FAQs - Night Support

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You likely have a lot of questions about how this all works. From payment to logistics, we've got the answers for you here. We support your family with whatever choices feel right for you. 0% judgement. 100% commitment.


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Logistics

  • Typically, night shifts are 8 hours, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. However, we are able to extend hours in some circumstances, to up to 11 hours per night.

    The number of nights per week, really depends on your needs. We can provide as little as one or two nights a week or seven nights. If you are thinking you’d like over 3 nights per week, we would connect you with 2 or more doulas to support you.

  • Once you’ve chosen a package and submitted your first payment, we’ll ask you to complete e-intake and consent forms.

    If your baby is already born, you’ll then select the dates for your first visits.

    If your baby is yet to be born, we will chat through the scheduling process. Essentially, you’ll let us know as soon as your baby is born and then we’ll get your nights scheduled!

  • We will start each session by checking in on how you're doing and run through how the night will unfold. Every family has unique needs and we will support you with whatever yours are. Typically we offer the following:

    • Bring baby to you to feed or feed baby via bottle. We can offer feeding tips, if you’d like.

    • Change diapers and soothe baby back to sleep, while you get some sleep.

    • Tend to any of your baby’s needs.

    • Sometimes small chores can be completed - but baby takes priority.

    • Answer any night time questions!

    You’ll wake up refreshed and at ease. Baby will be well cared for. We’ll wrap up in the morning, and repeat!

  • Yes! However you are choosing to feed your baby, we are here to help. We can offer breastfeeding and/or bottle feeding tips, when we bring your baby to you.

    We can also feed your baby by bottle during the night, if this is how you’re choosing to feed your baby. We can also help with burping and arm you with some great techniques.

  • Thanks for asking! While we are working and supporting your baby, we do ask that you provide a bed, mattress or couch, near your baby’s crib or bassinet.

  • We do offer a couple models of care. Kate will be your initial contact and she will set you up with your night doula(s). For some of our night doulas, payment will be processed through Kate and others take care of payment on their end - we will clearly communicate this with you once you’re set up with your doula.

    Once you are set up with your doula or doulas, communication will primarily be through them. Kate is always available for any questions and she always welcomes feedback.

  • Absolutely! We love working with twins - Kate is a mom of twins herself and the doula team have loads of experience supporting families with multiples.

    We do charge a slightly higher fee for multiples - please ask your doula about their twins and multiples rate.

Payments

  • 50% of your package price is payable upon signing – unless you’d prefer to pay for the entire package at once, which is fine too. From the start of your sessions, we require payment weekly or after every 4 shifts, whichever comes first.

    Payment by e-transfer is preferable but we can also accept payment via credit card upon request.

    We do require arrangements for parking to be made, on your end. If you do not have parking available (driveway or visitor parking) we will bill for any parking fees.

  • Unless there are extenuating circumstances (ie: a loss or Covid-19 restrictions), we are not able to offer refunds. Covid-19 has increased our ability to be flexible. In the past 18 months we have had to rejig support offerings, for some families. Luckily, because nighttime support is considered childcare, we have been able to offer relatively consistent services through the pandemic.

  • We know life can be unpredictable (especially with a baby). However, we do require 24 hours notice for any changes to appointments. A $50 fee will be applied if 24 hours notice is not provided.

Approach

  • The bottom line is that we are not – in any way – here to replace the partner or any family members; rather we are there to guide and support you all.

    We are here to answer your partner's and family member's questions too and share parenting tips with them, so that they can fully engage with and support you and your baby.

  • So long as you’re informed, we support whatever feels right for you. We have personal and professional experience with a wide range of feeding methods, and we are able to support you in whatever feeding method you're currently using. We are also able to offer a range of tips to help you achieve any goals that you might have i.e. exclusively breastfeeding, fully bottle feeding, weaning, using a bottle, pumping etc.

    At the end of the day, how you feel about feeding your baby will depend less on what method you use than on whether you felt informed and supported in your decisions. So that’s what we aim to provide for you, no matter what your preferences.  

  • Absolutely! We are well versed in how to care for families in whatever way they’ve given birth. We can give you tips on how to care for your baby, while also caring for your own body. We nurture parents and the baby, to make sure that the whole unit is thriving.

  • We have worked with 100s and 100s of families, each with their own unique story. Chances are, we’ve supported a family in a similar situation to you, facing similar challenges.

    While each story is unique, you can rest assured that we have the experience to support your journey fully.

    Here are some experiences that we've supported:

    • Home, hospital and birth centre births.

    • Twins and triplets.

    • Premature babies and NICU support - both in the NICU and after discharge.

    • Postpartum recovery from a cesarean birth, vacuum, forceps and episiotomy.

    • Postpartum recovery from a postpartum hemorrhage.

    • Postpartum recovery with an epidural headache.

    • Birth trauma.

    • Feeding challenges, such as painful latching, low milk supply, breast refusal, tongue ties.

    • Newcomers to Toronto, without extended family in the city.

    and much more.

  • We do not offer sleeping training but we do support your baby’s unique sleep needs. Newborns and young babies are very in tune with their bodies and wake for a reason. We trust babies to tell us what they need. If you are looking for infant sleep support in the future, please get in touch.

    For babies between the ages of 0-6 months, our holistic sleep coaching will focus on Sleep Education, Sleep Hygiene and Sleep Shaping. Our Holistic Sleep Coaching, focused on making changes, is available for babies 6 months plus, following current infant mental health practices.

Additional Support & Follow Up Visits

  • Yes! We offer private pre- or post-natal yoga and pilates (by request), private childbirth education, birth support, infant sleep education, babywearing education, breastfeeding education and lactation consultancy, in addition to night doula support.

    That said, we do share a lot of knowledge related to these areas as part of our doula support packages.

    For example, we always discuss – and provide practical strategies related to infant sleep at postnatal appointments, and breast/feeding support and baby care education is always available to existing clients, postpartum. 

  • Absolutely! Depending on your doula's availability, you can discuss adding on more support hours.

  • That's not a problem! We can support you with whatever additional needs you are looking to be met.

    All of our doulas have a broad range of skills - including supporting breastfeeding, bottle feeding and pumping. However, there are many times when families need a different type of support or support beyond the skillset of the doula.

    For lactation and infant feeding support, Kate is the on team Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

    For external support, such as Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy, Massage Therapy, Perinatal Mental Health Support etc. we have a list of trusted practitioners, who we refer to, across the city of Toronto.

We’d love to hear from you!