You might want to have some personal support as you go through your labor and delivery, even if you have other family or friends to help. We care about you and want you to have the best labor experience possible.

The Doula Program

This service is offered through a group of volunteers certified by a national organization called Doulas of North America (DONA). Doula is a Greek word referring to a woman who helps other women with pregnancy and birth. A doula is trained to provide continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth. Doulas offer coping techniques during labor and delivery including verbal encouragement, massage and positioning, relaxation and breathing, etc. They also assist mothers with breastfeeding during the immediate postpartum period and can provide important education and referrals. This important service has been studied and results show shorter labors, less use of oxytocin, fewer Cesarean sections, fewer deliveries using forceps and vacuum extractors, and few requests for pain medication in women who had the support of a doula compared to those who did not. Infants had fewer admissions to the NICU and benefited from increased contact with their mothers and a higher rate of breastfeeding.  Private practice doulas charge between $500-$700 for this beneficial service.

Birthline clients will receive the support of a doula without cost.