Local Highlight | Three Strands Doula Services

When you’re preparing to welcome a new baby, you’re likely to hear a lot of new terms—doula, midwife, OB, birth plan—and it can quickly start to feel overwhelming. If you’re wondering what a doula actually does, how they differ from a midwife, or how faith can be woven into the birth experience, you’re in the right place. In this post, I’m breaking it all down to help you feel more informed, supported, and confident as you plan for your baby’s arrival.

Jasmine from Three Strands took the time to answer some commonly asked questions for you all!

1 – What exactly is a doula? and how does it differ from a midwife?

Doulas and midwives are both birth professionals. They work together to make sure that you and your baby are fully supported throughout pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum. 

A doula’s role is to provide emotional, physical and informational support throughout pregnancy. This support becomes continuous during labor, birth, and the immediate postpartum period. 
A midwife’s role is to provide medical care throughout pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum. 

2 – What type of doula services do you provide? (prenatal, birth, postpartum, etc)

We provide birth doula services which includes the following: 

• Two prenatal visits where we get to know each other and discuss/write birth plans.
• On-call availability 24/7 starting three weeks before your due date and continuing until the baby has arrived.
• Unlimited phone and email contact through your pregnancy for questions or any emotions/fears that may need processing.
• Continuous support through labor, birth, and early postpartum (1-3 hours after baby has arrived, or until baby has nursed and both mom and baby are stable.)
• One postpartum visit to debrief the birth.

3 – Can you still help if I end up needing a c-section or want an epidural?

Yes, absolutely! C-sections can feel kind of scary because of all the unknowns. We talk about c-sections and cover what to expect in our prenatal meetings. The goal is to help you feel informed and confident in what to expect in the event that an emergency c-section may be necessary. 

If you want an epidural, we support that! Unmedicated delivery may not be for everyone. There is still a lot that a doula can do to support you even with an epidural. There may be times where an epidural fails and you are still working with the feelings and sensations of the contractions – this is where we can be helpful to bring peace of mind and assurance. If you have a really good epidural, that’s awesome! Doulas can be helpful with position changes, informational support if anything a little out of the ordinary does happen, or be there to advocate for you and your baby if unnecessary medical interventions are being pressured on you. 

4 –  How long do you stay after birth?

This can vary depending on the need in immediate postpartum. A few things we like to see before leaving is that mom and baby are both stable, breastfeeding has been established, and that the home/room (depending on where you are delivering) has been tidied up and you are tucked into bed snuggling your precious new little one. 

5 – How do you incorporate a faith-based perspective during your services?

Our philosophy surrounding childbirth is that the Lord created childbirth and He knows what He is doing! We also recognize that we live in a broken world and there are times where intervention is necessary and saves lives! We rely heavily on the Holy Spirit’s guidance during labor and delivery to guide us and give us direction when things may not be as we expected them to be. We also love to pray with our mamas if they’re open to it! There is nothing more powerful than inviting in the One who created birth to walk with us through the journey.

Every birth is unique, and your journey into parenthood should feel grounded in peace, support, and purpose. Whether you’re hoping for an unmedicated birth, planning for an epidural, or preparing for the unexpected, a doula can walk alongside you with reassurance and prayerful presence. If you’re curious about whether doula support might be the right fit for your birth story, be sure to connect with Three Strands!