FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A nanny cares for children of all ages and works primarily during the day time or over vacations. There is no specific training and they are usually hired long-term to help with the children while both parents work, sometimes for several years.
A Postpartum Doula is trained specifically to help support the mother and baby (or babies) right after delivery and into the first year of life. At Gold Coast, our doulas are required to be trained and certified or working toward certification. Doulas are not meant to be hired long-term, but instead as highly specialized care givers that help parents transition into their new roles with confidence, helping with newborn care, breastfeeding, physical and emotional support, systems, and scheduling.
A night nanny provides overnight service only under the guidance and supervision of the parents. An overnight doula has a plan and offers guidance and support to the parents.
Night nannies usually do not have specific newborn or sleep methodology training. A night nanny will come into a home and follow the instructions the parents give them.
An overnight doula will offer advice, scheduling and feeding suggestions, as well as physical and emotional support.
Greater Grand Rapids, Saugatuck, South Haven, Holland, Zeeland, Grand Haven, Muskegon, Fremont, Hastings, St. Joseph, Three Rivers, Niles, Benton Harbor, Ludington, Pentwater, Manistee, Traverse City, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Suttons Bay, Harbor Springs and Bay Harbor.
At Gold Coast we offer Sleep consultations from a Certified Postpartum Doula, Newborn Care Specialist, and Certified Infant & Child Sleep Consultant. This means our sleep consultant listens to the needs of your family and creates a sleep solution that works for everyone. Plans are based on your family values and goals, not anyone else’s.
The newborn care specialist is focused more on caring for the newborn where the postpartum doula cares for the entire family. An NCS may often work around the clock and they tend to specialize in overnight support. Many newborn care specialists travel with families.
We can accompany clients on vacations or to cottages depending on our availability. Travel fees apply.
Once you sign the contract and pay a deposit or full payment, your doula or team of doulas is reserved for your estimated due date.
We sure do. We offer $50 off of birth or postpartum services for military families. We do not currently accept Tricare insurance.
A 3% discount is offered for day or overnight postpartum doula contracts that are paid in full 60 days or more in advance. This does not apply to payment plans.
First things first: being able to sit down with a night doula to gauge a sense of trust is vital. This is your precious baby we’re talking about–trust is huge. Connecting personally with your night doula is the ultimate goal. That way, you can feel confident about your choice. Psst… free consultations are the perfect way to do that!
“I am one who goes on instinct. I hired my own doulas based on the gut feeling after the interview,” says Kristin Revere, MM, CED, NCS, a certified birth, postpartum, and infant care doula and founder of Gold Coast Doulas in Grand Rapids, Michigan. That’s why Gold Coast Doulas offers free consultations to families looking for their perfect doula match. If you have a co-parent, don’t forget to include them in your consultation, too. Everyone should feel certain and positive about their choice. If you need more help, Kristin explains more about how to assemble your dream team of postpartum support in her book “Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby.”
A night doula’s job is centered around baby sleep. It only makes sense for your doula to be trained on current American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep practices. “Your baby should sleep on their back on a flat surface. Period. No blankets, stuffed animals, bumpers, or other loose objects in the sleeping area,” says Kristin.
This practice alone helps prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is the leading cause of injury loss in infancy. Every single team member at Gold Coast Doulas is trained on these safe sleep guidelines and uses them for each service. If there are any changes to the AAP’s guideline recommendations, our team is trained and immediately puts them into practice. It’s incredibly important that the doula team you ultimately choose uses this method, too.
Nothing entirely removes the uneasiness of someone new watching your baby while you sleep. But background checks can help make that feeling a bit better. Please don’t feel pushy for asking about one. Think about it like this–a new person will be in your home, taking care of your baby, and will have access to all your baby, and will have access to all your personal items. You really should be mindful of who’s allowed inside.
Background checks can tell us about a night doula’s identity, criminal history, employment history, education, credit history, and driving record. Doula services that dig into important insights like these really help parents feel better and add an additional layer of trust. This is a big deal and should be treated as such!
Unfortunately, most doulas will respond with a “no”–and not because we don’t want to. Generally, health insurance doesn’t cover doula services. But there’s no harm in asking since more companies are beginning to see the benefits of this specialized care.
Here’s a tip: before you give up hope, check in with your employer to see if they offer benefit programs such as Carrot Fertility, Maven, or Progyny. Many doula services accept these (including ours!), creating a nice detour around frustrating insurance roadblocks. Also, don’t forget to use your HSA or FSA if you have one. You can find more advice on how to pay for doula support, including different programs to look into, inside Kristin’s new book.
Contact us today to find out more about our plans, pricing, and how a sleep consultation can benefit your family.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A nanny cares for children of all ages and works primarily during the day time or over vacations. There is no specific training and they are usually hired long-term to help with the children while both parents work, sometimes for several years.
A Postpartum Doula is trained specifically to help support the mother and baby (or babies) right after delivery and into the first year of life. At Gold Coast, our doulas are required to be trained and certified or working toward certification. Doulas are not meant to be hired long-term, but instead as highly specialized care givers that help parents transition into their new roles with confidence, helping with newborn care, breastfeeding, physical and emotional support, systems, and scheduling.
A night nanny provides overnight service only under the guidance and supervision of the parents. An overnight doula has a plan and offers guidance and support to the parents.
Night nannies usually do not have specific newborn or sleep methodology training. A night nanny will come into a home and follow the instructions the parents give them.
An overnight doula will offer advice, scheduling and feeding suggestions, as well as physical and emotional support.
Greater Grand Rapids, Saugatuck, South Haven, Holland, Zeeland, Grand Haven, Muskegon, Fremont, Hastings, St. Joseph, Three Rivers, Niles, Benton Harbor, Ludington, Pentwater, Manistee, Traverse City, Petoskey, Charlevoix, Suttons Bay, Harbor Springs and Bay Harbor.
At Gold Coast we offer Sleep consultations from a Certified Postpartum Doula, Newborn Care Specialist, and Certified Infant & Child Sleep Consultant. This means our sleep consultant listens to the needs of your family and creates a sleep solution that works for everyone. Plans are based on your family values and goals, not anyone else’s.
The newborn care specialist is focused more on caring for the newborn where the postpartum doula cares for the entire family. An NCS may often work around the clock and they tend to specialize in overnight support. Many newborn care specialists travel with families.
