COVID-19 and Illness Policies
Updated april 20, 2024
At Doulas of Orange County, the health and safety of our clients, doulas and community are of utmost importance. As COVID-19 and all illnesses are of particular concern for pregnant women and parents with newborns, we wanted to share the safety measures that we have always had in place as well as new preventative measures we’ve taken in light of the Covid-19 virus to protect our team and clients and be socially responsible.
1. All of our doulas practice rigorous hand washing and personal hygiene at all times, including using personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary (while providing hands-on breastfeeding support, when fluids are present during birth, etc). We will encourage our members to engage in continued diligence about personal hygiene and the following of recommended guidelines for limiting exposure.
Each member of our team sets their own personal protocols for COVID-19/illness and may be open to accommodating specific client requests. We recommend discussing your personal preferences for precautionary measures during your interviews and requesting those be listed in the client contract.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) have issued the following COVID-19 safety guidelines for pregnant persons and medical providers. While these are great resources, please direct all medical questions or concerns to your personal care provider(s).
2. During flu and RSV season we have always been especially mindful of illness in our own homes and the homes of our clients. The contract with your doula should address protocols for birth attendance and postpartum visits when your doula, a member of your doulas family, you, the client, or a member of your family is ill. Your doula should not attend births or scheduled postpartum shifts when they are or have recently been ill and/or have a severely ill family member at home. You can request to be supported by a backup doula. We also request Clients notify your doula directly when you or a member of your family have a fever, respiratory symptoms, vomiting, or diarrhea. Rescheduling postpartum visits or prenatal appointments may be necessary in these circumstances.
3. At this time our members will be continuing all scheduled postpartum shifts, prenatal appointments, private classes, and will be attending births as planned.
4. During illness outbreaks, some hospitals may implement more restrictive protocols on support people and visitors at births, while some may still recognize Birth Doulas as essential members of the care team. Many hospitals have flu restrictions, which means no children under 14 are permitted and visitors may be screened upon entry for a fever or other potential COVID-19/illness symptoms. Our members do their best to stay up-to-date with hospital policies to understand how additional restrictions may impact you and your ability to have in-person doula support. Information can change daily, especially during flu/RSV season, so we recommend you reach out to your planned place of birth or your care provider for the most up-to-date information and provide your doula with any necessary information that may impact their ability to support you.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can always reach to us directly.
February 20, 2021
Please consider signing the Doulas are Essential petition to encourage Governor Gavin Newsom and other California legislatures to allow Birth Doulas access to supporting their clients in all local hospitals. It has been a year of birthing parents going into their birth process with the unneeded stress of not knowing if their doula will be permitted to join them in labor. Doulas are following all CDC recommended guidelines and precautions, they wear PPE and follow all hospital requirements when supporting their clients. Banning doulas from joining their clients at the hospital is unnecessary and unwarranted.
To get involved and show your support for Doulas in California, please visit www.doulasareessential.org
December 3, 2020
As areas of Southern California experience surges in cases and some communities experience stricter lockdowns, we stay committed to providing support as we are able. Some local hospitals are adjusting their policies in response. For questions or concerns about your hospital policy and if doulas are permitted, we recommend you reach out to the hospital directly and speak with your doula about alternatives.
In-home prenatal and postpartum support are still available on an as-needed basis and will always keep in mind the specific requests of the client. If you have specific home policies or requests for your doula, please mention those to her directly. For families who are uncomfortable with in-person visits, virtual visits are always an option! Virtual doula consultations with the owners, Chelsea and Lauren, are also always an option.
Doulas continue to take day-to-day precautions, symptom checks, and more to ensure the safety of birthing parents, newborns, and their families.
As we continue to adapt to the changing policies, state and local mandates and guidelines from the CDC, we thank you for your loyalty and your patience. We truly are in this together and we look forward to continue providing support to Orange County families no matter how different it may look from one day to the next. Stay well and reach out with any questions or concerns! 949-791-7164
MARCH 20, 2020
While the world seems to be coming to a halt, people are still having babies and we stay committed to supporting all of our clients. You still deserve incredible care and it’s possible you need it even more so during this uncertain time.
We will continue to provide birth & postpartum support, albeit with minor adjustments to ensure the health of everyone. Birth clients continue to have the option of virtual support and currently all of our postpartum doulas are working with only one family at a time.
The “safer at home” order that has recently gone into place continues to allow for “workers who provide support to vulnerable populations to ensure their health and well-being including family care providers” - which is exactly what postpartum doulas provide! We invite you discuss any concerns with your doula or to reach out to us directly if you wish.
When we are not working in your home, we are self-isolating, managing our health, and being mindful of any symptoms that may arise. If any signs of illness present themselves, we promise to be transparent with you! We continue to follow strict guidelines for hygiene when working with our clients as well as in our own homes.
These are incredibly challenging times for all, but you and your families health and wellbeing continue to be our top priority! We are doing everything we can to stay as up to date as possible and find creative ways to adjust how we work as things change by the day. As always, we are here for all your questions, concerns, venting, or whatever else we can do to help. You can reach us via phone at 949-791-7164 or email at hi@doulasofoc.com - Stay well!
MARCH 17, 2020
At Doulas of Orange County, the health and safety of our clients, doulas and community are of utmost importance. As COVID-19 has become a significant public health concern and closures are becoming more widespread, we wanted to share the safety measures that we have always had in place as well as new preventative measures we’re taking in light of this virus to protect our doulas and clients and be socially responsible during this pandemic.
1. All of our doulas practice rigorous hand washing and personal hygiene at all times, including using personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary (while providing hands-on breastfeeding support, when fluids are present during birth, during diaper changes, etc). We will continue to be diligent about personal hygiene and follow CDC guidelines for limiting exposure.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) have issued the following COVID-19 safety guidelines for pregnant persons and medical providers. While these are great resources, please direct all medical questions or concerns to your care provider(s).
2. During flu and RSV season we have always been especially mindful of illness in our own homes and the homes of our clients. COVID-19 is no different. Your client contract already addresses protocols for birth attendance and postpartum visits when your doula, a member of your doulas family, you, the client, or a member of your family is ill. Our doulas do not attend births or scheduled postpartum shifts when they are or have recently been ill or have an ill family member at home. You will instead be supported by another doula on our team. We are fortunate to have an incredible of doulas with a backup system in place for each client. We also request Clients notify your doula directly when you or a member of your family have a fever, respiratory symptoms, vomiting, or diarrhea. Rescheduling postpartum visits or prenatal appointments may be necessary in these circumstances.
3. If your group childbirth or parenting classes have been cancelled, we are offering a 25% discount on all private and virtual classes - simply enter the code virtualclass upon checkout. You can find our offering of classes and prenatal consultations here. You have the option of continuing your class in the privacy of your home or opting for a virtual class.
4. At this time we will be continuing all scheduled postpartum shifts, prenatal appointments, private classes, and will be attending births as planned. We will, however, be practicing social distancing when providing one-on-one support to clients. This means we will be limiting personal contact with clients to essential contact only (i.e. hands-on support during births or postpartum shifts) and will use personal protective equipment as recommended by the CDC and/or WHO. We understand that clients may wish to self-quarantine further in which case we will do our best to be flexible about rescheduling appointments and in-home support. Please contact your doula directly to discuss rescheduling and reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns about in-person support.
5. As of the time of this announcement, some local OC hospitals have implemented more restrictive protocols on support people and visitors at births, while some still recognize Birth Doulas as essential members of the care team. All hospitals are currently under flu restrictions, so no children under 14 are permitted and all visitors will likely being screened upon entry for a fever or other potential COVID-19 symptoms. We expect further restrictions may be in place soon and your doula will update you and discuss advocacy and options if the need arises. We are doing our best to stay up-to-date with hospital policies to understand how additional restrictions may impact you and your ability to have in-person doula support. Information is changing daily, so we recommend you reach out to your planned place of birth or your care provider for the most up-to-date information.
6. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has stated in its most recent (March 10) recommendations for infection control, "If restriction of all visitors is implemented, facilities can consider exceptions based on end-of-life situations or when a visitor is essential for the patient’s emotional well-being and care". A large part of our role is emotional care, so Doulas can and should apply considering these recommendations. Your doula will continue to be there for you through this ever-changing public health landscape and we encourage you to reach out to her at any time for support or to discuss varying options for birth or postpartum support.
We will continue to update this page as things evolve and are committed to adapting as best we can to ensure you receive the best support through birth & postpartum. If you have any questions or concerns, you can always reach us directly by voice or text at 949-791-7164 or email hi@doulasofoc.com