly easy process.
Once your placenta is released back to you, it’s very important to keep it refrigerated if you have your encapsulation scheduled within the next several days, or transfer it to freezer storage if your plan is to wait any longer than that.
→ EXPLORE: Placenta Services
Can I have both encapsulation and a ceremony?
Yes! Many families choose both for a more holistic experience. Ceremony can be held before or after encapsulation depending on your preference.
→ EXPLORE: Placenta Services
Is placenta encapsulation safe?
Yes, when handled properly. I follow strict safety protocols based on OSHA and food-handling guidelines. I will never encapsulate a placenta that appears compromised, shows signs of infection, or has not been stored correctly.
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There is currently no scientific evidence to suggest that placentophagy or ingestion of placenta capsules is in any way dangerous. Each person is responsible however, to educate themselves about the anecdotal effects of such practices, including the potential for certain unwanted effects.
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I am happy to have an open discussion about any concerns you might have, and to point you in the direction of evidence-based resources that may help you in your decision-making quest.
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→ EXPLORE: Placenta Services
→ EXPLORE: Resources Page
How do I get my placenta to you?
You’ll be responsible for making sure the birth location releases it and that it’s stored on ice/refrigerated until I receive it.
I will come directly to your home for both days of the entire process.
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→ EXPLORE: Placenta Services
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
LACTATION EDUCATION (Coming Summer 2026)
When will Lactation Education services be available?
Lactation Education services are coming Spring 2026. I’ll be offering inclusive, affirming, personalized support for all kinds of feeding journeys—nursing, pumping, combo feeding, chestfeeding, and more.
→ EXPLORE: Lactation Education Services
Can I pre-book now if I'm due in early 2026?
Yes! If you know you’ll need support after your baby arrives, we can reserve your spot in advance. Reach out and I’ll walk you through the process.
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→ EXPLORE: Lactation Education Services
→ EXPLORE: Lactation Inquiry Form
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PHILOSOPHY and ACCESSIBILITY
Are your services inclusive for LGBTQIA+ families, single parents, and other nontraditional family structures?
Absolutely, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! My practice is intentionally designed to support all families, including ï¿® LGBTQIA+ parents ï¿® gender-expansive families ï¿® single parents ï¿® teen parents ï¿® surrogate carriers and intended parents ï¿® families formed through IVF/IUI … You are seen and respected here. Always.
→ EXPLORE: Love.Our.Mothers - All Family Doula Care
Do you offer specialized services for families statistically most at risk of medical abuse or obstetric violence?
My services are trauma-informed as both aftercare and as a proactive practice. I’m fully aware of the potential for systemic, structural inequities to exist within any birthing institution and I’ll diligently keep on the lookout for this throughout your time with me.
I provide service to ï¿® neurodivergent families ï¿® larger-bodied and body-diverse families ï¿® families of color ï¿® native and immigrant families ï¿® very young families or families without a social safety net ï¿® families with a history of substance abuse or legal troubles ï¿® LQBTQIA+ families ï¿® survivors of previous traumas … This space was made specifically with you in mind.
→ EXPLORE: Love.Our.Mothers - All Family Doula Care
Do you offer sliding scale or payment plans?
Let’s talk if cost is a concern -- there are options for you.
I don’t offer sliding scale or payment plans. I do keep room in my schedule for one pro-bono spot at a time at any given moment, first-come-first-served, and no questions asked.
If I don’t have a pro-bono option left available, I’ll work with you to find someone else that can meet your needs.
→ EXPLORE: Services Page
→ EXPLORE: Inquire Now
Do you support pregnancy loss or abortion?
Yes. I offer bereavement support, holding space for the full range of reproductive experiences—including adoption and surrogacy, abortion, miscarriage, termination for medical reasons, stillbirth, and infant loss.
I am not trained as a full-spectrum doula specifically, but I am comprehensively trained to provide loss and abortion support as a birth and postpartum doula. Please reach out directly if you find yourself in need.
Maybe even especially so, you deserve compassion, care, and understanding with the added complexities of your particular situation. These moments are sacred, too.
→ EXPLORE: Love.Our.Mothers - All Family Doula Care
→ EXPLORE: Inquire Now
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
LOGISTISTICS and PRACTICAL MATTERS
What areas do you serve?
In case you might have missed it, I provide in-person support in ï¿® Eugene & Springfield ï¿® Albany & Corvallis ï¿® Cottage Grove ï¿® Roseburg ï¿® Florence ï¿® rural areas throughout Lane, Linn, Benton, and Douglas counties ï¿® plus virtual support options available for clients outside this region.
→ EXPLORE: Love.Our.Mothers - All Family Doula Care
What’s included in your services?
Each service has its own particular offerings, but most include ï¿® in-depth prenatal and/or postpartum visits ï¿® phone and text support for urgent matters in between appointments ï¿® on-call availability (for birth clients) ï¿® continuous labor support (for birth clients) ï¿® infant feeding information and guidance ï¿® resource and referral connections ï¿® emotional support and space holding … All services are designed to center your particular needs.
→ EXPLORE: Services Page
How do I book a consultation or check availability?
It's easy to do, right here from this website!
Follow the links below to either fill out an inquiry form, or to directly book a free 30-minute consultation to discuss our compatibility.
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→ EXPLORE: Inquire Now
→ EXPLORE: Book a Free Consultation
How does your onboarding process work?
All service begins with a free 30-minute consultation to ensure that we’re a good match for one another, and that I’ll be available for dates that you’ll need me, followed by a thorough discussion about care options and preferences with your closest support people -- partner, best friend, sibling, whoever’s gonna be at the birth with you.
Once you come to a decision, we get our service contracts signed and secure your dates with a retainer, then we schedule our first visit.
It’s that easy!
→ EXPLORE: Inquire Now
→ EXPLORE: Book a Free Consultation
How much do doula services cost?
There’s a pretty wide splay of associated costs, according to what type and how much of a particular service you’re in search of.
Birth service packages start at a $1,800 flat fee. Postpartum service packages are based on a $75 hourly rate. Final costs are calculated with full transparency and a detailed billing agreement signed before any money is exchanged.
If you have Carrot Fertility benefits through your employer, or are signed up with BeHerVillage registry, your cost could be as low as $0.
Likewise, if you are facing dire financial hardship, I have (limited) space for pro-bono support. Please inquire.
→ EXPLORE: Services Page
Are doula services covered by my insurance?
More and more major insurance carriers, including the Oregon Health Plan, are covering birth doula services and some are beginning to consider covering postpartum doula services, as well.
I’m not currently contracted to work with any insurance carriers. It’s a process -- a very long and frustrating process -- that I am pursuing but am not yet fully set up for.
For now, private pay only … But trust me, I’m worth it ;)
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→ EXPLORE: Services Page
SERVICE AREA
Providing inclusive, family-centered care for all those choosing a pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience rooted in holistic wellness, sacred gratitude, and a deep love for our mothers.
Serving Eugene, Oregon and surrounding areas including Springfield, Pleasant Hill, Dexter, Cottage Grove, Roseburg, Florence, Veneta, Junction City, Albany-Corvallis, and surrounding rural communities in Lane, Linn, Benton, and Douglas counties.
DON'T SEE YOUR QUESTION HERE?
If you still have questions about how I work, what to expect, and how to prepare for the journey ahead, I’m happy to chat.
Reach out anytime and in most cases I’ll be able to get back to you within 1–2 business days … unless I’m at a birth ;)
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CALL / TEXT : (541) 357-7511