Doula Services
So much preparation goes into the birth of a baby. Too often, that’s where the preparation ends. A Postpartum Doula is a non-medical support person: a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on, and an educated, experienced partner in the transition to life at home with your newborn. Read on for information about what working with Toula Co can entail.
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“Rachel is the absolute best. Warm, knowledgeable, supportive, dependable and trustworthy, she is everything we wanted and needed in a postpartum doula. She not only cared for our newborn by putting him down for naps, taking him on walks outside when we needed a break, giving him baths, and working on developmental skills like tummy time, but she also cared for us by prepping healthy meals and snacks, helping with laundry for the baby, and most importantly, answering our never-ending questions. As new parents who had spent very little time around babies before having one, it was incredibly comforting to have Rachel around to provide support and guidance during the first few weeks of our son’s life. She offered evidence-based insights on breastfeeding, sleep, newborn care and more.
I felt an overwhelming sense of relief every time Rachel came over and I’m so grateful for her help. She is truly amazing at what she does and I could not recommend her more. -LA
“Becoming a new mom was full of so many unknowns. But from week one, Rachel helped our family navigate through all of the newness. From every ‘is this normal?’ question about recovery or our newborn, to helping us with all of the transitions that the fourth trimester brings, Rachel brought incredible knowledge, insight, and optimism. She took such amazing care of our family and I don’t know what we would’ve done without her! -GM
Postpartum Preparation
Practical physical support in the home after a baby arrives is so valuable, and so is the practical and physical preparation prior to birth!! This category of services is meant to prepare you, your family, your body and your home with all of the resources and tools you will need to make the transition into parenthood as smooth as possible.
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This 2-hour session is meant to help you get your nest ready! We'll go over all the gear you may have already purchased and how to use it, discuss things you might still need to purchase, and talk all about how you can optimize the organization of your spaces to make your transition home with a newborn a bit more peaceful. ***Doula clients with Toula Co receive this session for FREE by simply scheduling your Prenatal Doula Shift here.
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I strongly believe in education around the anatomical and physiological changes that occur during pregnancy so that folks can feel more empowered in their movements and workouts, WHILE preparing their bodies for the most incredible physical feat of their lives! In this session, we'll discuss your current workout routines, goals, how your body is feeling, and how you might consider adapting your practices for pregnancy. I strongly believe in training for birth and planning for postpartum recovery, not just dealing with symptoms and problems as they arise! This session is 3 hours long and includes personalized homework with suggested movements and breath work, typically focused on strengthening and lengthening specific parts of the body including the core and the pelvic floor, and any other areas of concern specifically for YOU! I recommend booking this session as early as you like, or when you're starting to feel like your body needs a little something different from you, typically around the end of the first trimester.
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Movement during the last few weeks of pregnancy is so vital for a smooth delivery and recovery, as it can help to find length in the places we need it, but it's also such great practice for labor, physically getting you into all the shapes that will feel intuitive and helpful during the real thing! This 3-hour session is meant to educate you and your partner on the physiological changes that need to happen in the pelvis and pelvic floor in order to facilitate as smooth of a birth and recovery as possible. We'll use Rachel's training as a Body Ready Method Pro to go over your history of physical activity and injuries, and physically look at your body and watch you move to identify patterns of movement and/or compensation that could make labor trickier. Rachel will give you some short movement/breath work homework assignments to work on prior to labor, in addition to sending you into labor prepped with knowledge (literally a PDF!) on how to move, position yourself, and breathe in order to have a smooth labor and recovery.
Postpartum Doula Support
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Home
Washing Dishes, Bottles, Pump Parts
Laundry
Light Cleaning
Pet Care
Physical and Emotional
Postpartum yoga*, meditation, breath work and stretching
Preparation of cool pads, sitz baths, etc
Encouraging maintenance of healthy eating, hydration, hygiene and sleep habits
Care for newborn (and older siblings) while parent(s) naps, showers, takes a much needed break
Birth story processing
Answers (or referrals) for the endless “Is it normal that…?!” questions
A neutral third-party to help assess postpartum mental health
Newborn Development
Basic lactation and newborn feeding education and troubleshooting
Cleaning, storage and organization of expressed milk and pump and bottle parts
Referrals to experts when necessary
Support for developing healthy sleep habits for newborns and beyond
Attachment-based parenting style education
Virtual
Let Rachel know ahead of time what questions and support you are looking for, and she will come up with a plan to discuss with you over phone or video call.
As new challenges arise and bring new questions, schedule follow-up sessions!
*ALL doula clients will receive body check-ins, suggestions for movement and guided breathwork during their doula shifts. Additional Postpartum Yoga in the form of full hour-long sessions, CAN be scheduled the same day as your doula shifts, but must be purchased separately from your Doula Package. Read more here.
Pricing & Scheduling
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If you know you want support, but you want the flexibility to schedule it when it works for you, this is a great option for you! If you’d rather go with Rachel’s recommended schedules, check out the custom packages below.
Daytime Support
$45/Hour Base Rate (larger package = smaller hourly rate)
12-Hour Package: $540
24-hour package: $1026
48-hour package: $1944
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The Deluxe Package: $4160
26 shifts (104 hours) total through 12 weeks postpartum: 3 shifts per week from 2 weeks prior to your due date, through the first 2 weeks postpartum (12 shifts); for the next 4 weeks, we'll taper down to 2 shifts per week (8 shifts); for the final 6 weeks of The Fourth Trimester, we'll taper to 1 shift per week (6 shifts), and include any remaining shifts that needed to be rescheduled!
The Basic Package: $3520
22 shifts (88 hours) total through 12 weeks postpartum: 2 shifts per week from 2 weeks prior to your due date, through the first 6 weeks postpartum (16 shifts); for the next 6 weeks, we'll taper down to 1 shift per week, (6 shifts), and include any remaining shifts that needed to be rescheduled!
The Lite Package: $2880
18 shifts (72 hours) total through 10 weeks postpartum: 2 shifts per week from 2 weeks prior to your due date, through the first 4 weeks postpartum (12 shifts); for the next 6 weeks, we'll taper down to 1 shift per week, (6 shifts), and include any remaining shifts that needed to be rescheduled!
Sounds amazing. Where do we start?
If you’d like to talk more about the type(s) and amount of support that will be most beneficial for you, please schedule a Free 30-Minute Consultation with Rachel here. If you’re ready to purchase, check out your options below! If you’re purchasing a package, Rachel would always prefer to send you a proposed schedule based on her availability prior to purchase; if you’re ready to see one, just ask!
