Up to 3 prenatal visits and 1 postpartum follow-up.
Attendance at prenatal care visits with the birth team you have hired.
Constant contact by phone, text, messaging, and email.
Is This Normal, or Just Accepted Common Practice?
Only when we step outside the norms of typical maternity care do we begin to see how profoundly we’ve been conditioned to accept medicalized birth as normal.
For decades, we’ve been conditioned to believe that pregnancy is a risky medical event making birth best managed by professionals in a sterile environment. Few questions have been ask as routine interventions—like inductions, continuous monitoring, restricted movement, epidurals, and cesareans—have become the norm. The truth is, the more they’re repeated, the more they’re accepted. Not because they are always necessary, but because they have been normalized.
We see that what is marketed as standard care is often rooted in liability fears, hospital efficiency, outdated tradition, or convenience for staff—not evidence or respect for the birthing person.
We’ve been led to believe that the current maternity system is the safest and most responsible way to have babies. But when we listen to the stories of those who labored and birthed with autonomy—free from unnecessary interventions and interference—we begin to see birth differently. Within the current system, this kind of experience is rare. For many, the only way to truly birth on their own terms is to step outside the system.
This realization about he maternity system is not an indictment of every provider, but a call to ask better questions—to stop mistaking the norm for what is right. And when it comes to birth, reclaiming our understanding of what should be normal starts with stepping outside the system we’ve been taught not to question.
Childbearing Year Resources (CYR) ultimate intention is to provide intimate, inclusive, and socially conscious pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum support. With an emphasis on respect for bodily autonomy, informed options, informed consent, and informed refusal. Clients can be assured that CYR is about valuing your childbearing year rather than profits. CYR is here to provide support services as you learn and grow.
When is the best time to hire a birth doula?
- As soon as you find out you are pregnant.
- Before jitters about what will happen next becomes overwhelming.
- Before CYR is already booked with another client during your birth month.
- Anytime a maternity care provider or support staff attempts to control who you can hire as a support person for your labor and birth support.
- When you recognize your maternity care provider is not as supportive as you first thought.
- Any time prior to anyone on your birth team suggesting you [a healthy pregnant person and healthy fetus] schedule a labor induction. Labor induction definition -the use of medications, non-pharmacological methods, or a combination of to prompt the uterus to contract during pregnancy before natural hormonal shifts have prompted the body to signal labor to begin on its own.
- As soon as you recognize you will need enhanced support on your birth team for better/best labor, birth, and postpartum outcome.
- Any time you have apprehensions about your birth team giving evasive answers to your questions, not listening to your concerns, being coerced or bullied, or a gut feeling that anyone on your birth team is giving you passive nods, exasperating signs, or passive aggressive eye rolls when you express your needs, wants, and desires for labor and birth.
- Anytime you are ready to get serious about connecting with a seasoned doula willing to be fully present and fully invested in a better/best pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum outcome for you and your baby.
51 Reason to Hire a CYR Doula
- a CYR doula is NOT a third wheel.
- a CYR doula works solely for you.
- a CYR doula is an asset because labor and birth can be more intense than you think.
- a CYR doula frees up your partner to be there for you without hesitation about what to do for you next.
- a CYR doula's only job is to remain focused on you.
- a CYR doula will work with you to prepare you for labor and birth.
- a CYR doula brings a gentle, peaceful, and encouraging voice to the environment of labor and birth.
- a CYR doula is an asset because your partner might need help to know how to support you when the need to think fast pops up.
- a CYR doula plans to stay by your side during a homebirth along with your midwifery team.
- a CYR doula plans to stay by your side during a medically based labor and birth experience.
- a CYR doula is a person you can trust in your labor and birthing space.
- a CYR doula has only one job, and that is to support your needs.
- a CYR doula is not a midwife.
- a CYR doula does not work for the medical care provider.
- a CYR doula does not work for the hospital.
- a CYR doula does not work for the midwife. i.e. medicalized midwife or homebirth midwife.
- a CYR doula will assist you and support you through a variety of birth related options. i.e. - not limited to vaginal birth, cesarean options, vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) options.
- a CYR doula will assist you to have productive conversations with your maternity care provider during pregnancy, labor, and birth.
- a CYR doula is proficient at instructing private childbirth education sessions while seated in your kitchen table or in your comfy living room.
- a CYR doula will work with you to address a wide range of concerns as they pop up.
- a CYR doula can labor with you at home during early labor.
- a CYR doula does not replace a maternity care provider or medical support staff. i.e. OB, midwife, nurse.
- a CYR doula does not diagnose, prescribe medications, or give medical advice.
- a CYR doula is familiar with the physiological processes of labor and birth.
- a CYR doula is familiar with risks and benefits practiced within the medicalized system of interventions during labor and birth.
- a CYR doula comes to you with a seasoned history for all types of labor and birth support.
- a CYR doula provides continuous one-on-one support.
- a CYR doula does not work the nursing staff.
- a CYR doula is not present to replace a partner, unless clearly hired specifically for that purpose.
- a CYR doula provides resources and guidance for the pregnant person and partner.
- a CYR doula supports informed choices for a medicated, unmedicated, or a combination of both for labor and birth.
- a CYR doula helps to create a space where hormones of labor can do the work they are meant to do for labor to progress.
- a CYR doula decreases the chance of preterm birth.
- a CYR doula increases the chance of labor and birth satisfaction.
- a CYR doula reduces the risk of complications during labor and birth.
- a CYR doula decreases the risk of caesareans (c-sections).
- a CYR doula plans to stay with you during labor, birth, and immediate postpartum.
- a CYR doula will assist with building a labor and birth options plan.
- a CYR doula enhances a partner's role by implementing one-on-one reinforcement, knowledge, and support for the journey through labor and birth.
- a CYR doula promotes and holds space for bodily autonomy, informed options, informed choices, and informed refusal.
- a CYR doula assists with collecting and interpreting information about labor, birth, and postpartum.
- a CYR doula improves bonding between new parents and newborn.
- a CYR doula reduces the risk of complications during labor, birth, and postpartum.
- a CYR doula provides emotional support, physical support, as well as support for advocacy throughout the childbearing year.
- a CYR doula can be interviewed and hired at any point during your pregnancy.
- a CYR doula will come to you for a postpartum follow-up visit to chat about your birth after you are settled in at home with your newborn.
- a CYR doula is worth every penny spent for this type of specialized and focused support.
- a CYR doula believes you are worthy of all the support you want during your childbearing year.
- a CYR doula interview and hire offers over 3 decades of birthy skills.
- a CYR doula is always willing to have a free birthy chat with you.
- a CYR doula loves all things birthy!
Is a doula a midwife? Video short by 60 Second Doulas
Do You Doula? This 7-minute documentary discusses the role of doulas during childbirth.
Evidence on Doulas
- The Effect of Doulas on Maternal and Birth Outcomes: A Scoping Review - PMC (nih.gov)
- Evidence on: Doulas (evidencebasedbirth.com)
- ASPE-Doula-Issue-Brief-12-13-22.pdf
- Evolutionary mismatch in emotional support during childbirth: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic | Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health | Oxford Academic
Birth Doula Service $1,200.00
Connect with CYR for more information and an interview appointment TODAY!