Doula Services Near Me

As I put the final touches on the website (final? not sure they will ever be final-haha) I am learning so much about what types of terms people look for on the web as they begin their search for a birth doula or a postpartum doula. What stands out for me, which is prompting this post today, is that many people use the term ‘doula services near me’ or ‘doulas near me’ or even ‘doulas’.

This is actually a fundamental reason why you SHOULD hire a doula. It’s should be someone near you, with lots and lots of experience, who is rooted in their community and who has a solid reputation. The doula world is becoming flooded with people who had either a really great experience with their own birth and want to spread that love around. Or, people are becoming doulas because they had a bad experience and they want to push their views and beliefs off onto other birthing families about how it all ‘should’ be done. I would caution you to be very careful when choosing your birth doula or postpartum doula for this reason. Anyone you choose should be:

1. Rooted in their community. Someone with a long-standing reputation that works well with others. This is key if you’re having a hospital birth. If your doula has been kicked out of a delivery room at a previous birth, you do not want that during your labor. If your postpartum doula has come to your home to help you care for your infant and she showed up late, didn’t know what she was doing, didn’t do the things she had promised or, in general, was unprofessional—you don’t want that either.
2. Your ‘Doula Near Me’ should be near you. If you hire a postpartum doula from Jackson, but you live in West Bloomfield (for example only)-that’s not in your community. Your doula may have no idea what’s actually going on in your area.
3. The doula you choose should be able to help care for your new family and have experience in a wide variety of situations and who won’t push their own personal beliefs or agenda onto you. After all, it’s no ones’ business whether or not you breastfeed, if your new family is or isn’t the ‘traditional’ cisgender, hetero-sexual family….nor is it anyone’s business what your religion is or how you feel about circumcision. What IS the business of your doula is what your needs are, how they can serve you in your home with your new little one(s) and how you’re healing after birth. These are the things your qualified (hopefully certified) postpartum doula should be concerned with. This is a very sensitive topic and it’s important you find the right fit for your needs.

The great thing about Ann Arbor Postpartum Doulas is that we have a combined 35+ years of experience as both birth doulas and postpartum doulas. Although our home base is in Ann Arbor, Michigan (on Liberty Street downtown!) we are an agency that serves all of SE Michigan because we live in Livonia, West Bloomfield, Brighton, Pontiac and other towns. We serve your community and have for decades. We have a very good relationship with your local hospitals, with your OB/GYN and your Midwives and we have worked hard to be educated, certified and ready to be there with you the moment your new little one(s) comes home- OR after your midwife leaves. When choosing your postpartum doula, look to us to fit the need of ‘Doula Near Me’ ‘Postpartum Doula’ ‘Doula’ and support for your ‘New Family’. We got you covered and will take good care of you! Call us today!