What does day to day look like with a postpartum doula?

The day to day of postpartum care varies so much with every family, which is part of why I love it! Some common ways that I spend time include supporting breast/chestfeeding, cooking nutritious meals and snacks, and lightening the load on household chores. One of the most important aspects of my care is working with parents to develop their understanding of newborn body language, cues, and physiology. This provides a solid foundation of trust and understanding between you and your new baby. I also provide emotional support to the entire family during the transition into parenthood or adding a child to the family dynamic.

What is your geographical range of service?

I work with postpartum clients across the East Bay and in San Fransisco proper. At this time, I am unable to accept clients in San Jose, Daly City, or South San Fransisco. I limit my birth clients to those within a 30 minute drive of my home in Oakland so that I can ensure I am available to you when I’m needed during labor.

I’m worried about being able to afford a doula. What kind of financial flexibility can you offer?

I believe that everyone deserves doula care, and strive to make my services financially accessible while also compensating myself fairly and avoiding undercutting other doulas in the market. I am happy to offer payment plan structures. For clients who qualify for low-income assistance such as CalFresh, SSI, or have other unmet financial needs, I work on a case by case basis to ensure you get the care you need and deserve.

How do I know if we will be a good fit?

I like to meet my clients in person during our initial consultation if possible so that we can get a sense of our chemistry and what it might be like for us to work together. I often suggest a walk around Lake Merritt or getting coffee in your neighborhood. During the consultation, we will discuss the kind of support you are hoping for, what is important to you in a support person, and what the specifics of our collaboration might look like. I also appreciate meeting partners or other significant support people during the consultation process!

How can I prepare for a consultation?

It is wonderful and helpful if you are able to reflect on what your dreams are for support in your parenting journey are so that you can share them with me. It’s also helpful if you have an assessment of your finances and an idea of the scale of support you are hoping for. However, my role as a support person starts as soon as we meet, so don’t worry if things still feel a little unclear. Just come as you are, and we will figure out the rest together!