Ever wonder if your health insurance company will help pay for your doula services? The answer is...maybe. We recently came across this helpful article that details many of the “alternative” services families choose, including labor doula services, water birth, home birth, and in-home postpartum care. The authors also delve into what specifics affect the likelihood of your getting the stamp of approval (or more important, a check) for the doula you choose.

https://quotewizard.com/health-insurance/alternative-birth-option-coverage

Research studies have shown that women who give birth with consistent doula support undergo fewer interventions (including inductions, epidurals, forceps/vacuum-assisted deliveries, and Cesarean surgeries). Doula-assisted mothers often have shorter labors, shorter hospital stays, and overwhelmingly rate their labors and births with higher levels of satisfaction than women who do not have this support. Their infants often experience fewer interventions and spend less time in the nursery/NICU than those born without doula support. Clearly, doula support benefits women, babies, hospitals, and...insurance companies.

(Please see the links below to access the articles where we found this information.)

Most of our clients haven’t even considered that their insurance company may be willing to cover part of their doula services, but we always advocate asking. And, we recommend that they start the process as early in pregnancy as possible. After all, this is business to them. Your best bet for reimbursement will be to focus on how covering this smaller payment now will likely save them a LOT of money in the end. If you wait until after your birth to approach them, there’s less incentive for them to contribute because they already know the outcome.

We try to make this process as easy as possible for our clients. One of the benefits of choosing AthensBorn for labor doula services is access to our Insurance Reimbursement Packet, which includes the following…

• A checklist detailing the steps you’ll need to take
• A template for the letter you’ll write to your insurance company
• Copies of research articles to support your request
• Copies of our current doula certifications
• A superbill for services provided

Guarantees for reimbursement aren’t possible at this point in time. The truth is that some companies pay a good chunk toward services, some pay none, others are somewhere in the middle. But, we’ve helped condense the process down to a manageable list of tasks and who couldn’t use a few extra dollars in their wallet when there’s a new baby around? Our hope is that as more parents request reimbursement, more insurance companies will become familiar with doula services and how they improve outcomes for mothers and babies...and that they’ll be willing to help families pay for these valuable services.

Best wishes on your birth journey!
Kate

Continuous support for women during childbirth

Coverage for doula services: how state Medicaid programs can address concerns about maternity care costs and quality​

Modeling the Cost‐Effectiveness of Doula Care Associated with Reductions in Preterm Birth and Cesarean Delivery

NY State Maternal Mortality Review Report

We've heard it so many times when sitting down to chat with potential clients. 

"Umm...we're not really sure what to ask." 

Many people first hear about doulas from their midwives or from friends who've had a great experience with a doula during a previous birth. But, they don't always understand what a doula does or what they should ask during an interview to help them figure out which doula is the best fit. In fact, we've heard this same sentiment from so many people that we actually made a list to help them out.

Here are our most frequently asked questions and some suggestions of our own. Of course, these aren't the only questions you can ask and you should always ask anything you like. More personalized questions based on your individual needs, wishes, and personalities are great! Take a look at our list to get started and let us know if you have any additions!

Do you have availability for my due date?

Where do you work/what area do you cover?

What's your guiding philosophy for supporting women in labor and birth?

What training or experience do you have?

Why did you become a doula?

Can you provide references from past clients?

What is your birth fee and what does that cover?

How many clients do you take per month?

How do you feel about the use of pain medication during labor?

How do you work with and involve partners?

Do you offer other birth-related services? (breastfeeding support, postpartum care, placenta encapsulation, etc)

Remember, these are just a starting point. Always feel free to ask anything that's on your mind!

Take care,
​Kate & Becca

Dearest Readers,

This was written by a fantastic local mom who experienced two very different breastfeeding relationships when her little ones were born. We wanted to share it with you to show the difference a supportive community and a little encouragement can make when a parent struggles to breastfeed. If you are experiencing similar struggles, please seek help! There may be some minor changes that can make monumental differences as you begin nursing your little one.

As a new mom in 2015, I pictured the first few days of being a breastfeeding mom as a perfect little clip straight out of a fairy tale: my little girl and I, snuggled up under blankets, her gently taking my breast, like a dainty little fawn, as I smile gently down at her, drinking up her cuteness, while the husband makes us a cup of nice tea, and all would be right with the world. 

Needless to say, this is NOT how nature makes it. And all those movies and fairy tales? LIES. All LIES. 

Breastfeeding is NOT easy. And being thrown into it, with a fussy baby who treated my nipples like they were a block of cheese dropped in front of a mouse hole, I was lost. I felt I didn't have the support I needed, and within a few short weeks, I found myself with no milk supply left and having to feel defeated, moving directly to formula. 

Fast forward to this year, getting ready to birth my second daughter in March. This time, I was DETERMINED to pull through and get through the pain and agony. But the one weapon I had this time, going in, was knowledge and support! I knew what to expect the first hours, days, and weeks going in. I set up my calendar with all the breastfeeding support groups I could find. I had my mothers milk tea all ready to use. I had also let my friends and family know my choices and gathered the support from them. And best of all, I had a good friend get me in contact with a personal Doula, that would come into my home and help me transition into the life of two young girls. 

Even with all the knowledge and expectancy I had with my second that I didn't have with my first, I still had bumps in the road. I would find bad pain during nursing, or find my supply dropping at certain times. It wasn't as easy as I thought, even with a more knowledgeable mindset. But the big difference is, I found that I could always reach out to my doula for any advice, words of wisdom, or just an ear to listen to me vent about my sleepless nights. And without fail, every time I reached out for support, I would see a very noticeable difference in whatever issue I was having within 24 hours. (I think these guys are magicians.) 

The best advice I can give? Always know that you are already doing your best by reaching out for support. Don't try and fight the battle of breastfeeding alone in your little cave of pain and torture, we mamas have ALL been there, and you are never alone! Athens is an awesome town for breastfeeding moms, and it is super easy to find support if you look for it! The doulas here are even more awesome because they don't try and take on everything by themselves, they will also help you out by letting you know about other groups and classes that are full of mamas having the exact same issues as you! ​

​So, what do you think? If you've breastfed a baby, try to remember back to those early days... the schedule, the discomfort, the steep learning curve. What was helpful to you and helped you push through? What do you think would have been helpful? ​

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment and share.

Love,
​Becca

I remember the first time I heard about women eating their placentas. I was watching Pregnant in Heels on Bravo and the host made a placenta smoothie for one of her clients. I thought it was totally gross. Why on earth would anyone want to do that?? Well, now I feel like I need to apologize to that mom for judging her, because there are some pretty compelling reasons to consume your placenta.

I have two kids who are equally amazing, but their entrances into this world could not have been more different. My son's birth was traumatic and I had a very difficult time coping afterwards. I wasn't eating. I was barely able to take care of myself and my son. Everything was overwhelming. Fortunately with the love and support of my family I got through that time. When I became pregnant a second time, I knew I wanted things to be different. Honestly, I was terrified that I would go through postpartum depression again.

Bottom line is,  IBCLC is one credential where you have a baseline understanding of the depth and breadth of the professional’s education and training, no matter where in the world they practice. This is the person you can seek out for any breastfeeding issue, but certainly the one you should seek out for issues that persist, involve complications or concerns about weight gain, or anything that requires close monitoring of your baby. 

Local hospitals are often a great place to find skilled IBCLCs and our community is no exception. Of course, we have an IBCLC right here at AthensBorn Birth Services, but we’re also proud to work alongside and learn from other amazing professionals in our community. 

See that? A breastfeeding support person to fit every need! Aren’t we lucky to be living here in Athens, GA? 

Take care,
Kate