Hip Mamas Doula Services – Calgary Doulas

Your memories of labour and birth will stay with you forever and we believe they should be positive.
Women often comment on whether they felt supported, loved and cared for throughout this experience.
What is a doula? | Does a doula take the place of the father? | Our Team! | What's involved?

What is a doula?

A doula is:

A trained professional who understands the natural process of birth, and works with the labouring family during labour & birth to create the most positive, healthy and natural experience possible for them.
One who provides physical, emotional and informational support.
One who provides non-medical continuity of care for birthing women and their partners, and eases the transition from home to hospital or birth center.
One who offers words of encouragement, non-judgmental support and educates the couple, before, during and after birth.
Often referred to as a labour support companion or a birth assistant.
Someone who stays with the laboring woman throughout her labour and birth.
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Does a doula take the place of the father ?

A doula does not replace or interfere with the father; rather she enhances the father’s role. A doula can actually bring a couple closer together. This is a challenging time for both mother and father. Fathers worry they are not doing enough and find it difficult to see their partner going through the birth process and unable to take away the physical pain. A doula helps him to care for and support his partner by giving suggestions for comfort techniques, position changes, providing encouragement and reassurance, and giving needed breaks during a long labour.

Fathers often become overwhelmed and easily frustrated when the simple comfort techniques taught to them don't work, and a doula can help offer the right suggestion at the appropriate time, helping him use his support skills better.

A doula has attended many births with couples and gained the knowledge needed to help each couple achieve the desired birth experience. She helps the father to be more involved as the nurses cannot be with the birthing woman at every moment. The doula enhances the experience so that parents receive the information they need to make informed decisions. In essence, freeing up the father to provide un-interrupted emotional support to his partner, and not having to play the role of advocate, liaison, educator etc...as well as provide support.
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Our Team!

When you decide to have one of us, either Jennifer, Helen or Gwen to assist you with your birth, you will also have one of us as your back-up doula. The great benefit of our team is that we all share the same approach and philosophy of labour support. We also ensure that at least one of us is available at all times. The doula you choose will be your labour support person and the one you will continue your prenatal meetings with. Your back-up doula is your assurance that you will not be unattended no matter how long your labour lasts or when it occurs.

Your back-up doula will be determined during one of our meetings together and we make sure you have a chance to meet with them prior to the birth. As a team we each have our own clients, but provide back-up for each other so we can make sure no-one is unattended in the event that one of us is unavailable. As great friends and business partners we are in constant communication with each other regarding our schedules and availability to our clients.

As a client of Hip Mamas Birth Services you will also have access to all of the other services we provide, including Birthing From Within styled prenatal classes, reiki, belly-casting, photography and breastfeeding assistance. We each have our own specialties and so with our team approach you have the knowledge and experience of three doulas available to you. Although your chosen doula is your primary support person during labour and birth, we are all available to help you in your transition to parenthood.
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What's involved?

We like to meet with you at least three times before your due date in order to establish a sense of your desires for your labour and birth and to develop a rapport with both yourself and your partner.

The initial visit is usually in the comfort of your home. During this visit we meet one another and outline the services that we offer. This is also a time for us to ask questions of one another and see if we are compatible. If you wish to continue with Hip Mamas, we will send you an information package and set up the next 2 appointments. These visits include a discussion of such topics as your birth ideals and what might be expected, a walk through labour, possible and realistic signs of labour, resources available to you, your expectations of our role, comfort measures and the chance to continue getting to know each other.

We then are available to you 24 hours a day, from 2 weeks before your due date until after the birth of your baby. During the last weeks of pregnancy we stay in close touch with you and offer advice and empathy as you prepare for your birth. In the event that you begin labour before 38 weeks we will make every effort to be available to you. At the time of labour we are available to offer our continual emotional, physical and informational support until after the birth of your baby. Once you are home with your baby we are available for support and advice with any newborn issues you may have.

The final visit will come approximately 1-2 weeks after the birth of your baby. We will discuss the labour and birth and fill in any blanks you may have. This is a time to admire your baby as well and offer any community support you may require for topics such as breastfeeding or the post-partum blues.
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