Emerald Doulas

There was a time when I was expecting my first child when I felt overwhelmed by pregnancy and terrified by the prospect of labor. Then as serendipity will have it, someone told me about doulas. I had literally never heard the word before but the more I learned about what a doula is the more I knew I wanted and needed one at my birth. It was one of the first and best decisions I made as a new parent and think everyone could benefit from doulas and the services they have to offer. But then comes the question - how does one pick a doula? This is one choice that's easy! Emerald Doulas. They understand how childbirth and infancy is an amazing time in a family's journey, with its own unique challenges and joys, and they are here to help as you navigate the options and figure out what works best for your family. 

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Owners Melanie Patrick, Ashley Collins, and Suzanne Lee bring their years of experience supporting and nurturing new parents and their newborns to our area’s first full-service professional birth and postpartum support business. ​Emerald Doulas was designed to be a cohesive, personalized, inclusive and enriching community for new and expectant families. Just what do they offer? Anything you could possibly need. But if you still don't quite understand what a doula does and how Emerald Doulas go above and beyond, just read on. 

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One thing to consider, especially for someone who was new to the concept of doulas when I got pregnant, is what type of doula you need. Birth doulas work with you before and during your labor tending to every need you have and acting as strong support for you and your birthing partner. 

"From the moment you become a client, your well-matched, experienced doula team goes on-call for you, providing unbiased, continual support and reassurance until after your birth. While no two doula-client relationships are the same, all Birth Doula Packages include invitations to our monthly Community Prenatal Meetings, a private, in-home meeting with your primary doula team, unlimited phone and email support, unlimited in-person support during labor and immediate postpartum support following birth.  Because your primary doulas are backed by the consistency of the agency model, there are no unknown back-up doulas. This means there are no unfamiliar faces in the moments when you need support the most, and the sense of community established in pregnancy is maintained throughout your birth and beyond."

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I love this photo because it truly represents the dedication these women have. ​Remember that ice storm last month? Emerald Doulas sure do - because they braved the weather to serve their families and offer unconditional support, no matter the cold. Babies come when they're ready, even if schools are closed, and Emerald Doulas was right there for their clients, ready and willing to help welcome a new life into the blustery world.

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What do you do once the baby arrives? The labor may be over but the next stage of your life as new parents is just beginning, full of wonder and exhaustion. Postpartum doulas are there to help you navigate the waters of breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, and more. Allow Emerald Doulas to take care of the daily necessities so you can focus on recovering from birth and bonding with your baby. Click here to find out what a day is like having Postpartum Doula support. Families who hire postpartum doulas have commented that they experienced enhanced postpartum experiences, better breastfeeding outcomes, a reduction in postpartum depression symptoms and a greater sense of confidence in their new roles.  Emerald Doulas postpartum support includes:

• One, private in-home meeting with your postpartum doula team
• Focus on restorative and compassionate support for the family
• Breastfeeding/Bottlefeeding Support
• Parent and Baby Bonding
• Infant Soothing Techniques
• Babywearing advice and support
• Basic Newborn Care
• Access to our extensive lending library of DVDs, books, baby carriers, breastfeeding pillows and more

• Invitations to our monthly Community Prenatal Meetings
• Registry and Nursery Set-Up Assistance 
• Sibling Care so parents can bond with new baby
• Newborn care so parents can bond with older siblings
• NICU Transition Support
• Errand Running
• Light Housekeeping
• Baby Laundry

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If you're expanding the family and have older kiddos, Sibling doulas are there to offer unlimited, expert care and emotional reassurance for your older children during birth (either in your home or at where you are giving birth). This service is absolutely phenomenal and something perfect for families with no local family. "This support includes invitations to our Community Prenatal meetings, as well as a private, in-home meeting with your sibling doula team to become better acquainted with your family’s schedule and needs and a two-hour “date night” visit where your sibling doulas provide the childcare, to give your children a chance to get to know them better and put them at ease. When the time comes, you’ll have qualified and competent on-call care for your children during your labor and birth. As time allows, your sibling doula will provide household organization support such as meal preparation and tidying, laundry, and general assistance to ensure your older children have a positive memory of the day their younger sibling is born. Most importantly, you’ll have peace of mind so that you’re better able to focus on the important work of giving birth."

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 But Emerald Doulas offers so much more!

They also perform placenta encapsulation,
offer prenatal and post-birth lactation support
from an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant,
​and host community prenatal meetings on a variety of topics.

Classes are also given in Rebozo for expecting couples, newborn care, siblings class,
childbirth education, newborn feeding and breastfeeding classes.

There are also support groups for new moms, new dads, and LGBTQ new parents .

What's even better? The Emerald Doulas office is right here in SoDu in the Highgate Center (above Durham Pediatrics and Regional Peds and across the street from Highgate Peds). Couldn't be more convenient!

​All of this makes Emerald Doulas so incredibly important and unique.
For a behind the scenes look at Emerald Doulas, check them out on instagram!
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And starting this week, Emerald Doulas will be hosting FREE weekly meet-ups for stay-at-home parents on Wednesday mornings at 11 a.m. If the weather is nice, the group might take a walk on the Tobacco Trail, or otherwise just have tea and coffee and a cozy space to chat in their office. More info here: www.emeralddoulas.com/weeklyhangout/

Another service Emerald Doulas provides is one that would have been so wonderful for my family. They are offering free weight checks with their Lactation Consultant for parents concerned about weight gain. Free! Meaning no co-pays! Interested parents just have to call and make sure someone is here to let them in.  

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If you are expecting and considering a doula or looking for classes or meetups,
now is the time to get to know Emerald Doulas.
There are so many reasons to join 
Ashley, Melanie & Suzanne as they celebrate their Grand Opening of Emerald Doulas!
"We're so excited to host an Open House for our future, current and former clients and our community partners. Come explore our new space, eat yummy snacks, and meet our doulas, lactation consultant, educators and yoga instructors! Get to know us, our model of doula support and all the ways we can support your growing family. Children are, of course, welcome!"
Evite: evite.me/vZMSD7MQg7
Facebook event: facebook.com/events/172989583070895/

Emerald Doulas are instrumental in helping families have better births and beyond
- find out more about them now!
emeralddoulas.com
facebook.com/EmeraldDoulas

FCC Disclosure for bloggers: I was paid in exchange for writing this blog post. However, the opinions contained here are my own.