+ Why should I hire a doula?

A doula is someone who provides nonjudgmental, evidence-based support to laboring mothers and their partners. This includes emotional and physical support to reduce labor, get the baby in optimal position, and help the mother and family feel prepared. Having a doula also significantly reduces the risk of cesarean section. (Learn more about the benefits of hiring a doula here.) Our passion and goal as your doula is to help you have the birth you desire.

+ Are you certified? What type of training do you have?

Although certification is not required to be a practicing doula, investment in quality training shows commitment and proves a certain level of knowledge. Therefore, I am currently in the process of completing several certifications: Birth Arts International for Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula, Baby Steps for Child Birth Education, and International Placenta & Postpartum Association. In addition, I have completed the Blood Borne Pathology certification and Texas Food Handler Safety certifications. I also partake in many other trainings that allow me to continue to grow my knowledge and skills, such as Essential Oils Use for Labor and Delivery, Home-Birth Cesarean, and Naturopathic Labour Prep. And although I hope to never use such training, I am currently training to be a certified Still Birthday Doula to help mothers cope with the unimaginable. (For more information, visit birtharts.com, and ippatraining.com.)

+ What happens if my birth doesn’t go as planned?

We will be with you as soon as you go into labor until you welcome your new bundle of joy. Sometimes the birth plan you desire requires some intervention. Whether you are birthing at home, at a birth center, or at a hospital, we are with you. And if things don’t go quite as planned, we are with you all the way from transferring to the hospital to helping you cope with interventions. We also help you process your birth postpartum.

+ Does a doula only provide support for natural births?

No. As your doula, we will serve you no matter the birth you desire. This can include home birth, birth center, or hospital and medicated or unmediated birth. Our goal is for you to not only have the birth you desire but ensure you feel safe, unjudged, informed, and supported. Whether you are having a home, birth center, or hospital birth, each provider, midwife, or OB wants you to be in active labor before intervening, and they are primarily caring for your medical needs and safety. Your doula is the one professionally-trained person who comes to you wherever you are, at any point in labor. We stay with you through the entire process and give you 100% support throughout your entire labor, birth, and postpartum experience.

+ How long after birth will I receive my placenta pills?

Our goal is to ensure you have your placenta pills within 48 hours of birth. That time is used to retrieve the placenta from you at your place of birth, thoroughly clean it, and then gently steam and dehydrate it for encapsulation. On rare occasions, it may take 72 hours for encapsulation to be completed.

+ Why should I hire Little Lilacs for my birth services?

With Little Lilacs, you are more than a client. We care about every element of your pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum time. We want to hold your hand and be ready for any question, uncertainty, or moment you just want to talk. We know this time comes with new emotions, a lot of processing, and new steps into the unknown. The foundation of Little Lilacs is built not only on training and certifications but personal experience within each of these elements. It was through personal experience that Stacey felt a calling to walk alongside mothers during this hard but beautiful journey.

+ What if I can't afford a doula?

We believe that every woman should have the birth she desires with a birth team that will help her achieve her birth goals. Hiring a doula is an investment, and although not required, having a doula brings many benefits to help the mother achieve those goals. Therefore, we are happy to discuss payment plans and options.

+ Do I need a doula if I have a birth partner?

A doula’s role is to fit into your birth team without taking anything away from you or your partner’s experiences. Our role is to make this one of the best moments of your life as you welcome your bundle of joy. In the world of pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum, there is a lot to process and understand, such as medical procedures, protocols, and birth language. As doulas, our goal is to ensure you have all the information to make decisions based on informed consent and advocate for the birth you desire. Although a doula can never speak for the laboring mother, a doula can help the laboring mother and birth partner understand the information they received and facilitate communication between them and medical providers.

Many birth partners are eager to be involved in labor and birth. A doula’s skills and knowledge can help the birth partner feel more relaxed and be reassured if they become distressed seeing their partner in pain. Sometimes we stand back and instead help guide the birth partner in providing physical comfort by helping the mom change positions, giving back rubs, or guiding her to stay focused during contractions. A doula’s role should never to take away from the birth partner. During your first prenatal appointment the role of your doula is discussed.

+ Why should I choose Intuitive Birth for my childbirth class?

Whatever you want your birth experience to be, the Intuitive Birth class is open, honest, and well-researched. Having a baby is a time of great excitement and joy. It is also a time when many new decisions and choices need to be made. Throughout this class, we look at all the elements and research, and discuss the choices. This class is a safe place for you to determine the best choice for you and your family. Intuitive Birth students are 68% less likely to have a cesarean than the average mother. 70% of Intuitive Birth students who give birth vaginally do so with no pain medication.

+ Why should I hire a postpartum doula?

You may not think you need a postpartum doula with family eager to come visit and hold the baby. But the most common reason a postpartum doula is hired is to help you relax and spend uninterrupted bonding time with your baby! A postpartum doula is flexible with the type of help you need, from cooking and cleaning to staying overnight to help you rest. Our purpose is to make you as comfortable as possible so you can cherish this time.