Finding a Doula in San Diego
Are you pregnant and considering hiring a doula in San Diego? Having a doula support you throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum can make all the difference. One of the biggest benefits of a doula is having someone in your corner during an emotionally intense experience. But there is so much more to a doulas role!
I interviewed Kelly Rae, the founder of Doulas of North County to give you an idea of what benefits you can expect when hiring a doula. This post will help you understand all the benefits to having a doula, and other advice to help you in your journey of pregnancy and parenthood.
One thing I personally love about Doulas of North County is the fact that they do so much for the community. Doulas of North county hosts free community meet ups for parents and parents to be to connect with people in a similar life phase as them.
Kelly Rae’s Doula Journey
Being a doula is a third career of mine, and the most rewarding and important work I’ve ever done.
I have been supporting pregnant and postpartum families since 2018, practicing doula support all over the country (and even in France!) and returned to my home state of California in 2022.
I am a practicing birth doula and also the Founder of Doulas of North County where I lead a team of birth and postpartum doulas and match families to the doula of their dreams!
What Inspired Doulas North County
I created a doula team because I saw a need to help North County families make the process of finding a doula easier. I also see how doulas benefit from practicing birthwork with a team of support around them. We are so much more than a doula matching service, we are a community to both pregnant and postpartum families and doulas! Check out our events.
The Role of a Doula in San Diego
A doula is a non medical support person that adds to your birth team. Your doula is hired by YOU and can provide unbiased, neutral education and support to your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Doulas are advocates and we know that this time of your life is not a one-size-fits-all approach; and we truly want to help our clients think creatively and get in touch with their intuition about what they want this stage of their life to look like.
There are different types of doulas as well, birth doulas, daytime postpartum doulas, and overnight postpartum doulas. Each with their own nuanced expertise and experience!
How to Feel Confident In Your Pregnancy and During Birth
Kelly’s advice: Get educated! With knowledge comes empowerment. With empowerment comes higher satisfaction with your birth experience. Take an out of hospital birth education class (out of hospital educators are unbiased), binge listen to reputable podcasts (ask me some of my favorite?!), and surround yourself with positive stories about birth (there are many!).
Indescribable Experiences
I asked Kelly her favorite birth experience it was hard for her to choose just one. She said “Each birth is beautiful and special for different reasons. That being said, some of my most heartwarming experiences with clients are those who hire me for their 2nd or 3rd (or more!) birth after experiencing a traumatic/disempowered birth with an earlier pregnancy. Working with these clients prenatally to get more educated about their options and then supporting them throughout their birthing process is such a joy!!! Redemptive birth stories are so very special.”
Myths About Doulas
A common myth about Doulas is that they are all hippies and only support home births! While it’s true that douals are educated in holistic methods to support a pregnant, birthing, and postpartum person – we are also highly educated on when the use of medication/hospital intervention is appropriate and/or useful! And while we do love supporting home births (they can be so very magical!), a majority of our clients are hiring a doula to support them through their hospital based birth and we love those births too!
Options For Care – Available For Everyone
If you are curious about hiring a doula, for either your birth or postpartum, do not assume that you cannot afford one! There are all kinds of creative ways to pay for doula services. Some insurances are partially covering doula services. You can pay for a doula using your HSA/FSA health benefits from your employer. And many people are jumping on the very smart trend to register for services over stuff for their baby shower (have you heard of www.behervillage.com?).
Final Words of Wisdom
Kelly Rae’s final words of wisdom: A positive birth experience has a lot less to do with a specific outcome and more to do with feeling empowered and knowledgeable about the process. I know there is SO much information online and it’s hard to know who and what to trust – but taking the time to find your trustworthy team to support you is worth the effort and investment if you can swing it.
Kelly Rae is a practicing birth doula and also the Founder of Doulas of North County. Additionally, she has her graduate degree in Counseling, is a certified yoga teacher, and has advanced training in maternal movement for optimal fetal positioning.
Kelly lives in Vista, CA with her scientist husband and two daughters who were both born with the support of loving doulas! You can learn more about her at www.doulasofnorthcounty.com and follow her on Instagram @doulakellyrae
I hope this post has helped you consider all the benefits to hiring a Doula in San Diego. If you are looking for someone to help you document either your pregancy or your family once your baby is here, I would love to chat with you! You can contact me here to hear more about my photography services.
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