Birth Doula Support
Here at The Garnet Heart, I am here to help you on your journey to have your most positive, empowered birth experience possible.
Who you choose to have in your room, by your side, supporting you through birth, impacts your experience.
What do you want your birth experience to look and feel like?
Choosing me to be your birth doula ensures that you have someone in your birth space that is solely there to support you and your growing family. With me, you can expect warm, unbiased, non-judgmental, evidence-based support throughout your experience. Meeting you where you are at.
“I work in healthcare and had some anxiety around the birthing process and Alyssa was instrumental in making me feel prepared and even excited for the birth. Alyssa has a real gift of meeting you where you’re at and giving the kind of support you need. Alyssa is very down to earth and practical and learned how best to support me. I felt empowered and knowledgeable navigating the delivery.”
Customized Support for YOU
No two births are the same, your doula support shouldn’t be either.
At the Garnet Heart you get curated support specifically for YOUR needs and YOUR preferences.
Educational Support
Use your doula like you use the Google search bar - ask me anything! I’m here to provide all of the evidence-based resources, information, and context you need to feel confident and empowered to make decisions and advocate for yourself during your birth experience. From the moment you sign the contract, you have full access to me 24/7 to ask questions, get recommendations, and gather resources. I want to help you feel prepared and knowledgeable about your upcoming birth experience.
Emotional Support
Pregnancy, birth, and new parenthood is an incredibly transformative journey. That often comes with lots of emotions! Having someone unbiased and non-judgmental by your side allows you to feel safe expressing those feelings and feel held while navigating these changes. I’m here for the tears of joy, fear, and frustration. I’m here for the smiles, sass, and fits of laughter. I’m here for all of it.
Physical Support
Doulas are well-known for their legendary hip squeezes and counter pressure — it’s true! But what I offer is that and SO much more. With my background as a physical therapist, I know how to help you move your body, support your body, and adjust your positioning to maximize space in the pelvis to keep you comfortable and keep baby moving down. I’m a wizard with a peanut ball and prioritize ergonomic support and comfort for your whole body.
Support Throughout your Entire Journey
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From the moment you sign the contract, I am on-call for you 24/7. Not within an estimated due date “window”. If baby comes early (or late!), you will have support.
Included in your birth support package are two prenatal meetings. In these meetings we will discuss your birth preferences, talk about cesarean birth options, review common interventions, practice comfort measures and labor positions, and prepare for postpartum.
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In the early phases of labor, I am available day and night to answer all of your questions, provide emotional support and reassurance, and guide you on positioning and finding comfort and rest between contractions.
Once things begin to ramp up and you are ready for continuous, in-person support, I will be there! From the moment you call until baby is born, you can count on me to be by your side.
After your baby is born, I stay to facilitate golden hour bonding, newborn feeding, and immediate postpartum support.
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Once baby is here and you are settled in comfortably at home, I pop by to check in on you. Our postpartum visit focuses on your physical and emotional healing, baby’s feeding and care, and connecting you to any resources you need - from lactation consultants to pelvic floor therapists to perinatal mental health counselors, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are doulas the same as an OB or midwife?
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Nope! Doulas are non-medical support people. That means I do not perform any medical tests, assessments, interventions, or prescribe medications. What I CAN do is help provide education and context for medical aspects of your pregnancy and birth. I can provide you evidence-based resources and discuss potential options with you and help you have conversations with your medical providers. Having a background as a physical therapist, I also have experience in the medical system and hospital culture. I pride myself in being able to help my clients understand the medical jargon and make them feel confident and comfortable in the medical setting if they choose to have a hospital birth.
Do you attend homebirths? How about planned Cesarean births? Are there any hospitals you won’t go to?
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I love to support clients at all kinds of births and locations! Vaginal, cesarean, unmedicated, medicated, home, hospital, you name it! I can support you in any birthing location within my service area. I also specialize in VBACs, high risk pregnancies, and pregnancy after loss.
**If you intend to deliver at home, you must hire an appropriate, licensed home birth Midwife or medical professional. Remember, doulas don’t deliver your baby or perform any medical services!
Are you in-network with my insurance?
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I’m currently not in-network with any insurance companies. However, you may be able to submit for reimbursement. Insurance coverage varies by plan. Consult your insurance provider for plan details.
How can you support my partner?
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I can help support your partner by providing suggestions on ways to help you, the birthing person. I may suggest ways to touch and physically support you, or recommend things to say to provide additional support. A doula can also tag-team with a birth support person in a long labor to allow them to eat, drink, take a walk, or rest to be their best for the birthing individual in the next phase of their labor and eventually their postpartum recovery. It’s just as important for your partner and support people to feel cared for in this experience!
What is your service area?
I am located on the Southcoast of Massachusetts. My office is in New Bedford, MA (Supporting families in New Bedford, Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Dartmouth, Westport, Wareham, etc.), I also serve families in Southeastern MA from Boston to Cape Cod and all of Rhode Island.