Most doulas begin working with the parents six months prior to the delivery of the baby. If you hire your doula earlier, you will have more time to ask questions and be prepared for the delivery of the baby. When interviewing a birth doula, consider the following questions provided by Doulas of North America:

The word, "doula," comes from the Greek word for servant in an ancient Greek household. Among other things, this slave helped the lady of the house through her childbearing.

When filling out the order form please make sure you complete all items to the best of your knowledge. Items such as address, telephone number and major landmarks are very helpful. Please indicate any instructions for us appropriately.

There is no guarantee that you will achieve the desired pregnancy. Even with perfectly timed intercourse and the best of circumstances, you only have about a 25% chance of getting pregnant each cycle. If you feel there is a problem, consult your doctor.

Doula's bags are full of useful tools. Birthing balls, heat / cool compresses, massage tools, lotions, music of different styles and goodies to eat for partner and mom, if she is allowed. These are just a sample of things that a Doula may have with her.

Yes you can. No research has been conducted to date to see exactly how effective the Standard Days Method is in helping a couple who wants to get pregnant, but because CycleBeads identify the fertile days, using CycleBeads can be an important first step in trying to get pregnant.

No actually, research shows that there are a small number of days during which a woman is likely to get pregnant ? a few days before she ovulates and the day she ovulates. But these days may not be at the same time every cycle because a woman doesn't always ovulate at the same time. Studies conducted by the Institute for Reproductive Health have shown that the "fertile window" ? days when a woman could get pregnant ? is Days 8 through 19 of their menstrual cycles for most women.

Purchasing used to buy periods worth of product once a period. This would also keep an additional period worth of "back-up inventory" on hand.

Most orders from inventory are shipped either the same day or the next day. We respond ASAP when we receive your order and tell you when it will ship and when you can expect it. If you place an order and do not hear from us within 24 hours it probably means we are either at an art show or visiting our children. Custom hand done work takes time. We often have a delay of several months. When you place your order for antique restoration or for original work we will give you a delivery date.

The number of visitors in your room during labor depends on your physical condition and the stage of labor you are in. For the safety of you and your baby we encourage you to have only two people in the room during delivery. Requests for additional visitors will be at the discretion of your physician.

We print and ship every Tuesday and Friday and send the plans out via 3 day US Priority Mail, postage paid.

Thank you for giving me a new life. I have not had a single outbreak for some 12 months now. I can now make plans in advance without worrying that I am going to have an outbreak. It has made such a difference to my life and how I feel about myself.

Knowing your time of ovulation is crucial to successful conception. Your fertile period starts about 4-5 days before ovulation, and ends about 24-48 hours after it. For more information, see Ovulation and Pregnancy.

No, a doula does not do anything medical, no vaginal exams, temperatures, IV's, nothing medical. The doula will not give a medical diagnosis or administer medication. Doulas can refer clients to appropriate medical services.