If your pregnancy is considered high-risk, you may be wondering: can I hire a birth doula? Will a doula be helpful if I’m already being monitored so closely by my care team?

The answer is yes! In fact, if you have pre-existing conditions or complications in your pregnancy, the right doula can provide a whole lot of relief and comfort in what otherwise might be a stressful pregnancy and birth. A doula can help you navigate the sometimes intimidating world of hospital birth, helping you understand your options for everything from inductions to interventions to cesareans.

During my pregnancies as a type 1 diabetic, I was often worried and stressed. My care team was very carefully monitoring the medical side of things, but did little to nothing to soothe my fears and anxieties about how I was doing with keeping my baby safe while balancing my blood sugars. In fact, they often made me feel worse, by focusing on what could go wrong, even when everything appeared to be going right.

While I loved being pregnant, the effort of keeping my blood sugars in tight control and the extra monitoring was exhausting. I worried about induction and the possibility of a cesarean. I scoured the Internet for blogs talking about pregnancy with diabetes (gestational diabetes was more common and easier to find information on), but didn’t find much.

I became a doula to help birthers struggling through these same difficulties. With my personal experience of high-risk pregnancies and my background as a scientist, I have the skills, knowledge, and first-hand experience to help people with complicated pregnancies to feel confident in asking questions and knowing their options.

Here’s the thing: even if your care team includes every specialist in the state, you still need someone looking out for your peace of mind. That’s what I provide to the birthing people I support as a doula.

Can people with high-risk pregnancies have a doula? Absolutely. Like all birthers, they deserve that support. And they may need it even more than most.

Looking for a high-risk pregnancy doula in the Boston area? I would love to talk to you! Get in touch here.

Not in Massachusetts or southern New Hampshire? I can still reach out to my doula network to help you find the right doula or offer you virtual doula support. Let’s chat!

With love & respect,

Megan