Frequently Asked Questions

The birth of your baby is a profound & permanent life change. After 9 months of pregnancy & the intensity of labor and delivery, a family is born - your family! 

After experiencing the immense joy of the little life you created, therein seeps your new reality as a parent(s). As the first few hours & days begin, many new parents find themselves unprepared & ill-equipped for this transition while detached from supportive, knowledgeable mentors. A Postpartum Doula fills this gap in your maternity care & is able to pave a pathway for you to overcome this challenging transition period. Imagine the benefits of having a personalized parenting coach right in your living room?! This specialized service is worth every cent. 

A Postpartum Doula is a trained professional that gives evidence-based emotional, physical & educational support to the mother, father, and newborn (as well as siblings) in the first few weeks following birth. 

A Postpartum Doula's role is to assist with the specific needs within the postpartum period (approx. 6 weeks post birth) including: postpartum planning, supporting emotional & physical recovery from birth, infant care, breastfeeding support, helping with family adjustments, household organization & light housework, meal preparation, companionship & more. 

A Postpartum Doula does not have a medical degree & therefore will not provide medical practices or medical advice. I will provide non-medical support only & will refer you to any medical professional at any point in time, should you want one. 

A Postpartum Doula is a trained professional that provides expert care for the entire family, not just an infant/child. A Postpartum Doula's role is to assist with the specific needs within the postpartum period.

Midwives provide wonderful postpartum support, but they can’t be in your home as often as you may like, for as long as you may like. Many midwives do home visits for the first 2-3 weeks after which their visits are completed at their clinic. As your Postpartum Doula I am able to provide longer home visits & more time dedicated to your care, teaching you new parenting skills, & helping you in your home. The more support you can get the better!

This is a common concern! 

My suggestion is to look together at the evidence-based research on the benefits of doulas. You can find some here: 

•  Randomized Controlled Trial of Doula-Home-Visiting Services: Impact on Maternal and Infant Health | SpringerLink 
•  Multi-site implementation of a promising innovation in low income communities: support for childbearing women (nihr.ac.uk) 
• Doula Care, Early Breastfeeding Outcomes, and Breastfeeding Status at 6 Weeks Postpartum Among Low-Income Primiparae - Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing (jognn.org) 
•  Evaluation of an Innovative, Hospital-Based Volunteer Doula Program - Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing (jognn.org) 
•  Nurses and Doulas: Complementary Roles to Provide Optimal Maternity Care - Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing (jognn.org) 
•  Bridging the Gap with a Community Doula Program - Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing (jognn.org) 
•  Female relatives or friends trained as labor doulas: outcomes at 6 to 8 weeks postpartum - PubMed (nih.gov) 
•  “Being the best person that they can be and the best mum”: a qualitative study of community volunteer doula support for disadvantaged mothers before and after birth in England (springer.com) 
•  WHO recommendations on maternal and newborn care for a positive postnatal experience (View C.1, C.3, C.4, C.5, C.9, & pages 195 - 196.)
•  Factors that influence uptake of routine postnatal care: Findings on women’s perspectives from a qualitative evidence synthesis | PLOS ONE 

Other resources:

• Rethinking Postpartum Care
•  Alexandra Sacks: A new way to think about the transition to motherhood 
•  Benefits Of Birth & Postpartum Doulas

Positive evidence for doulas is staggering! You can also ask your partner if they're willing to sit through a phone consultation or an interview with me to learn more & see if we'll be a good fit. 

As your Doula my role is not to replace Dad or any family members; rather I am an advisor to assist you all to persevere in this special & challenging time.

Yes. I am certified by DONA International. 

I am also undergoing licensing with the Association of Ontario Doulas.

I live in downtown Toronto, ON, Canada. 

I serve those who live in Toronto or the surrounding GTA (Scarborough, North York, & Durham Region)

I provide my services Virtually as well! 

For optimal support it is best to hire a Postpartum Doula while in the Third Trimester of your pregnancy (28 weeks & onward). It is ideal after initial intake, to have a postpartum preparation planning session well before your baby's due date. 

Currently I do not provide overnight support. 

However, I do offer 24/7 calls & texts. 

I am committed to following Ontario Public Health guidelines. I will ensure the following steps towards protecting your family during my shift by:  

• Washing my hands thoroughly upon arrival at your home, & frequently throughout my shift. 
• Wearing a mask upon your request.  
• Avoid touching my eyes, mouth, & nose. 
• Use your cleaning products to wipe down surfaces in your home when I arrive, & again before I leave.
• Change clothes before I arrive to your home.
• Check myself for cold/flu symptoms before my shift. 
• Cancel immediately if I show symptoms & reschedule for a future in-person or virtual session.
• Provide physical distancing within your home upon your request. (I can offer guidance, give breastfeeding support, fold laundry, prepare food, & other household organization from a distance.)
• I can have as little or as much contact with your baby as you prefer.  
• Provide virtual support any time you prefer. 

Please note: I also rely on you to let me know if you or anyone in your household has any sign of illness, has had exposure to a virus, or has travelled in the past 14 days outside of Canada. 

YES! Give the gift of quality postpartum care to your sister, girlfriend, or loved one. This is the perfect baby shower or group gift! All Mamas-to-be deserve comprehensive & compassionate support in this special season of life.

Please free to inquire further at: perseveringmama@outlook.com