Click here to visit the "Birth Doulas Q & A Page"

Does insurance ever cover doula services?

 In terms of our postpartum doula services, Birth Partners participates with ConnectiCare. Clients with Connecticare insurance may call ConnectiCare
directly for specific coverage information.

Birth doula services are generally not covered as they are considered non-medical services.  Traditional insurance plans in which the consumer chooses their practitioner & is reimbursed for a percentage of covered expenses are more likely to cover doula services than HMOs or preferred provider organizations, though reimbursement is extremely rare.

Many consumers have flex-spending accounts, in which a percentage of their wages are placed in a pretax account and can be used for non-covered medical expenses. Doula care may be considered an appropriate expense for reimbursement from a pre-tax account.

Our fees are more reasonable and affordable than you may think, and payable in installments or by credit card.

How do you match the client with their doula?

We feel strongly that making the best match of doula and client is critical to the quality of care and satisfaction
with the services we provide. We assign our doula by the needs of the client, her personality, as well as her
partner’s, and their specific needs. Not every doula is the right match for every client, and we are proud to say
that with our variety of well-trained professional doulas, we can provide the perfect doula for each family's needs
and personality.

 I want an epidural? Should I still hire a birth doula?

The decision to have an epidural is one that should be carefully made by the client, her partner, and her care provider. A good doula does NOT decide this for a client, or have a bias for or against epidurals or other
medications. Her role is to support the client in their decisions, and to educate and guide them in their birthing options.

I have a high-risk pregnancy. What if I have a cesarean surgery or need to be induced?

In the event scheduled or unscheduled induction or cesarean surgery becomes necessary, the doula will
provide continuous emotional and physical support to the client, her partner, and/or baby at the hospital before, during, and following the procedure. The clients will still benefit from the unlimited prenatal meetings and
support.

 Has Birth Partners worked with my care providers and/or attended clients at my hospital or birth center?

We have been attending clients since 1990, and are proud to have worked in every hospital in the state,
most of them many times! Doctors, midwives, and nurses appreciate the professional, unbiased, and
non-medical care we provide to their patients, and serve as one of our best sources of referrals! We also
have contracts with a number of hospitals--all initiated BY the hospitals in order to provide the highest quality
doula care for women and families.

This is not my first baby--do I need a doula?

 Every pregnancy, birth, and baby are unique, and unexpected circumstances may arise. Birth Partners' comprehensive doula care is a welcome addition to the birthing or new family whether this is your first or fifth baby.   Our system of in-home prenatal visits, support when and how you need it, and highest level of care and service provides comfort and reassurance during this special time. 

We also provide sibling support services at home or in the hospital/birth center during labor and birth for families who need it, as well as sibling care at home during the postpartum period, including play dates, help with the adjustment to a new sibling, and freeing mom up to spend one on one time with the other child/ren!



 The Doula & the Partner: Working Together
            One of the most common concerns we hear from couples considering a birth doula involves the role of
the doula . Some couples worry that the partner will be pushed aside, relegating the partner to a more minor role.
Some women are hesitant to suggest a doula for fear of hurting their partner’s feelings. Some partners feel pressured totake on a role that they are not comfortable assuming, but are hesitant to share with their loved one
that they feel insecure about supporting her in the ways that she needs to be supported in labor and birth.
             Birth Partners doulas share the philosophy that one of our most important responsibilities is to support the couple’s choices for their pregnancy, labor, birth. For some, that may mean that the doula is a “coach for the coach”, helping with suggestions and reminders, perhaps acting as an advocate. For others, it may be that the doula is the primary “coach”, freeing up the partner to be caring, loving, and supportive, without the pressure of being the sole support of the laboring woman. This is for each couple to determine--and for each Birth Partners doula to respect
and honor.
              While each well trained, professional Birth Partners doula likely knows more about the process of labor
and birth than does the partner, the partner is the one who knows the woman best, knows her personality, her preferences. The doula and the partner both work together to contribute in unique ways to give the laboring mother
a comfortable, well-rounded, safe, and secure atmosphere in which to labor and give birth.