What is a doula? A doula is a trained professional who provides emotional and physical support to a woman and her partner during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Having a doula can empower the woman and her partner to make informed decisions throughout the childbirth experience. With a doula’s support, the couple can feel more confident and secure as they embark on the journey of parenthood.
Here in Acorn and Oak Apothecary, Katherine Knott support couples in pregnancy and through birth by listening, attending, informing and guiding without judgement. Understanding your hopes for your birth will help her support you. Katherine’s main focus when working with birthing families is ensuring that you feel educated, supported and able to make informed birth choices before and during the birth.
As a doula, she weaves ancient wisdom from her shamanic roots with he clinical knowledge from her midwifery studies and fuse it with her naturopathic principles to support you as you sit at the birth altar and embrace this transformative time.
Doula Services Include:
- Meeting 3 times during your pregnancy (not including the initial meeting) to learn your birth preferences, practice comfort measures, look at breastfeeding, newborn care and the first six weeks after birth.
- Educating about what the birthing process involves
- Assisting with writing a birth plan
- Offering local resources as needed
- Working with your birth partner (if you are having one) to engage him / her in the birth process
- Suggesting positions and techniques to enhance comfort & optimise progress in labour and provide hands on support and guidance as needed during labour
- Allowing for and protect privacy when that is what is needed.
- Helping to know what is normal in the process and when to call your midwife or move to the hospital
- Providing massage or other soothing touch to encourage calm and relaxation during labour
- Providing comfort and company when your birth partner needs to take a break
- Breathing with you through the challenging moments
- Protecting the space around your birthing environment – help to keep it calm and respected
- Helping you incorporate and understand changes in your preferences if the need arises.
- Assisting you with initial breastfeeding after baby has arrived
- Ensuring you and your partner are comfortable, nourished, and settled after your baby has arrived.
- Referring families to appropriate resource if mother’s needs or circumstances are beyond scope of practice. I also incorporate some of the information that l learnt as a Hypnobirthing practitioner.
Package Fee for Doula Services
A total cost of $2200 comprises the following payments:
- NO FEE – Initial meeting, 30 minutes – (can be done via zoom or face to face at Acorn and Oak in Ballarat or Soul Seed Sanctuary in Taradale).
- $500 – Booking Fee – Non Refundable – Payable to confirm services
- $800 – Birth planning, due at 30 weeks – Includes 2 antenatal visits (one visit would be at acorn and oak or soul seed sanctuary and one visit would be at your home)
- $900 – Birth fee, due at 36 weeks
(Optional and additional cost)
- $220 – Postnatal visit home appointment (included in price is travel time to and from you house) – 30 mins
Katherine services Bendigo and Castlemaine, Ballarat, Creswick, Dean, Daylesford, Taradale, Malmsbury, Chewton, Hepburn, Fryerstown, Mt.Franklin, Elphinstone, Guildford, Blampied and Newlyn. If you are unsure if you are in the catchment area, please reach out to katherine@acornoak.com.au
Support is available in both hospital and homebirth settings. Please click the button below to book an appointment with our doula services.
