Today’s blog post is written by the co-founder of Brood, Gill Damborg. I personally cannot sing enough praises for what my birth doula and postpartum doula meant to me on my birth and postpartum journeys. Here’s what Gill has to share with you.
When you’ve been navigating fertility treatment or pregnancy loss—or trying to get pregnant for what feels like forever—it can be hard to imagine what support might actually feel good. Especially if you’ve had a difficult or emotionally complex road here. That’s why a doula might be exactly what you need.
Whether your path has included IVF, IUI, pregnancy loss, or just a lot of waiting and wondering, doula support can offer the steady presence and personalized care that traditional systems often miss.
So if you’re somewhere between “I’m ready and excited to meet my baby” and “I’m too anxious to celebrate this yet,” keep reading. You don’t have to do this alone.
What is a birth and postpartum doula?
A doula is a trained professional who provides emotional, physical, and informational support during birth, and postpartum. But beyond the skillset, they bring something just as important: presence.
They’re not medical providers, but they work alongside your family doctor, Obstetrician (OB/OBGYN), or midwife to help you feel informed, held, and heard throughout your experience. They support you going through your labour, with ways to manage the strong sensations, making sure you’re cared for.
Whether it’s your first time pregnant, or your fifth time trying, a doula meets you where you are—with no assumptions and no judgment.
Why consider a doula
If you’ve had a challenging journey so far, it usually means this path hasn’t been easy. Maybe you have experienced loss. Maybe there’s been months or years of waiting, hoping, and trying again.
Or if it’s been a smooth journey so far, support is still key.
A doula won’t fix the past but they can be a grounding, supportive presence as you move forward. They’ll help you navigate appointments, understand your options, prepare for birth, and access the support systems you’ll need postpartum as well as provide postpartum care (hello Night Nurse!).
They’re also there to help you feel—whether that’s joy, fear, grief, or excitement—because emotional support is a form of care too.
Types of doulas
- Birth doulas – With you prenatally and during labour to help you feel empowered and supported.
- Postpartum doulas – There for the early days (and nights) to support rest, recovery, feeding, and newborn care.
There are various options among providers, such as only hiring a birth doula, only hiring a postpartum doula or purchasing a package with both. Some also include photography services for the birth and other add-ons.
Do I really need a doula if I already have a midwife, maternal family doctor or OB?
Short answer: you can have both, and many people do.
Midwives and OBs are focused on your clinical care and are medically trained and equipped to deliver your baby, and will primarily be focused on the health of the birthing parent and their baby. Doulas, on the other hand, are there to provide extensive care for your whole family, including helping you around your home as you adjust to having a new family member.
We don’t clock out at the end of a shift. We don’t switch teams halfway through your labor. We’re with you the whole way through—whether that’s cheering you on in birth or washing your dishes postpartum.
We’re also not just there for you—we’re there for your partner, your family, and your community of care.
For example, in the labouring hours doulas often care for your partner (if you have one) so that they have their needs met, so that they can show up for you even more. Birth partners often forget to eat or use the washroom, or even when to call your midwife or OB, but doulas are there by your side with experience and as a grounding force.
Is doula care accessible?
We get it. Cost matters. Some extended health plans, health spending accounts or other insurance may cover doula services. Some doulas like at Brood also offer a sliding scale for birth, and many clients add doula support to their baby registry instead of another swaddle blanket.
Here’s Brood’s guide on How to Get Doula Care Covered by Insurance.
I believe everyone deserves care that meets them where they are. No matter how you got here—through IVF, IUI, loss, or luck—you deserve care that feels personal, empowering, and grounded. That’s what a doula offers. And that’s what we’re here for.
More about Brood
At Brood, we’re a modern care agency and doula collective based in British Columbia, Canada. We’ve supported thousands of families through fertility journeys, pregnancy, postpartum, loss, and early parenthood. We believe care is a radical and powerful act, and we know that for many people, that care is especially needed during pregnancy, labour, delivery, and postpartum.
*Disclaimer: This article did not involve any exchange of monetary goods to post.
