Doula Evi

What is a Doula?

The word 'Doula' comes from ancient Greek meaning “a woman who serves”. A doula is a trained non-medical professional who provides educational, physical, and emotional support to pregnant women, their partner and family during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum.

Theoretically, a midwife can also provide this support on her own, but this is usually only possible if you are planning a home birth. In a hospital, continuous 1:1 care by the midwifes during birth is rare and the support is often limited to medical assistance alone. The presence of a partner or a friend can be a great support for the woman giving birth, but sometimes a close person can also be overwhelmed with this task or is not available for other reasons. A doula can therefore be a useful addition for expectant mothers and fathers. Because a doula:

• Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will always remember
• Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth
• Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman during labour
• Stays with the woman throughout the labour, no matter how long it takes
• Provides emotional support and physical comfort measures and helps the woman get the information she needs to make informed decisions
• Facilitates communication between the labouring woman, her partner, and her clinical care providers
• Allows the woman's partner to participate at his/her comfort level

Studies^1,2 have shown that when doulas attend birth, labours are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.

¹Klaus, MH et al. (2012): The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth. Da Capo Lifelong Books

²Bohren MA et al. (2017): Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD003766

Doula Services

I can support you in person in the area of Bayreuth, Kulmbach and Kronach. If you live further away, I can also offer online support.

• Prenatal support: I will meet with you and your partner during pregnancy to become acquainted and discuss your priorities and any fears or concerns you may have. I will help you to prepare for labour and birth. If needed, I can also accompany you during appointments with your midwife or doctor to translate if you are worried about language barriers.
• Labour and birth support: 14 days before and 14 days after your estimated due date I will be on call. You can then call me at day or night when you think you are in labour, even if you do not need me yet. We will decide if I should come right away or wait for further change. I will support and accompany you at your home, the hospital, or the birth centre for as long as you need me.
• Postpartum support: I will visit you at home to see how you and your baby are doing. We can talk about your birth experience and any questions you may have about life with a newborn baby. If needed, I can also give advice on breastfeeding or infant formula.

Fees:

• Prenatal and postpartum support: 40 € per hour
• Labour and birth support (including on-call duty): 550 €

If you are interested in an all-inclusive package (support before, during and after birth), please ask for a quotation as the hourly rate will be cheaper.

Please note: I am not a medical professional and I do not accompany unassisted births (freebirths). For medical advice, please contact your midwife or doctor. If you need help with finding or contacting a doctor or midwife, I am happy to support you.

Infant Formula

Information and advice on bottle (formula) feeding: Breastfeeding is the healthiest way to feed your baby, however, if you need or want to give formula milk you may be confused by the large range of products available. As a certified expert for infant formula feeding, I can help you find a suitable formula for your baby’s needs and answer any questions related to formula or bottle feeding, e.g.:

• What’s in infant formula?: What Do The Ingredients In Formula Actually Mean For Infant Health? What is the difference between different formula types (e.g. Pre, 1, 2,…)
• Spoilt for choice: Which formula milk should I choose for my baby? Does expensive mean better quality? What do I have to keep in mind when my baby has an allergy risk?
• Preparation of formula: Which water is suitable for preparation of formula milk? How can I easily prepare a bottle at night or while travelling?
• Feeding the bottle: Why is paced bottle feeding important and how does it work? What types of bottles and teats/nipples should I use?
• Combining breastfeeding and formula feeding: How can I avoid nipple confusion? What can I do if my baby is refusing the bottle?
• Support in case of problems (please consult a doctor first): digestive problems (stomach ache, constipation, spitting up), premature babies, allergies, …

Important: I was trained by the German FeS-Institute. The consultation is 100% independent, that means I am NOT sponsored by any infant formula manufacturer and DO NOT promote any products.

Fees:

An initial consultation costs 30 € and includes a phone or video call of 15-20 minutes. Before the consultation, I will ask you to complete and return a questionnaire, so I am familiar with your situation and can start directly with answering your questions. If you need further help, the consultation costs 40 € per hour. Home visits are also possible.

About me

My name is Evi and I am 39 years old. I was born and raised in Germany but I lived several years in England before returning and settling in Kulmbach with my husband and our three children. Originally, I am a biologist with a doctorate in plant genetics. I never thought I would also work as a doula one day, but things changed during the birth of my second child. It was a busy day in the hospital and I did not get the emotional support I needed. I felt helpless and lonely, and could hardly cope with the labour pain. After that experience, I decided to become a doula and completed the doula training in 2021. I know how it feels to live abroad and giving birth in a foreign country is an exceptional situation that can be scary. For this reason, I offer my services in English and really love to support foreign expats and international couples on their birth journey.