Frequently asked questions about the 2Doulas shared care birth support

When you decide you would like to work with us you can choose from 3 different birth support packages. Based on the package you choose you will have either 2, 4 or 6 prenatal sessions with us where we alternate between the meetings so you can have a chance to get to know the both of us well. If you book a birth preparation course then we plan that it around week 32-34 so you have plenty of time to practice what you learned.

Schedule of the prenatal meetings

The first meeting is about discussing your answers to the intake form that we send you. This includes some basic personal and medical information about you and the pregnancy, your wishes and preferences about the birth and how you imagine us supporting you the best. This meeting might take place sometime in the 2nd or 3rd trimester, depending on when you book our services.

The last meeting is planned in around week 37/38  to be able to have a general rehearsal moment before the birth. During this meeting we have the opportunity to go through what you have learned, and you can us some positions, breathing techniques and comfort measures that you would like use. If you plan to have a home birth, we also make a list of where to find towels, sheets, baby clothes etc. in your home and we can check together to make sure you have everything you will need.

The Happy Mama package includes these 2 meetings, which is perfect for last minute clients or if you would like to do birth preparation on your own, or if you need our support only for the birth of your baby. These 2 meetings are essential to be able to get to know each other well so we can support you at the time of the birth knowing about your wishes, worries and preferences.

In addition to these 2 meetings in the Bliss Mama and Divine Mama packages you can have 2 or 4 extra meetings with the following topic ideas for the meetings, each topic being a separate 1 hour session:

  • Optimal foetal positioning (with Denise or Julia)
  • Tips and tricks for the partner (with Denise or Julia)
  • Writing down your birth plan (with Denise or Julia)
  • Hypnobirthing breathing and comfort techniques (with Denise)
  • Yoga nidra (with Denise)
  • Nutrition in pregnancy and postpartum (with Denise)
  • Prenatal massage (with Julia)
  • Pelvic floor health (with Julia)
  • Preparation for postpartum: basics of breastfeeding, baby-wearing and postpartum plan (with Julia)

Upon contacting us we would like you to share your expected due date with us, so we can use this as an approximate to plan supporting you into our agenda. Our services are booked once the contract we send you is signed (online) and 50% of the birth support fee is paid as down payment. We send you an intake form to fill out; this includes some basic personal and medical information about you and the pregnancy, your wishes and preferences about the birth and how you imagine us supporting you the best.

At week 34 we send you the second invoice so by the time we go on call for you from week 38 all administration is settled. In case you contact us after week 34 we send you only one invoice of the full birth support fee.

Yes, absolutely! During ours years as solo doulas we saw our clients 2 or 3 times before the birth to make sure we have enough time to get to know each other well. In our 2Doulas shared care concept this stays the same, we have more prenatal meetings and we alternate these consultations between the two of us. This way we can build a bond within this birth team we create.

We divide the on-call time between us based on a certain schedule. The person on duty is the one answering our birth-line phone and will be your doula supporting you at the time of the birth, staying with you the moment you need our support a couple of hours until your baby is born.

We are also each other back-ups for situation when 2 babies chose to have the same birthday. Should there be a third birth happening in a real baby boom, there is also extra help available from a lovely back up outside of our practice.

Working with us means we can offer a true 24/7 availability during the whole year, including holidays. It can be especially tricky to find a solo doula for the summer months or during the winter holidays. Combining our experiences and knowledge also means we can offer a wider range of services to you from nutrition advice, prenatal yoga and massage to postnatal yoga, belly binding, breastfeeding and baby wearing support and meal box packages for the postpartum period.

We chose each other because we share the same views about birth, therefore you can expect the same level of care and same energy from both of us. In our small scale practice we support 4-6 families per months so we can offer you a lot of time during our meetings and of course our undivided attention.

Having a colleague means we have in-house supervision, creating space for reflection on our work practice. This way we can also give feedback and advice to each other. Running a demanding doula business and trying to find a healthy work-life balance is often tricky and lot of solo doulas burn out, as this lifestyle of being on call all the time asks a lot from them. We would like to continue doing what we love in the long run, so for us a healthy, sustainable way of running a doula business also means we need to be able to take some time off once in a while. By doing so we have the possibility to take care of ourselves, so we can take the best care of you.