FAQs

These are some frequently asked questions about Lotus Doula Services. Don’t see your question here? Please reach out for a free consultation. I would love to talk with you!

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What kinds of birth do you support?

I have experience supporting all kinds of births, including unmedicated hospital births, homebirths, epidurals and inductions. My specialty is physiologic birth, in or out of the hospital. I have a special place in my heart for VBACs, people who have had past birth trauma, and anyone who is really committed to having an empowering birth experience.

I primarily serve Utah County, but can travel anywhere within a 40 minute radius of Provo, including parts of southern Salt Lake County and Summit County. If you are outside that range and we are a great fit, I may be able to work with you with an additional travel fee. 

I can take FSA/HSA payments and work with Carrot Fertility Insurance. I also offer flexible payment plans when needed and am open to trades for goods or services. Please let me know if finances are an obstacle. I want doula support to be accessible for everyone! 

I believe that everyone who wants doula should be able to have one. At the same time, because I care so deeply about my work and want to continue for a long time, I need to make it sustainable for me. I am also a better doula when I am compensated for the energy and time I give.  Occasionally I am able to offer a sliding scale for those who truly need financial assistance. If cost is an obstacle, please reach out and we can talk about options.

I also want to offer a few ideas of how you can save for doula services with a limited budget. (I had my first three babies on a very limited budget, so I get it!) You could add doula services to your baby registry, use HSA/FSA funds, ask people to donate to your doula fund for birthday/Christmas gifts, or find a skill or good you could trade. You could also cut back on what you spend on a baby nursery and buy second hand baby clothes and other baby items. Your baby won’t care what their nursery looked like, but their birth will impact them for a lifetime. 

What I turn to most often are the most simple yet powerful tools – my hands, words, and regulated nervous system. I also bring my Mary Poppins birth bag full of everything I can think of to make labor more manageable, including: fan, rebozo, electrolyte powders, bone broth powder, TENS unit, magnesium lotion, birth comb, honey sticks, fairy lights, tea lights, a mat for kneeling, heating pad, birth position cards, balls for counter pressure, acupressure balls, essential oils, herbal tinctures, and more! 

Typically, I support around 1-3 births per month. I pour my heart into every person I work with and have found that this amount lets me devote enough time and energy to care for my clients.

I dreamed of being a doula for years before the time was right for me to jump in. I like to think I have always been a doula at heart. During the decade of my childbearing years, I was reading and learning about birth like it was my part time job. I gave doula support for the first time to my sister in 2017. That’s when I knew deep in my bones that being a doula was what I was meant to do. I officially began my doula career at the end of 2021. 

Absolutely not! I couldn’t replace them even if I tried to. They have a crucial role in the birth space as guardian, protector, and the one who knows you best. I love helping partners before and during labor to be as involved and supportive as they want to be, helping them to step fully into their role as birth partner. We work together as a team, both with unique and important roles. My presence and guidance can enhance the support they give to you, helping you both feel more connected through the birth experience. 

I see myself as a bridge builder between you and your provider. My position is valuable because I am likely the only one in the room who has a deep understanding of both the birth process and the person giving birth. Prenatally, I spend hours in your home getting to know your values, needs, personality, and history, and then bring that unique perspective to your birth experience. With that holistic view, I am able to help you understand your options and communicate your needs and wants to your provider. I do not offer medical advice or interventions, but complement the medical expertise of your provider as I focus on your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical needs.

In all my years of doula work, I have only had to miss a few hours of one birth. In an effort to try to prevent missing a birth, I do my very best to not schedule trips close to my clients due dates and not take more than two clients due close together. However, birth and life are unpredictable and sometimes labors overlap. If that happens, or if I get very sick, I call a backup doula that I fully trust to ensure that you are fully supported during labor. If it is within my control, I will do my best to join you as soon as possible.

I will also call a back up if I have been at a birth for longer than 18-24 hours (depending on the situation) because at that point I am likely not able to give you the support you deserve. I work with very qualified and experienced doula partners who will fill in for me so you don’t have to worry about being without doula support, even if labor goes long. If you have been receiving labor support for over 24 hours, I will charge an additional $75 per hour in order to compensate backups and give you the best care.