Virtual Birth Doula Support
“I can’t describe how amazing it was to know these doulas were there for me throughout my pregnancy! They were so kind, they shared a lot of helpful articles to answer my questions, and they were truly there for us during my (long!) labor. We are so thankful we took the leap and brought Marlee & Megan onto our birth team!”
- Krystal
During the pandemic our clients told us just how much doula support mattered for them - even from a distance.
One lesson we took away from the COVID-19 pandemic is how valuable doula support really is, even when we couldn’t be with clients in person. We’ve continued to receive requests for virtual support even after hospital visitor restrictions lightened up, so we’ve made virtual birth support a permanent part of our practice. (If you’re looking for in-person support in Pittsburgh, head over here.)
As your virtual doulas, we are here to help give you the most positive birth experience possible. From tips and tricks to help with labor progress, to comfort measures and staying in a coping mindset for labors without pain medication, to physical and emotional while laboring with an epidural, to emotional support during a cesarean birth… we are here with compassionate support for each moment of your birth experience - whatever it may look like.
Some families who choose a virtual doula want to replicate the experience of having an in-person doula as closely as possible. Other families are just looking for some extra support and don’t necessarily feel the need for the full doula experience. We have a virtual package for each of these approaches.
Wherever you are in the world, we’d love to support you! As long as you have access to a reliable internet connection and can accommodate appointments during our business hours, we’re here for you! So far we’ve worked with virtual clients in 12 different states and 6 different countries!
Our goal is to help you get the information, resources, and support you need to make the choices that are right for you and your family. In our monthly appointments during pregnancy, we can offer resources and research to help you make informed decisions in a way that feels comfortable for you and your family. We are always happy to share from our breadth of experience as birth workers as well! We are here to support you in working through any decisions that might arise before, during, and after your birth.
No matter what decisions you make for your birth, we will support you with compassion (and without judgment!) so you’ll always have someone in your corner - virtually!
“I can’t imagine how this birth would have gone without Megan and Marlee. I didn’t have a doula with my first baby, and this experience was like night and day because of their support. If you’re worried about whether it’s worth it to have a virtual doula, rest assured this team is worth every penny!”
- Noemi
Package Option 1:
Comprehensive Virtual Doula Support
Availability limited to 1-2 virtual clients per month.
To help you decide if we're a good fit, we offer a free consultation before you book your package so we can answer your questions and get to know each other.
Comprehensive Virtual Doula Package: $2300
Our signature virtual service for birthing families! Includes:
Guidance & preparation for birth:
Birth Basics class (private online class)
Comfort Measures class (private online class)
Creating your birth plan: support and guidance, as well as a 1-year membership to Motherboard Birth ($50 value)
Access to resources, including our "Pack the Perfect Hospital Bag” checklist
Ongoing emotional support during pregnancy:
Monthly check-ins during pregnancy: 1 appointment each calendar month between signing your contract and 36 weeks
Weekly check-ins during pregnancy: 1 appointment each week between 36 weeks and whenever your baby arrives
Trusted support for your birth:
24/7 communication with your doulas from 38 weeks until your baby is born
Virtual support for your labor, birth, and immediate postpartum from Megan or Marlee (no time limits!)
Back-up doulas available (but *knocks on wood* we’ve never needed to call in a back-up)
Postpartum care:
Lactation/feeding support visit with Marlee
Text communication when you have questions or concerns
Check-in and birth debrief at 4 weeks postpartum
Bonuses:
The Practical Parent’s Plan for Nursing a Newborn: our signature online lactation course you can take at your own pace
10% off our comprehensive postpartum support package so you’re surrounded with support all the way from pregnancy through the “fourth trimester”
Ready for comprehensive support?
Package Option 2:
Virtual Doula in Your Pocket
Availability limited to 1-2 virtual clients per month.
To help you decide if we're a good fit, we offer a free consultation before you book your package so we can answer your questions and get to know each other.
Virtual Doula in Your Pocket Package: $750
A fantastic option for families who want access to a doula during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Includes:
Guidance & preparation for birth:
Creating your birth plan: support and guidance, as well as a 1-year membership to [M]otherboard Birth ($50 value)
Access to resources, including our "Pack the Perfect Hospital Bag” checklist
Ongoing emotional support during pregnancy:
Monthly check-ins during pregnancy: 1 appointment each calendar month between signing your contract and when your baby arrives
Trusted support for your birth:
24/7 communication with your doulas from 38 weeks until your baby is born
Up to 3 hours of virtual support for your labor, birth, and immediate postpartum from Megan or Marlee
Back-up doulas available (but *knocks on wood* we’ve never needed to call in a back-up)
Postpartum care:
Lactation/feeding support visit with Marlee
Text communication when you have questions or concerns
Check-in and birth debrief at 4 weeks postpartum
Bonus:
The Practical Parent’s Plan for Nursing a Newborn: our signature online lactation course you can take at your own pace
Ready for more peace of mind?
What sets us apart?
Experience. We have been practicing since 2014 and have supported over 300 diverse families who have been where you are. Although every client and every birth is different, our breadth of experience gives us so much helpful context when approaching each new client.
Expertise. Our list of trainings and continuing education workshops is long and keeps growing every year! Continuous learning is very important to us. But we strive to create a peer support feeling with our clients as we work side-by-side together!
Focused attention. Since we only take a few clients due in any given month, we have more time to devote to each family. We love building meaningful long-term relationships with our clients! You’ll notice that our doula package includes a LOT of time with our clients. Building a strong relationship together during pregnancy means we will be able to really fine-tune our birth support to your needs, desires, and values.
A commitment to equity. We are deeply committed to anti-racism, cultural humility, and advocacy. This commitment runs throughout our practice, from personal growth work, to medical advocacy, to providing services for free and low cost on a regular basis to folks who don’t have access to the support they need.
Trauma-informed care. We invest a lot of time and energy (and continuing education) into continuously improving our skills at providing safe and appropriate care for our clients. Reducing birth trauma is one of our primary goals as birth workers, and we have many practical tools to draw on.
Connection. We have a wonderful network of birth workers who we rely on for important discussions, camaraderie, and emotional support. When we ourselves are well-resourced, we can show up for our clients in an even more present and connected way.
Individualized support. We know how fragmented perinatal medical care can feel, and we want to be a grounding, connecting presence for our clients. From the day you sign on with us, we’re your doulas. We love supporting our clients throughout pregnancy, birth, those early weeks with your baby, and beyond! We’re always happy to be a sounding board and provide you with personalized resources as you move through these transformative experiences.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I’m so glad we booked the Doula in Your Pocket package. I always felt more calm and prepared after every appointment during my pregnancy, and I loved knowing I could reach out to you two anytime I needed support. We appreciated your guidance during those whirlwind moments during my labor, and your breastfeeding help totally saved us in that first week.”
- Kaitlyn
FAQs about working with us
Can I text you if I have questions during pregnancy?
Yes, absolutely! Once you’ve hired us, you officially have doulas and you can reach out to us anytime, even in between our appointments. We’re happy to text, email, or talk by phone if you have questions or concerns during pregnancy or in your baby’s first weeks. We can often offer reassurance, additional resources, or questions you can ask your care team.What happens during prenatal visits? Do I need to prepare anything?
No need to prepare anything specific! We primarily use the time to touch base, answer your questions, understand any new plans for your birth, and get to know your family’s values and goals for your birth experience. We’ll also review how and when to contact us when you think you might be in labor so you feel comfortable with our game plan as a team.
How does virtual support work during labor?
Great question! We know it can be hard to picture, but virtual support can be a smooth process. Once you let us know you’re ready to jump on video with us, we’ll send you a Zoom link. You can open it on a laptop or tablet if you have one of those with you (some of our clients like to set up the screen on a portable table they can bring nearby wherever they are laboring). If you don’t have a laptop or tablet, you can just use your phone (even better if someone else can hold it!). We can offer the same kinds of reassurance and support as we would in person, as well as assisting you with positioning recommendations, answering questions, helping to facilitate communication with your care team, and more.When do you go on call for my birth?
We are on call for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week beginning at 38 weeks of pregnancy until your baby arrives. If for any reason neither of us are available, we will have arrangements with a back-up doula who can support you.
Is there a time limit for how long you will support me during labor?
If you choose the comprehensive virtual support package, there is no time limit for continuous support during labor. If you choose the “doula in your pocket” option, we will provide up to 3 hours of support during labor, including video chats and phone calls.
How long will you support me after birth?
It depends on what you need and how things are going. Some families feel pretty good and are ready to “hang up” just a few minutes after birth. Others prefer to keep us on video chat until their baby has eaten for the first time. Typically we offer on-call support through the first 2 hours of your baby’s life, but if there were any complications and you’d like more support, we can definitely be flexible - to the extent possible, we want to make sure you feel taken care of and settled before we sign off.
What kind of postpartum support do you offer if I need some help?
We offer comprehensive postpartum support for families who want access to Marlee’s compassionate guidance and expertise throughout their baby’s first 3 months of life.Do I have to make a birth plan?
Definitely not! But so many of our clients have found the [M]otherboard birth plan tool helpful that we include it in your package for free. If you want to use this resource, we will have a quick virtual appointment to show you around the tool, as well as a virtual appointment specifically to review your birth plan if you decide to create one.
Celebrating a doula baby’s first birthday! We love getting to stay in touch with our clients.
What if I can’t afford your services?
We feel strongly that doula support should be available to folks who want it regardless of ability to pay (especially for members of oppressed groups). If you are having trouble meeting your basic needs financially and/or if you qualify for Medicaid, SNAP benefits, WIC, or TANF, let us know. We reserve a limited number of scholarship spots on our calendar each year and will be happy to discuss sliding scale options, or refer you to another doula who may be able to assist you.
A note to partners:
Doulas aren't just for the person giving birth!
Partners often feel social pressure to act as a “birth coach,” even though it may be your very first experience with birth. That’s a HUGE expectation, especially while you are watching your beloved go through such an intense experience.
Here are some ways we can support you as your virtual doula team:
Help you understand what to expect during labor and the postpartum time
Support you with information and perspective when you have medical decisions to make before, during, and after birth
Suggest things you can do to help your partner feel more comfortable and supported during labor
Answering your questions and validating your experience during labor, and helping you understand what’s normal in birth
At no time will we “take over” your role during birth against your wishes.
Your love for your partner and our expertise and experience in birth make us a wonderful team! We can surround your partner with love and support together.
We love to see parents working together to welcome their baby, and we prioritize helping partners feel equipped and capable of providing whatever level of support they’re comfortable with during labor. If there are moments where you have questions and concerns, rest assured that we will always take them seriously and do everything we can to help you feel more comfortable. We’re your doula too!
Doulas work WITH partners, we don’t replace you.
Having the reassuring presence of a doula on your birth team can help you to feel more comfortable, confident, and connected while welcoming your baby into the world.
“Our baby was born quickly in an emergency c-section after complications starting the induction. Marlee was there for us during those scary moments, and I’m so glad I called her while I was waiting to be called into the OR. Even though things didn’t go the way we had hoped, Marlee and Megan were so supportive during pregnancy and in the first few months of our baby’s life. Thanks for everything, you two!”
— Robert
