Doula Support
Supporting Healthy Beginnings
No two pregnancies, births, or postpartum experiences are the same. Doula care is individualized, centered on your needs, questions, and the kind of support that feels most helpful to you.
MCHC provides individualized doula care for people experiencing high-risk pregnancies in the Chester County region. Your doula gets to know you and your priorities, providing a consistent presence from pregnancy through the postpartum period.
What is a doula?
A doula is a trained, non-medical professional who provides physical, emotional, and informational support before, during, and after childbirth.
A doula does not replace your doctor, midwife, or nurses, and they do not prescribe medication, provide medical advice, or make medical decisions. Instead, they work alongside your medical team, offering comfort, encouragement, information, and support as you communicate your questions and preferences.
How Doulas Make a Difference
Pregnancy and childbirth are not without risk. In the United States, more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are considered preventable, meaning there was at least some opportunity to change the outcome through reasonable changes at the patient, family, provider, facility, system, or community level.
Good outcomes take more than medical care alone. They also depend on being heard, understanding your options, recognizing when something isn’t right, and having someone in your corner to help you navigate the experience.
That’s where a doula can make a difference.
Research shows that continuous doula support during labor is associated with greater satisfaction with care and fewer unnecessary interventions, along with other positive birth outcomes.
What MCHC’s Doula Support Looks Like
MCHC’s full spectrum doulas are part of our team and are trained through Doula Trainings International (DTI). DTI provides professional doula training and certification pathways, and its birth doula training is recognized among approved foundational training programs.
Prenatal Visits
Your doula will meet with you for at least two prenatal visits to get to know you, learn about your pregnancy and priorities, and help you prepare for labor and birth.
This is a chance to ask questions, talk through preferences, practice comfort techniques, and think about how you want to communicate with your care team.
Labor & Delivery
When labor begins, you’ll connect with your doula for guidance and support as labor progresses.
Your doula will join you at your hospital or other delivery setting and stay with you throughout labor and delivery, offering comfort measures, encouragement, and help communicating with your care team. After birth, your doula can also support early bonding, including skin-to-skin contact and initiating breastfeeding.
Postpartum Visits
Support doesn’t stop when the baby arrives.
You’ll have at least two postpartum visits with your doula to check in, talk through your birth experience, support your transition home, and provide guidance on newborn care and other resources you may need.
Get in Touch
Referrals are encouraged during the second trimester. Late referrals are accepted based on availability. MCHC doula support is available in Chester County and Montgomery County, PA, including Pottstown and Norristown.