Doula Services

What is a Doula?

A doula is a professional labor assistant who provides physical and emotional support to birthing people and their partners during pregnancy, childbirth, and the early postpartum period.

Countless scientific trials examining doula care demonstrate remarkably improved physical and psychological outcomes for both pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people and their baby. Doulas have a positive impact on the well-being of the entire family (dona.org).

According to national research, doula presence at birth decreases medical interventions at delivery and reduces labor complications. Doula-supported mothers are more successful in adapting to new family dynamics, have greater breastfeeding success, have a lower incidence of abuse, and lower postpartum depression rates (dona.org).

At New Moms, pregnant youth can choose to partner with our Doulas, supporting them from 27 weeks pregnant through 8 weeks post-birth, including in the labor and delivery room.

What do Doulas do?

• • Support, empower, and encourage young pregnant people as they prepare for birth and early parenthood
  • Advocate for moms through confusing and often biased healthcare systems
  • Coach moms about the physical, emotional, and mental stages of pregnancy, labor, birth, bonding, and baby-feeding options
  • Encourage and guide breastfeeding and bonding
  • Put moms in control of their pregnancy, labor, birth, and parenting choices
  • …And more!

Prenatal Support Group

This group connects pregnant people with their peers and helps them learn about and prepare for the birth of their baby and parenthood. Groups last for 10 weeks (virtually). Prenatal support group is open to everyone!

Come to get answers to your questions about:

• • Birth choices
  • Your baby’s development
  • COVID-19, pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding
  • Preparing for labor
  • Caring for yourself and your newborn
  • Signs of labor
  • When to call your ob-gyn or midwife when you’re in labor
  • Stages of labor and delivery
  • Different delivery methods
  • Pain management techniques for labor
  • Ways your partner can support you during labor
  • Techniques for relaxing and coping during labor
  • Information about breastfeeding, postpartum, and newborn care

Home Visiting

Young moms are paired with a Family Coach who visits with young moms in their homes to share parenting resources, tools, child development tips, and most of all – social connection and encouragement.

Moms learn about their child’s healthy development, how to troubleshoot common parenting challenges like bedtime routines or potty training, and practice parenting techniques to enhance bonding and family well-being.

Home Visiting also includes Parent Support Group opportunities for connection with peers, facilitated discussion on childhood development, parenting, health and wellness, and parent/child bonding and development activities.

Our Home Visiting and Parenting Education coaches use the Parents as Teachers coaching and learning model to engage young moms, which ensures that our parents, 24 years old and under, become their children’s first, best teachers.

*** Families whose children are ages 0-3 have enrollment priority in Home Visiting.

Enroll in Home Visiting

Learn about our Home Visiting Enhancements, in which we are engaging with pilot programs to serve justice-involved young mothers in partnership with the Cook County Sheriff’s office and Start Early, and the Home Visiting for Homeless Families Demonstration Project in partnership with Start Early, here.

Parenting Support Group

Parent Support Groups connect moms with peers and include facilitated discussion on childhood development, parenting, health and wellness, and parent/child bonding and development activities. Enjoy fun parent-child activities and an opportunity to ask all your motherhood-related questions. Free childcare is provided upon request and a to-go dinner is given to each family after the meeting. Transportation can also be arranged.

Parenting Education

Our Home Visiting and Parenting Education coaches use the Parents as Teachers coaching and learning model to engage young moms, which ensures that our parents, 24 years old and under, become their children’s first, best teachers.