Find a Doula in Chesapeake, VA
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Why Use Meela to Hire Your Doula?
Meela is the trusted place for parents to find top-rated doulas, connecting over 1,700 parents with vetted doulas each month. Reach out to doulas directly, or answer a few questions and let us bring you the best available options near you. All for free, no strings attached.
Certified, Expert-Vetted Doulas Near You
Our doulas are the best of the best and hold the highest standards of evidence-based, inclusive, and compassionate care. Each verified doula on Meela is vetted by a licensed medical professional and comes with multiple client recommendations, active certifications, and has extensive training and experience in perinatal care.
4 reviews • 15 families supported • 2 years experience
9 reviews • 18 families supported • 4 years experience
As your birth doula, I support you in preparing for birth and navigating the unexpected. As you ask questions and make choices about your birth preferences, I listen and discuss options with you. I am knowledgable about evidence-based birth information and you are the expert on you, your body, your baby, and your family. My goal is always to listen to what you need and provide safe, nurturing space to discuss any topic. I also provide group or individual birth education if that is something you desire. When the time for your birth arrives, I go when and where you need me, home, hospital, birth center or a combination. I provide physical support through massage, counter pressure, and other physical comfort measures. I follow your lead when you know just what you need and make suggestions when you need fresh ideas. I also support the loved ones you choose to have in your birth space, through reassurance, encouragement, giving them a break or going on a food run. I build rapport with your entire birth support team through kindness and respect as we all strive together to support your best birth experience. After your baby is born, I continue to be available in the early postpartum days by phone or to visit and check in. I can help you navigate any questions or challenges that have come up and help connect you to additional professional resources you need.
Care philosophy
During a career of Coast Guard service, caring for my community became as important to me as life-saving missions, so I have transitioned to full-time birth work. I love encouraging and supporting families through pregnancy, birth, life, work and return to work after the birth of a child. Whether at a hospital, home or birth center, every family and birth benefits from education and support.
Areas served
- Virginia Beach
- Norfolk
- Chesapeake
- Hampton Roads
- Portsmouth
- Suffolk
- Newport News
Reviews
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Jasmine
June 23, 2023 at 12:41 am | Client reviewAs a second time parent I thought maybe I didn’t need a Doula, but decided to hired Mary and I am so glad I did! Mary came with so much experience, enthusiasm and knowledge. She taught me new and innovative techniques that really set this birth experience bar high. My birthing experience with her was even better than the first time! If you are wondering if Mary will be a good fit for you the answer is YES! She’s an excellent doula and I will definitely be hiring her again for my next birth.
3 reviews • 11 families supported • 6 years experience
As a military spouse I have supported many friends through birth with and without their partner and family. I began just helping friends and realized this was something that brought me joy and life. I have since been trained by DONA and Madriella as a birth doula and am pursuing my postpartum certification as well. I have attended many births as a birth doula and helped the mother and her partner to find moments of peace and unity in what can be a fear filled and lonely process. I support birth plans of all types and work as a part of your care team to give you the experience you desire. This begins before birth with our prenatal meetings and planning. I help you create a birth plan and prepare for the unexpected. These conversations will help you to be more at ease during labor and delivery. I had babies earlier than most of my friends and have found myself being the example many turn to for how to raise their babies. I have helped over 10 families troubleshoot breastfeeding, sleep, and scheduling with their newborns and love helping each family find ways to communicate with their babies and the practices that work for their family.
Care philosophy
As a mother myself I know the need for you to make choices based on your own personal needs and desires. I aim to support the decisions you make for yourself while answering questions you may have about the process of labor, birth or raising babies. After having a high risk pregnancy and high need infant I understand the changing nature of this time and want to support you where you are.
Areas served
- Yorktown
- Hampton Roads
- Williamsburg
- Hampton
- Newport News
- Poquoson
Reviews
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Abby
July 4, 2022 at 10:48 am | Client reviewAs a first time mom, I was really nervous about giving birth! Becki was SO helpful as we talked through hopes and expectations, making sure we understood all our options and the risks/benefits associated with each before we ever got to the delivery room. That education helped me feel calm and empowered going into our birth. Then on the day itself, Becki was the perfect coach for my husband and me. She knew when to step back and coach him as he supported me and when to give him a break so we could all make it through the marathon that is birth. She had this instinctive ability to know exactly what I needed at various points in labor – counterpressure, change of position, a pep talk, you get the idea. The whole experience was better than I ever could have dreamed. Did everything go “according to plan”? No! It never does! But Becki did something even better. She helped me feel supported in my decisions, on the same team as my medical providers, safe in the delivery room, and cheered on by both her and my spouse. Lastly, her follow-up postpartum has been incredibly helpful as we navigate the learning curve of the 4th trimester! If you’re on the fence about hiring her as a doula, trust me, she is worth every penny! 10/10 would recommend her to any mama (or new dad!) looking for an advocate in the delivery room!
Doula Services: FAQs
A doula is a professional that provides emotional, physical and educational support to new parents before, during, and after childbirth and into the early postpartum period. Doulas are companions who strive to give families a safe, positive, and healthy labor experience. They provide parents with evidence-based information and education on childbirth and are someone who the parent can turn to with questions and concerns about having a baby. Doulas also take an active role in collaborating with the parent to create a birth plan.
A certified birth doula offers advice and techniques to help reduce the stress that the parent often experiences during childbirth and provides you with education about different aspects of delivery and labor and what comes after.
There are two ways you can hire a doula through Meela in Chesapeake, VA.
You can browse through the available doulas in Chesapeake, VA and send the doulas you are interested in a message, introducing yourself and setting up an interview. We recommend interviewing at least three before hiring your top doula.
You can also hire a doula in Chesapeake, VA in three easy steps:
- Post a job for free: answer some questions and receive responses from top-rated doulas in Chesapeake, VA. It takes less than 30 seconds to post your job.
- Get your list of Chesapeake, VA doulas: in a few hours, you will have a collection of doulas near you who are qualified to meet your needs. You can compare pricing, experience and read reviews. You can chat with each doula to learn more about them.
- Hire a doula with confidence: schedule virtual or in-person interviews with your top doula choices. Hire your top doula and start getting the care you deserve.
While the cost of a doula can vary based on experience and the services offered, you can expect the average cost of a doula in Chesapeake, VA to be $1,001, which is the average cost of a doula in the state of Virginia. The cost of a doula in Chesapeake, VA can range from $807 to $1,196. These costs are based on a representative group of 139 doulas surveyed by Meela across the state of Virginia. The average cost of a doula in Virginia is about the same as the U.S. national average cost of a doula, which is $971.
When hiring a birth doula in Chesapeake, VA, you and your doula will discuss and agree upon a fee structure, and your doula will send you itemized invoices through Meela, which you can pay securely through the app.
Some insurance companies will cover all or part of the cost of hiring a doula. Contact your insurance company to find out if they offer any coverage for hiring a doula; not all insurance companies do.
You can hire two types of doulas in Chesapeake, VA: a birth doula and a postpartum doula. The birth doula is during your pregnancy and through the birth of your child. They provide you with emotional, physical and educational support during your pregnancy, your labor and delivery and for the first few hours after your child is born.
A postpartum doula will support you for the first few weeks after the baby is born. They provide in-home assistance, including teaching you how to take care of your newborn, acting as lactation consultant, and can provide some night nanny services.
Yes, a birth doula can provide support during a Cesarean birth and delivery. Doulas are non-medical professionals and do not replace obstetricians, physicians, midwives or nurses. They are an additive member to the team and provide emotional, physical and informational support to the birthing parent, partner and family. It is up to you whether the certified doula can remain in the operating room during the procedure.
When you hire a doula in Chesapeake, VA, your services typically include several in-person prenatal sessions, 24/7 phone and text support, full attendance throughout your labor, and several hours of support immediately following your birth.
A doula in Chesapeake, VA can help you in any kind of birth. Certified doulas are able to assist parents in creating the ideal “birth environment” and help parents deliver their baby safely. A doula can provide support during the birth whether it occurs in a hospital, a home, or another birth center of some kind. Doulas are there to support you in your desired birth preferences, whether that is a preference for natural, non-medicated, assisted, C-section or anything else.
Certified doulas can also act as a liaison between you and hospital staff regarding your childbirth expectations and preferences. For example, if your preference is to have a non-medicated birth, a doula can help guide you through that process and create a personalized birth plan. A certified doula in Chesapeake, VA does not replace medical staff (such as your obstetrician and nurses).
When a surgical procedure is required, there are some situations in which a birth doula can also remain in the operating room, although this is not an expected obligation. A certified birth doula can also assist hospital staff to improve the overall birthing experience. A doula in Chesapeake, VA will typically stay with the parents for several hours after birth to help them with birth recovery.
Evidence suggests that a birth doula in Chesapeake, VA can help improve parent satisfaction with their baby’s birth and delivery. The involvement of a doula can also lead to shorter deliveries with less complications.
Recent studies show that parents who have a support person like a doula by their side throughout labor and childbirth are more likely to:
- Give birth without the need for pain medicine
- Describe their birth experience in a positive way
- Give birth without the need for medical intervention, such as C-sections or vacuum delivery
- Experience a shorter labor
You can hire a doula early in your pregnancy to allow you time to get to know each other and to begin planning for your later trimesters, labor, birth, and aftercare. It is ideal to hire a doula when you are around 20 weeks along, but you can start looking for one before that.
It is never too late to hire a doula in Chesapeake, VA; you have right up to your due date to find a doula near you and receive all the benefits of doula support.
While many people think that a doula and a midwife are the same thing, their educational background and job duties are different. Doulas are non-medical professionals who provide emotional, physical and educational support, while also offering actionable advice and guidance to new parents about how to nurture their baby.
A midwife is a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) or a certified midwife (CM). CNMs are medical professionals that are certified and licensed by the American College of Nurse-Midwives. CMs are also certified, but they do not have nursing backgrounds.
Doulas are not medical professionals; they focus on the emotional support for the parents and the family before, during, and after the birth of the baby. Their job is to provide information, advice, and support to the family not diagnose any medical conditions or provide medical advice.
Lisa
September 21, 2022 at 11:46 am | Client reviewWhen I had my second child Monica, was there helping me before I went into labor as well as when i got home. She helped me with different position to nurse my baby. Tips on how to help with burping him. She was great support system and was always there when i had a question or just needed a mommy moment