We sat down with Stephanie Heintzeler, also known as The New York Doula and founder of The Doula Concierge. Stephanie was born in NYC and grew up in Germany where she trained as a Midwife and acupuncturist. She came back to New York where she became certified as a birth and postpartum Doula, and later a Lactation Counselor. She has supported hundreds of parents-to-be as a labor and postpartum Doula in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and has delivered over 1200 babies!
How do expecting, laboring, and new moms differ in Germany and NYC?
In Germany, an expecting mother will visit her OB once a month for medical check-ups but all her remaining care will be in the hands of her midwife. She can see a midwife for unlimited home visits during pregnancy, birth and 30 home visits postpartum- all covered by health insurance. The midwife will deliver the baby. By law, an OB is not allowed to do that unless there is a vacuum delivery or c-section.
In New York City, you can also have good care, but expecting parents need to navigate their way around many more options and specialists. This often leads to confusion and stress which is the last thing we want during pregnancy! I do notice a higher stress level in NYC since many expecting parents do not have family nearby and need extra support. This is where a doula enters the picture.
How did the Doula Concierge come about?
I started receiving more and more inquiries for birth and postpartum support. I wasn’t always able to take on new moms due to scheduling and many parents had budgetary constraints. I felt bad letting them go without guidance. At the same time I met many doulas who were eager to help more moms and learn more about birth. So I thought why not connect these doulas and moms? The idea of the doula concierge was born!
How did you form your team of Doulas? How do you determine a good “fit”?
I reached out to some doulas I already knew and I continue meeting doulas at perinatal networking events. I interview each one, check on their training and certifications, and confirm their CPR training. This is not mandatory for doulas generally, however I want to provide a high-end service for all clients. The doulas in my network all provide back-up as a team, which is especially important for newer doulas who may not have the connections yet.
I have a long phone conversation with the mom/parents and chat about her needs, her general approach to things, pain-coping, what qualifications she wants in her doula and expectations about her delivery. I usually introduce the mom to two doulas in the tier that best suits her budget. I always send the mom a bio of the doulas and explain why I think this doula would be a good fit. The mom contacts the doulas and sets up a meeting.
I follow up with clients during pregnancy and after birth to make sure all is well. If there would ever be a problem (for example, the mom can’t reach her doula while in labor) they know they can call me. This has never happened though! All the doulas I refer are really amazing, most of them have extra training in other fields like massage therapy, acupuncture or prenatal yoga. I like to work with doulas who have some life experience too, so they can provide balance and calmness for our expecting parents.
Thanks to Stephanie for talking with us at A Child Grows. If you’d like more information about The New York Doula and Doula Concierge, visit: www.doulaconcierge.nyc
This is a sponsored post. Our advertising partners enable us to continue publishing A Child Grows as a free publication.