Chico Doula Circle
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          Using our heart and hands to guide you to your best birth

What we can do for you...

Chico Doulas
Workshops not being offered at this time.

Workshops/Prenatals:
Prenatal contact and discussions take place at our monthly mini-workshop meetings.  Clients and potential clients can come to as many workshops as they choose, and clients shape the topics to fulfill their unique needs. During our meetings, we welcome new families, attend to established clients, and present experiential learning opportunities on a variety of topics.

The goal of our mini-workshops is to present a concise topic relating to having a baby, whether it is ways to cope with labor, breastfeeding, or even life with a newborn -- something you will experience in the next few weeks or months of life.  This part of the meeting lasts 45 minutes to an hour.  Clients may arrange to come before or after to have a brief assessment with a doula, with the opportunity to ask more personal questions, discuss fees, or complete necessary paperwork.  Mixed with lively conversation, fun, and comfortable surroundings, these evening groups are interactive, and mama-centered.

These are free events -- Anyone interested in learning more about Chico Doula Circle services is always welcome to just come and check it out! Workshops will not be held on any major holidays. Contact us and check our facebook page for more info about when workshops might resume. 

Phone/Email/Text Support: Once you are established as a client, we are here for you day and night.  We will provide you with complete prenatal support, whether you just need to talk, or you are wondering if your labor may have begun.  When questions arise, you have the support network of our combined experience and knowledge.  We can quickly provide you with information to ease your ailment or calm your mind; of course it is a given that we will not hesitate to let you know if your concern warrants immediate attention from your care provider.


Labor and Birth Support: Your doula will join you for your labor and birth journey as soon as you would like her to.  We attend midwife-assisted home births as well as area hospital births. If you are planning a hospital birth, we are happy to join you in your home for early labor support.  After your baby's birth, your doula will stay for one to two hours, to help you get settled into parenthood and breastfeeding.  In the event of a long labor or doula emergency, your care may be transferred or shared with a back-up doula; our goal in these situations is to ensure the birthing family is taken care of in a smooth and seamless fashion. In the event of a planned cesarean, an individual plan will be made which includes additional postpartum support.  

Postpartum Visit: The doula who attends your birth will visit you and your new baby after about a week, or when it fits into your new family
arrangement. This visit is a time to recount details of the birth, make sure you are settling in with your baby and breastfeeding, and give any needed referrals (as well as snuggle that new, sweet baby!).  


Lending Library: As a client,  you  will have all of our resources  at your fingertips!  We have over 60 books, magazines,
novels, and videos/DVDs all about pregnancy, labor, birth, babies, breastfeeding, and parenting. These are all at your disposal to borrow, after making a small deposit.



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"I loved how quiet and intuitive my doula was, anticipating what I wanted, even before I knew I wanted it. I felt calmer and more secure with her positive feedback, reminding me to listen to my body. I would recommend a doula to any expecting parents, regardless of the type of birth experience they desired...having a doula was the best decision my husband and I made in our whole birth process and the information/support for first time parents is priceless...My husband really valued suggestions about when to go to the hospital and how to help make me more comfortable, since he was nervous about seeing me in labor...it took a lot of the pressure and fear away, having someone who was experienced guide him and help know when to go to the hospital."                                  

                                                                                                                                           ~K, Chico
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

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"I would definitely recommend the Chico Doula Circle to expectant mothers. To take advantage of the meetings five months before labor and to really get to know these ladies. I had a positive sense of support as a first time mom. When you're going through it for the first time, there's that 'fear of the unknown' at varying levels for every woman, I believe. These ladies help to instill confidence and strength and ease those 'fears.'"
                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                              ~A, Chico


Shared-Call Structure

There are always two doulas on call.  This ensures you always are able to get the support you need from a doula you have established a relationship with. As your due date approaches, we will provide you with a contact list and the current on-call calendar.  If you think you are in labor, call the primary doula listed for that calender day. If you are unable to reach the primary doula, you may call the secondary doula.  She will either get ahold of the primary doula for you, or meet you at your house or the hospital.

Benefits of Group Shared-Call Doula Support

Experienced Doulas: Working with a group of doulas means that you have different women to pull experience, strength, and support from.  We share the same support philosophy. We have had well-rounded experiences with pregnant women, their partners, and each of their unique birth stories.  This also means that you have doulas who are supporting one another as well.  Having a group of doulas as your birth team is a great way to go!

Guaranteed Doula Support: You and your family will be supported by the doula who is on call during the time your labor begins. You are guaranteed doula support once you go into labor. Clients are given a calendar that specifies who is on call and who is the back-up for each day. This means that even if an emergency/illness arises, or the primary doula is at another birth, you will receive fantastic labor support, we promise! We will be there for you. We do not work for or need to meet the needs of anyone else - we are there for you and your family exclusively.

Quality Doula Support: Doula support provided from a group platform is consistent and high quality.  We are available and at your fingertips, in a rotating on-call schedule, so you are guaranteed an available doula at a moment's notice.  Working as a team, we are free from many of the worries we faced when working alone, such as:

What if I get sick? What if my child gets sick? What if there is a family emergency? What if my car won't start? What if leaving my day-job leaves my position there in jeopardy?  How will I maintain my own strength (eat/bathroom/sleep) if the birth runs long?

If any issues were to arise that might compromise the on-call doula's ability to be present for you, you have a dedicated team of doulas who are able and ready to step in if needed. This peace of mind is a huge relief for both the Circle doulas and for you!  Chico Doula Circle clients can be at ease knowing we have created a schedule that not only fits your needs, it also fits ours.  We sign up for shifts that optimally fit with the other activities in our lives.  This brings a great sense of balance to each of us and allows us to enter your birth environment stress-free, present, and totally focused on your birth. 


Dynamic Group Support: Chico Doula Circle clients benefit from shared experiences and dialogue during group meetings.  The relationships formed in the group- setting transition well to future support group settings for breastfeeding, toddlers, and beyond.  Our Community Resources page has information on many of the different support groups available in our community. 

Client-Led Education: As doulas, we have a passion for healthy pregnancy, positive birth experiences, and contented new families.  We love to share our knowledge and passion based on client needs.  Maybe you took a childbirth class, newborn class, or breastfeeding class and you want clarification on, or more information about a specific topic?  We have a list of workshop topics to choose from and encourage our clients to let us know what kind of discussions and information they need to confidently move forward on their journey into parenthood.

The fee for our packages of birth doula services ranges from $500-900.  

A portion of this is paid at the time you sign on with our group, and full payment is expected by 36 weeks of pregnancy.  For those whom this may present a financial burden, a portion of the fee may be waived.  Please don't hesitate to speak to one of us regarding fees. Visa and MasterCard, as well as payment schedules are available. We want our services to be accessible and are willing to work with our clients.

Our services are also a great baby-shower gift!  We will provide gift certificates for the whole amount of our services or place any smaller amount toward our fee.  Please feel free to contact us with questions or if you would like to gift our services to an expecting mama you may know!
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Photo used under Creative Commons from K . Chan
  • Home
  • What We Do
    • On Call Calendar
  • Contact Us
  • Community Resources
  • Meet our Doulas
    • Blog