:: birth faq ::
:: birth faq ::
:: birth faq ::
Points of Light Birth Doulas have a unique style. We honor and lean-in to the hardships that come up with birth, and work to infuse a sense of connection, joy and spirit that helps you align with your experience in a meaningful way. We are grounded in trauma informed care and culturally competent support that is matched with a full range of modalities, weaving in care that supports the whole being.
Doulas support birthing people and their main support person physically and emotionally with evidence based information and advocacy. The presence of doulas in labor and birth has been shown to substantially reduce the rate of cesarean birth. Points of Light Birth Doulas are also trauma informed, culturally competent, and honor the unique world views of those who are disproportionately effected by oppression which includes living with stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma and the stigma that comes along with it.
There are many reasons having a doula can complement the work of a Midwife. One is that Midwives are often busy at work making sure you and baby are healthy. Doulas can be an earlier support system in labor and offer continual emotional support in active labor and until baby comes. Points of Light Birth Doulas approach you and your experience based on the information you have provided us about how you hope it will unfold. No one can ever guarantee how a birth will unfold, but we can work with you to advocate along the way.
Short term or chronic exposure to stress, depression, anxiety and/or trauma can show up in any peak life experience and potentially become exacerbate or inflamed during this time. If you are navigating or have navigated such experiences in your life (including racism, sexism, transphobia, mental/emotional/physical/sexual trauma, living with mental health variances, etc.) we are qualified and happy to walk with you, center emotional as well as practical support, and will honor your needs, preferences and unique world view in this process.
All Points of Light Doulas have at least one form of certification. In some cases certification came after a 2.5 year apprenticeship, and in other cases certification came after intensive trainings connecting systems of oppression and trauma with health disparities in birth.
If a Point of Light Birth Doula is not yet certified as a Traditional Healthcare Worker and registered with the Oregon Doula Registry then they are in the process of it. If you are covered by Medicaid, please inquire about care.
What you bring to this experience will be honored and appreciated. At every turn, Points of Light will seek to meet you where you are at. For some, unique needs are centered around appropriate use of gender pronouns and/or seeking minimal pelvic exams, while for others there are sensitivities ranging from needing lights to be kept low and/or having adverse reactions to strong scents. If you know you have specific requests please let us know as soon as you can so that we can do our best to adjust and advocate.
Points of Light Doula Support is trauma informed and culturally competent. We also have experience working with folks who live with substance use disorder during pregnancy and in the postpartum time.
A note on cultural competency: if we do not match you culturally and you seek a culturally matched doula, we also want that for you! At the end of the day, we would much rather you have the care you want from a provider you feel excited to work with than for you to be linked with care that feels a bit or a lot mismatched. You deserve to have a doula you LOVE!
We also recognize how systemic oppression often effects folks financially. We promise to work in the ways we can to meet you and your needs with the financial resources you have or you can raise on your behalf.
Great question, and probably the #1 question doulas get asked! Doulas and Midwives differ greatly but can complement one another within our different professional frameworks across your pregnancy, labor, birth and immediate postpartum time. In modern days, Midwives are greatly responsible for the medical health of mama and baby, while doulas have filled a role that honors continuity of care, advocacy, and emotional support of the birthing person as well as their main support person. Points of Light Birth Doulas work closely with you to meet you where you are at, fine tune our understanding of your needs, and offer modalities that keep you grounded and focused on what is most important. You are the guide, and we are here when you need us.
Points of Light Doula Support takes privacy incredibly seriously. We will never share information about you without your permission. We also promise to do our best to use as much security as possible when interfacing with you on the internet as well as when we are charting notes online about our visits. We are not mandatorily HIPPA compliant but strive to do as much as we can to protect your privacy.
The base of our practice is in the Portland metro area. However, we are happy to travel out of the Portland metro area for a travel fee, and would doubly consider this if your birth location is in Portland proper. If location is your only barrier, please inquire and we'll see what we can come up with!
Telia brings a deep well of labor support skills and an equally deep well of compassion to every labor. As a labor nurse I was always happy to see Telia because I knew she was my other half. She is a gift to our community.
-Anna H
Luna was an incredible partner and especially helpful in providing information and clarifying options when we had to navigate more difficult decisions.
--LM
During 24+ hours of labor, Luna was a grounding and encouraging presence. I honestly wouldn't have been able to make it as far as I did without her gentle reminders and suggestions. And during the early postpartum period, she was there with validation and witnessing--she even saved me from an awful plugged duct by suggesting resources. It makes me so happy to know Luna is providing doula support in our community!
--MZ
Luna stepped in when our trusted support withdrew from us in our time of need. Luna got to know us and made us more comfortable with ourselves and each other. I appreciate how you were there for both and all of us.
--JC
Luna offered wise reminders and witnessed me in my strength and believed in my Warrior Mama spirit--showing so much respect and empathy. My heart is happy to know Luna is in my community supporting families before, during and after the intensity of birth.
--MZ
Telia was kind and supportive during my change of birth plan. During the chaos the only thing I was focused on was Telia telling me it was going to be okay. I would recommend Telia hands down to anyone who is having a baby. The love and care she puts into not only the birth but checking on us after was absolutely amazing. When we have our second, Telia will be there with us again.
-Jess S.
Luna brought great perspective to the table and really helped me prepare for bringing my babe into the world.
--BK
Luna's advice throughout all these months made me feel prepared and confident.
--AH
It was comforting to have Luna as part of the process and be able to talk through the last stages of pregnancy. Also, to help further process our feelings about our first experience! Thank you Luna for being on call so quickly for another rapid birth!
--SO
This was our third baby and our first time using a doula. Luna helped me to process our previous birth experiences and really helped me to hone in on and actualize my desires for this birth. Luna is warm as well as knowledgable, and had a wealth of resources for anything I sought support for.
--MS
I was somewhat frightened by the recent rising maternal mortality and child morbidity rates in Black families. Telia not only assisted us through our pregnancy with information but was there as the liaison with our medical staff with things just didn't sound right. She came to appointments, taught my husband techniques to help me in labor, and even visited after baby was born. Overall Telia was an amazing doula and helped me have the most amazing birth experience. I'm excited to work with her again when the time comes!
-Rina I
Luna stayed with us through the labor to postpartum transition, which I was nervous about. She helped to make our postpartum room a sanctuary. This effort helped me to feel cared for and comfortable in our space so that I could focus on resting and bonding as a family across the first couple of postpartum days in the hospital before going home.
--MS
Luna offered a warm, grounding, and heart-filled presence every step of the way. We are so grateful she was part of our birth experience!
--C&HW
Luna provided a wealth of knowledge, gentle advice, and unwavering support through the third trimester and during our postpartum months. Luna helped us navigate a number of issues during those chaotic, but precious, months...she even helped us find a nanny! It was great to have someone--other than our medical care provider--whom we could turn to whenever we had questions or concerns. I would, without hesitation, recommend Luna to anybody thinking about hiring a doula.
--JF
I appreciated Luna's expertise, insight, and gentle, caring nature through out our prenatal visits, laborite, and postpartum visits. We would recommend Luna to any family looking for support in their childbirth journey.
--MS
Grounded, Trauma Informed & Somewhat Magic Birth Support!
- Connect & Lean In: We'll meet up to 4 times prenatally
- Explore: What will make this time meaningful and authentic for you?
- On-Call: Begins at 37 weeks until birth (with robust back-up support)
- Integrate: Up to 2 Postpartum visits across Month One
- Bring on your Questions: Email Communication on an as needed basis
- Doula Promise: to witness, nurture, inform, advocate & facilitate balance
- Please Inquire if you are currently covered by Medicaid
Prepare, Ground In & Connect with Your Changing Landscape
- TEA Birth Support plus Birthers Choice :: Choose One of the Following
- Envision :: An afternoon in nature to connect with your authentic desires
- Ground In :: Birth story integration (for past or recent experiences)
- Fascial Flow Method™ :: One 2-hour session teaches you brain/body hacks
- Spiritful Abundance :: Attend a class designed to connect grief and joy
- Freezer Love :: 3-hour meal prep of yummy, nutritious foods for later
Strike a holy grove of silence where you can listen as you long to be heard, see as you long to be seen, recognize where you long to be relevant, needed and necessary. Strike down into your estrangement, and let the grief of your disappointment be the moisture that baptizes the seeds of your potential so they can finally break open.
-Toko-Pa Turner in Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home