FAQs

What’s a birth doula?

See this video explanation or read answer below. This video also details the role and benefits of a postpartum doula.

Short answer: A labor support (birth) doula supports birthing people (and partners, where applicable) in labor to help ensure a safe and satisfying birth experience.

Longer answer: Birth doulas provide emotional, physical, strategic, informational, and in some cases spiritual support (or any kind of support you need, really!). As needed, they will act as a kind of patient advocate, providing communication & advocacy with your clinical care team to make sure that you have the information needed to make informed decisions as they arise in labor for the safest, most respectful, satisfying and healthiest birth possible. A doula offers a normalizing, calming, reassuring presence for you and your partner (if applicable), similar to a field guide or day-of wedding coordinator. We help you feel as calm and confident as possible. We help you strategically labor at home for as long as you prefer (i.e. for those eventually planning to transfer to a hospital or birthing center). Doulas make strategic suggestions to help labor progress, and help with relaxation, massage, positioning as well as other techniques for your comfort. For couples who have decided it's a good fit for partner to provide support, a doula is there to support both of you (not to replace you, unless you want or need to be replaced!) -- to provide tips, to swap out with as needed, to explain things that might be happening, to help partner also remember to nap, eat, and stay hydrated. Doulas are witnesses to and hold space for one of the most sacred rites of passage you will ever journey through in life; we do our very best to protect that experience that you will remember forever.

What are the benefits of having birth doula support?

See above. Also, studies show a doula’s presence during labor and delivery produces better birth outcomes.

A few of the specific benefits (in addition to the previous answer) are:

  • Reduced anxiety/depression

  • Shorter labors

  • Fewer pain medication requests

  • Lower cesarean section rates

  • Increased parenting confidence & birth satisfaction

Source: Study by Klaus and Kennell, 2002.

What does a birth doula package include?

This varies from doula to doula since each doula in our collective is autonomous (i.e. we don't control contractual terms), so we recommend inquiring when you interview to learn about each doula's offerings to help you consider. Examples of what one might generally expect to receive in your package:

  • Prenatal support from the time of hiring until labor

  • On-call 24/7 from your 37th week of pregnancy until the birth of your baby

  • 1-2 prenatal consults to explore and clarify your birth preferences and discuss how your doula can best provide support to you (and partner, if applicable)

  • Support during your labor and delivery, providing emotional, strategic/self-advocacy & informational support

  • Support for 1-2 hrs after the birth to assist with transition and initial breastfeeding/bodyfeeding, if desired

  • One optional postpartum meeting in the weeks following birth

Does insurance cover doula services?

While it's uncommon for insurance to cover doula services at this time (except for employer fertility benefit companies such as Carrot or Progyny, which our doulas have worked with plenty of times), we recommend you contact your insurance carrier to see if—or under what circumstances—they cover or reimburse for doula services.  If someone has a specific medical condition, a letter of medical necessity from your care provider can sometimes convince insurance to cover partially or fully if they otherwise wouldn’t. Our doulas can fill out any paperwork needed by your carrier for coverage and provide you with an official receipt (superbill) to submit upon request; it’s advisable provide us with your insurance's specifications (CPT code, ICD-10/diagnosis code, and any other details they require) to ensure you have your best chance at successful reimbursement.

Medicaid did start covering doula services in NY state as of March 1, 2024. However, doulas have to do the paperwork to qualify as an in-network doula, so you would need to be sure the doula you hire is in-network. At this time, no doulas in our collective are in-network (likely because the Medicaid amount reimbursable isn’t a living wage in NYC). You can find a Medicaid doula here).

IMPORTANT: Some insurance companies/benefits providers will provide a form and may require certain documentation from the doula such as proof of certification and/or proof of liability insurance. As you're interviewing doulas please check with the doula when interviewing (before hiring) to ensure whomever you want to hire can provide the documentation you need if reimbursement is a priority for you.

Doula services are often eligible for reimbursement with flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA), and health reimbursement accounts (HRA) with a letter of medical necessity which you can request from your medical provider (OB or midwife). They are not eligible for reimbursement with dependent care flexible spending accounts and limited-purpose flexible spending accounts (LPFSA). We recommend double checking with your plan to verify whether or not your HSA/FSA provider considers doula services eligible.

What should I ask a doula in an interview?