With the search for a midwife in Berlin becoming more and more challenging, Doulas are becoming more popular for pregnant women in the city who are looking for that extra support in English (or whatever their mother tongue language may be). The provide pre-natal service, continuous support during labour/birth and post-natal support as well as breastfeeding guidance. In this post I aim to answer any questions you have about doulas in general, and in Berlin.
So what is the difference between a midwife and a doula? This lies mainly in their relationship to the mother-to-be. A midwife is a medically trained health care provider, who will actually deliver the baby, but is contracted and answerable to the institution which they work for, whereas a doula's role is one of compassionate support and guidance solely to the mother-to-be, through the pregnancy and possibly, beyond. Shanay Hall, a Berlin based doula told me, "A doula is like a professional best friend, who is always there for you, and knows a lot about pregnancy and birth." A doula cannot give medical advice or perform clinical tasks, but she will help with physical, mental and emotional support, which counts for a lot in pregnancy. Strong evidence shows that having a doula can significantly improve the birthing experience and ensure the birthing plan goes to...well, plan. Look at this website for more information on how having a doula can make your pregnancy and birth experience the one you want it to be.
With all this positive information about doulas, why doesn't everyone have one? The main reason I suppose is that they are not covered by your health insurance, and they can be expensive, from around €600 - €2000.
Why the huge difference in price? It depends on the doula's individual training, certifications, how experienced they are (how many births), and how 'on call' you would like them to be, or even if you want them to be exclusively yours. However, Shanay explained that payment plans are often available, or even a trade might be possible.. she told me she once took a pair of 'oh my god' shoes in part payment.. so maybe it's time to brush off those Louboutins..
What about after the birth? There is a rising trend in post-partum doulas in Berlin and in many cities due to high pressure jobs and foreign travel for the father and no family close by to help. This is where the doula, as Shanay puts it, "becomes the professional, non-critical mother-in-law, without the emotional baggage." The doula will be there in the sometimes difficult early weeks to help not only with baby-related issues like breast-feeding and sleep trouble, but also with cooking, cleaning and shopping, those things which suddenly can become huge hurdles in a new mum's life. Some doulas can even help overnight. Again, these must be privately paid for, except Julia and Laurie (listed below).
If you decide to go the doula route, it's important that you meet your potential doula first to make sure you have a good connection, as you will be spending a lot of emotional time with her.
Below you will find a list of doulas, this may not be an exhaustive list, so do get in touch if you are one, or know one you can recommend. It could also be useful to look at the FB group here, to get help finding a doula in Berlin.
Shanay Hall
Website
Language(s) English
Laurie Reinke
www.birthinberlin.com
Email: laurie@birthinberlin.com
Agata Modzelewska
www.doulainberlin.com
Language(s) English and Polish
Email: hello@doulainberlin.com
Annie Kocher
Website
Language(s) English and German
Email: arkdoula@gmail.com
Camalo Gaskin
Website
Language(s) English and German
Email: camalo@birthtobirth.com
Zohar Ren Karni
Website
Language(s) English, Hebrew and German
Email: zoharen@gmail.com
Ardas Kaur
Website (in German)
Language(s) English and German
Email: marakowa@gmx.de
Denise Wilk
Language(s) English, French and German
Email: denise@doula.berlin
Fanny Gia
Website
Language(s) English, French and German
Email: info@bienaitre.de
Carolina d'Alarcon
www.doulacarolina.com
Languages: English, Spanish, German
Jes Walsh
www.jeswalsh.com
Languages: English, German
Keatyn Jayne
https://www.facebook.com/yourcandodoula/
Languages: English
Julia Zehavi
https://www.facebook.com/juliacaresberlin/
Languages: English, German