How do you prepare for virtual doula support? What about the technology? What can you practice ahead of time? Does this shift your partner’s responsibilities? Do you keep your laptop open the whole time? How does it differ from regular doula support? Jakki Devereaux, mother of three, shares her experiences with receiving virtual doula support by choice, and more. Check it out.
Listen directly through our website player, or however you usually listen to podcasts.
What we talked about:
- How did you and your doula prepare differently for virtual doula support vs. live doula support?
- Did your partner gain new responsibilities?
- What about the technical logistics of it all?
- What did you learn from your first virtual doula support experience to your second?
- What about if your doula had another client go into labor at the same time?
- Did you bring any specific things that your doula would otherwise be bringing with them?
- Did you practice any techniques ahead of time?
- How did you decide on the timing of the support?
- How did your doula support you during labor?
- Were there any changes in fees, or wording in their contract for virtual doula support?
- What did you miss about not having your doula in person?
Doula in a basket the first time around
Resources mentioned and other helpful links*:
- Want to share your COVID birth story? Click to fill our form
- My Own Your Birth online birth prep series starting April 16th.
- Our Birthful.com/COVID resource page
- Phone or tablet tripods at Amazon
- NETGEAR WiFi Extender that Jakki got for her homebirth
- TENS machine units at Amazon.com
Double-hip squeeze with a sheet
Dad and doula working together at the birth center
Related Birthful episodes
- Essentials of Partner Labor Support during a pandemic, with Adriana Lozada
- Birth Doulas, with Sharon Muza
- Postpartum Doulas, with Jackie Kelleher
Baby is born, from the doula’s point of view
Photographer’s point of view
Connecting after the birth center birth
The second virtual doula experience
Deep in labor at home
Midwives, tripod-doula and baby at home
Connecting right after her birth at home
Showing off her baby
All photos courtesy of Jakki Devereaux
About Jacqueline Devereaux
Jakki Devereaux is a mother of 3 children: Sterling (5), Baker (almost 3), and Evangeline (nearly 1). She’s had a hospital birth, a birth center birth, and a homebirth. For her second and third births, virtual doula support was a choice rather than a necessity. Her doula, Ursula Sabia Sukinik from Birth You Desire, has been there for all three births. It was more important for them to continue to work with Ursula than whether or not she could be physically present. Jakki found the level of support to be the same, and they would decide for virtual support again in a heartbeat.
Jakki says: “Of all the fears to have surrounding birth and this difficult time we’re in, the choice between virtual support and physical support doesn’t need to be fearful. It takes some patience, understanding, and communication – but you can receive the doula support you need virtually.”
Baker’s birth photos by Brooke Porter Photography
Evangeline’s birth photos by Cristen Wright Photography
Screenshots by her doula, Ursula Sabia Sukinik from Birth You Desire
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Title music: “Vibe Ace” by Kevin MacLeod, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).
Sponsorship music: “Air Hockey Saloon” by Chris Zabriskie, from the Free Music Archive / CC BY (edited for length).
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