FAQ

Most of our clients have a partner supporting them through this journey, though not always. Having a Doula often helps partners feel more confident and involved, as they receive gentle guidance on how to offer meaningful, practical support.

Even with classes and books, it can be hard for partners, family, or friends to know exactly what to do in the moment. During labour, emotions run high, and it’s natural to respond differently to suggestions from someone outside the relationship. Your Doula provides calm reassurance, helping both you and your partner feel supported, connected, and empowered throughout the experience.

There are many tools available to support comfort during labour, and the epidural is one of them. Your Doula team supports all birthing choices and ensures you have the information you need to make the decision that feels right for you in each moment.

Before receiving an epidural, there are sensations that require focus and support to work through. Your Doula helps you stay comfortable by guiding your breathing, suggesting effective positions, and using massage and other comfort measures. Even after an epidural, your Doula remains by your side to help you stay calm, supported, and comfortable throughout your birthing experience.

Many people assume that Doulas are only for vaginal births, but the truth is that every birth deserves support, no matter how your baby arrives.

If you’re planning a scheduled cesarean birth, your Doula helps you prepare by understanding your options and what to do if labour begins before your scheduled date. On the day of your birth, your Doula ensures things flow smoothly, offering emotional reassurance and guidance with bonding and your baby’s first feeding. Once you’re home, your Doula continues to provide gentle, informed support as you recover and adjust to caring for your baby with confidence.

At Helping Hands Doula, connection is at the heart of everything we do. We know how important it is to feel fully comfortable and confident with the person supporting you through birth. That’s why our matching process is designed to be thoughtful, personal, and intuitive.

Once you complete our Birth Doula Intake Form, we take the time to understand your preferences, values, and vision for your birth experience. From there, we carefully select one or two doulas whose personality, expertise, and approach best align with what you’re looking for. You’ll have the opportunity to meet, connect, and get a true sense of how it feels to work together before making your decision.

Our goal is for you to feel an immediate sense of trust, calm, and understanding with your doula. When that connection feels natural, you’ll know you’ve found the right fit, someone who will walk alongside you with care, confidence, and unwavering support.

Every birth is different, no matter how many times you’ve experienced it before. Having a Doula by your side provides guidance, reassurance, and support tailored to this specific journey. Even experienced parents find comfort in having someone knowledgeable to answer questions, explain new sensations, and help them feel calm and confident throughout the process. Your Doula is there whenever you need her, ensuring that this birth feels supported, informed, and uniquely yours.

As an experienced parent, your Doula will take the time to discuss your previous birth experience — what you appreciated most and what you hope to approach differently this time. This helps shape a support plan that feels personalized and aligned with your goals.

It’s also reassuring to have your Doula as an early point of contact when labour begins. If cramping or contractions start, you can reach out to your Doula for guidance on when to arrange childcare, when to head to the hospital, and how to stay calm and comfortable in those early stages.

Many experienced parents notice that their second or subsequent births often progress more quickly than the first. This is because the uterine muscles have gone through the process before, allowing labour to move through the stages with greater efficiency.

When things move quickly, there may not always be time for an epidural, which makes it even more valuable to have a Doula present. Your Doula provides calm, focused guidance to help you stay grounded through each contraction while the medical team prepares for delivery. This support also helps partners, who may feel unsure of what’s happening or how to help, feel confident and involved throughout the process.

Absolutely. It’s never too late to receive support. Our team works with families at every stage — from pregnancy through the early months at home. If your baby has already arrived, we’ll move quickly to create a care plan so you can begin receiving support as soon as possible. Our prescheduled & flexible scheduling pathways allows us to meet families wherever they are in their journey.

If you plan to bottle feed, your Doula will provide knowledgeable, nonjudgmental support tailored to your goals. We focus on understanding your preferences and helping you feel confident and comfortable with your feeding plan. Your Doula can guide you through bottle preparation, feeding techniques, and cleaning routines, ensuring your baby is fed safely and lovingly while you feel fully supported every step of the way.

Your overnight Doula provides calm, professional care throughout the night so you can rest deeply and recover. She stays in the same area as your baby, bringing your little one to you when it’s time to feed. During feedings, your Doula can answer your questions, offer helpful tips, and ensure the process is as smooth as possible. She’ll bring you a drink or snack, then take care of burping, changing, and soothing your baby back to sleep so you can return to bed and make the most of your rest between feeds.

One of the best parts of working with a Doula is that you don’t have to figure out what they’ll do. We know exactly how to anticipate your needs. Before your Doula even steps into your home, your dedicated Care Coordinator takes the time to learn about your family, your preferences, and your priorities, ensuring the right support is in place from the very beginning.

Our Doulas receive additional training in communication styles and work closely together as a connected team, allowing us to adapt seamlessly as your needs evolve. When your Doula arrives, she’ll ask a few questions to understand what’s most helpful that day and create a plan that supports you in the moment. As your baby grows and your routine shifts, your Doula will continue offering new ideas and suggestions so you can make the most of your hours of support.

Family and friends can be a wonderful source of love and support after your baby arrives, but they don’t always have the same experience or unbiased perspective that a Doula provides. Your Doula acts as your guide, helping you discover what feels right for your unique family and supporting you in making confident decisions along the way.

While loved ones often share advice based on their own experiences, a Doula helps you navigate those conversations with clarity and confidence. Many of our clients share that their Doula’s guidance made it easier to communicate their needs to family and friends, ultimately leading to more meaningful and helpful support from everyone involved.

One of the main differences between a night nurse and a Postpartum Doula is the focus of care. A night nurse’s primary role is to care for the baby, while a Postpartum Doula supports the entire family. Our goal is not only to care for your baby but to nurture your confidence as new parents.

We provide hands-on guidance, teaching you practical tools and techniques that you can use when your Doula isn’t there. Think of us as on the job trainers for your journey into parenthood. Our purpose is to empower you with knowledge and reassurance until you feel confident and capable, to the point where we’ve worked ourselves out of the job.

Daytime support shifts are a minimum of 5 hours, typically from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Overnight shifts are a minimum of 8 hours, usually running from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Many families choose longer shifts for added rest and flexibility. Since there are no maximum limits, we can tailor the timing to fit your family’s unique routine and needs.

Scheduling your hours with Helping Hands Doula is simple and flexible. After your support plan is created, your dedicated Care Coordinator will help you schedule your hours in a way that fits your family’s needs. You can choose to preschedule shifts in advance or keep them flexible to adjust as your routine changes.

Your Care Coordinator manages all the logistics, ensuring seamless communication and consistency between you and your Doula, so your support always feels easy, organized, and perfectly aligned with your needs.

Overnight support shifts are a minimum of 8 hours and can be extended when availability allows. These shifts are typically scheduled from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., giving parents the opportunity to get the longest stretch of restful sleep while the Doula provides attentive overnight care and support.

The timing of your support depends on when you secure Helping Hands Doula’s services. The earlier you book during pregnancy, the more options you’ll have to choose from, whether you prefer a prescheduled plan or a flexible support pathway.

If you decide you need help after your baby arrives, you may still be able to access our doulas through à la carte or flexible options, depending on availability. These offerings make it possible for families to begin receiving care even if they didn’t pre-book a package, because every family deserves support when they need it most.

The best time to connect is as soon as you know you’d like support in place for your family. Early booking ensures the greatest choice and the smoothest start to your postpartum experience.

Your Doula arrives prepared to be awake and attentive throughout the duration of her shift, but she will rest lightly whenever you and your baby are sleeping. A comfortable sleeping arrangement is required for overnight support, which can be as simple as a couch for your Doula and a bassinet for your baby. This setup ensures your Doula is close by and ready to respond whenever your baby wakes.

At night, our focus is on protecting your sleep and helping your baby develop healthy patterns for feeding, sleep, and soothing. Babies naturally wake frequently, and your Doula is there as your expert guide through it all — offering reassurance, education, and hands-on support with nighttime care.

This includes gentle guidance as you learn the rhythms of life with your newborn, as well as compassionate care for those middle-of-the-night moments when extra support makes all the difference.

You can receive doula support for as long as you need and want it to help your family refill your sleep tank. The duration depends on your goals, your baby’s personality, and how your recovery and adjustment are going postpartum. There is no set cut-off period for families who continue to benefit from regular doula care.

The first 4 to 6 weeks are often the most intense part of the transition into parenthood. Many parents are already exhausted from disrupted sleep at the hospital, which continues as they adjust to caring for their newborn at home. Your baby is also working hard to learn how to feed, breathe, and regulate their own system, which makes this a big adjustment for everyone.

Overnight care during this period allows you to focus on rest and recovery while your Doula provides hands-on support, education, and gentle guidance. You’ll also receive a “heads up” on what to expect in the days ahead and help in creating simple routines that support your family’s well-being.

Our prenatal classes are very comprehensive and cover everything you need to feel fully prepared for labour, birth, and the early days with your baby. While hospital programs often follow a set outline designed for large groups, our sessions are personalized to your birth location, preferences, and unique questions. You’ll receive the same evidence-based foundation, along with the practical insights, emotional preparation, and modern strategies that come from years of hands-on experience supporting families through every kind of birth. The true benefit of our classes is that every topic can be tailored to what you want to know, ensuring your experience feels relevant, empowering, and completely your own.

Private prenatal classes offer a learning experience that is entirely focused on you and your family. They allow you to work around your schedule, making your preparation both convenient and flexible. Each session is personalized to your birth location, preferences, and learning style, with content that is relevant to your unique situation. Having your classes in the comfort of your own home also creates a relaxed environment where you can ask any question freely, without feeling self-conscious in front of a group. This focused approach ensures that every minute of your class is meaningful, efficient, and designed to build your confidence for birth and early parenting.

Our prenatal classes include information specific to your chosen birth location, so you’ll know exactly what to expect without needing to attend a hospital-run program. Your childbirth educators are incredibly familiar with your hospital and will customize your program to cover what you need to know about your specific place of birth. We review common procedures, available tools and supports, parking and admission details, and what to bring with you when it’s time to give birth.

Many hospitals also offer separate tours of their Labour and Delivery Unit, which you can book directly. If your hospital doesn’t currently allow tours, you can still drive over to get familiar with the area and layout. You’re always welcome to visit the unit and ask a nurse if it’s possible to take a quick look at an available room. This extra step can help you feel more comfortable and confident as you prepare for your baby’s arrival.

Our prenatal classes are designed to fit seamlessly into your schedule. Sessions can be booked on weekdays, evenings, or weekends, depending on your availability. Most families choose 1.5 to 2-hour sessions, allowing plenty of time for discussion and practice without feeling rushed.

Many options allow for direct booking through our online calendar, making it easy to secure the times that work best for you. Our Care Coordinator is also available to make adjustments and help you find the schedule that fits perfectly with your routine. Classes can take place virtually, in the comfort of your home, or as a combination of both. Once registered, you’ll receive everything you need to plan your personalized learning experience with ease.

No. Our prenatal classes focus on clear, modern, and practical education—without outdated or overly graphic birth videos. We believe preparation should leave you feeling informed and empowered, not overwhelmed. Instead, we use professional visuals, diagrams, and open discussion to help you understand each stage of labour and birth in a calm, supportive way. If you’re curious to see specific aspects of the process, your educator can share appropriate resources based on your comfort level and learning goals.

Partners are a very important part of our classes. We focus on getting both expectant parents on the same page by facilitating meaningful conversations between the two of you. Each session is designed to help partners feel confident, informed, and actively involved in the process.

We love to practice tools and techniques together so that both of you can build comfort and confidence using them when labour begins. Partners learn how to provide physical and emotional support, ask informed questions, and stay calm and connected throughout the experience. Our goal is for both of you to walk away feeling prepared, supported, and united as a team.

While books and online resources can be helpful, a prenatal class brings the information to life. There is so much information available online that it can quickly become overwhelming and often conflicting. Many articles and videos are based in the U.S. and don’t always reflect hospital policies or practices here in Canada.

Our classes provide clarity, context, and connection. You’ll have the opportunity to discuss your wishes with an expert who can help you set realistic expectations for how your birth experience may unfold. Through television and media, birth is often portrayed in ways that are dramatic or unrealistic. In-person education offers the guidance, insight, and insider tips that help you understand what truly happens, how to prepare, and how to navigate your experience with confidence and calm.

You’ll also have the chance to ask questions, practice hands-on techniques, and receive personalized support tailored to your birth location and preferences, something that reading alone simply can’t provide.

t’s common for one parent to feel more ready to make changes than the other, especially when everyone is tired and trying to do their best. One of the major reasons sleep becomes an issue for families is that routines are inconsistent.

Your sleep plan will be customized to reflect both parents’ desires and comfort levels, creating a consistent approach that everyone feels good about. Our role is to help bring both partners onto the same page with understanding and collaboration, ensuring that the plan feels realistic and supportive for your whole family.

Even if your partner isn’t ready to be fully involved right away, we’ll equip you with gentle, sustainable strategies you can confidently implement on your own. As sleep improves and balance is restored, many partners naturally become more engaged and aligned in the process.

No, they are not the same method and are far from it. Cry It Out does not teach your child to sleep independently, but rather to stop communicating their needs. Gentle Sleep Consulting takes a completely different approach, rooted in connection, trust, and understanding your baby’s development.

With gentle sleep support, there may be some tears, but they will never be tears of fear. We always encourage you to reassure your child that their caregiver is present and responsive. Our goal is to create healthy sleep habits through consistency, comfort, and compassion, helping your baby learn to sleep independently while always feeling safe and supported.

We suggest waiting until your child is over 6 months of age to begin Gentle Sleep Consulting, as babies are developmentally ready for independent sleep around that time. For families with babies under 6 months, we can provide tools and guidance to help parents begin gentle sleep shaping, laying the foundation for healthy sleep habits before formal coaching begins.

Gentle Sleep Consulting is most effective once your baby’s sleep patterns become more predictable, but support can begin at any stage. For newborns, our postpartum doulas can offer in-home overnight care and practical strategies to help everyone rest more easily while setting up healthy routines from the very start.

Absolutely! That is one of the many benefits of Gentle Sleep Consulting. A personalized sleep plan is created after an in-depth intake that takes into account your baby’s feeding, sleeping, and family routines. We will never tell you not to pick up your baby or to change your core values.

Gentle Sleep Consulting is designed to meet your family exactly where you are. We respect your choices around feeding and sleep arrangements and will create a plan that supports your goals without asking you to give up what feels right for your family.

If you are bed-sharing, we can help you make the arrangement as safe and restful as possible while gently introducing strategies to encourage more independent sleep when the time feels right. For breastfeeding families, your plan will honor your feeding relationship while helping you find a balance that allows everyone to rest better. The goal is to work with your lifestyle, not against it, so that sleep support feels natural, realistic, and aligned with your values.

Typically, families see improvement in less than a week after starting their personalized plan. The exact timing depends on your starting point and your baby’s readiness to begin, which is why we highly recommend booking a no-obligation phone consultation to help gauge expectations. Contact us to pencil that in!

Every family and every child is different, so the timeline can vary depending on age, temperament, and current sleep habits, as well as how consistent you are in following the plan. Most families notice meaningful changes within the first week, with more predictable, restful nights developing over two to three weeks.

Gentle Sleep Consulting focuses on creating long-term change through gradual, sustainable adjustments. Because your plan is personalized to your family’s unique routines and comfort levels, progress often feels steady and achievable, helping everyone in your home rest easier and feel more balanced.

Yes, home visits are available depending on your location and our consultant’s availability. Many families find in-home support especially helpful in the early days, as it allows the consultant to observe feeding in your natural environment and make personalized recommendations in real time.

If you prefer virtual care, we also offer online consultations that provide the same high level of expertise and guidance from the comfort of your home. During your initial booking, our Care Coordinator will help you determine which option best fits your needs and location.

Home visits are usually at least 2 hours in length for the first appointment. However, depending on your specific challenges or goals, longer or shorter sessions may be recommended. During booking, a check-in with the Lactation Consultant will help determine what level of support is most appropriate for your family.

Virtual visits typically start at 1.5 hours for the initial appointment. Shorter follow-up check-ins are available, along with email support between sessions to ensure your family continues to thrive with the rolling feeding plan.

Of course! Many challenges with infant feeding can be supported through email, phone calls, or video sessions, either on their own or in combination with in-person visits. Virtual consultations can be just as effective as home visits, offering real-time guidance on positioning, latch, and troubleshooting, all from the comfort of your home.

All appointments include follow-up support to ensure you receive the most from your care. You’ll have access to continued guidance and reassurance as you work toward your feeding goals so you feel confident, informed, and fully supported every step of the way.

Not at all. Lactation Consultants help with all types of infant feeding. This includes support and education for families who are exclusively pumping, combination feeding, exclusively formula feeding, or anywhere in between. They also provide guidance with weaning and navigating feeding changes as your baby grows.

While they are experts in breastfeeding and chestfeeding, their role extends far beyond that. Your consultant will meet you exactly where you are, offering practical, compassionate support to help you feel confident in your feeding journey, no matter what that looks like for your family.

Getting started with Helping Hands is simple and seamless. Your journey begins with a personal consultation call with our Client Experience Guide, who will take time to understand your goals, preferences, and the type of support that feels most meaningful to you.

After your consultation, you’ll be guided through the registration form and contract, followed by your invoice and payment details. Once your registration is complete, our Care Coordinator manages every detail behind the scenes to ensure your support begins smoothly and on time.

From the moment you reach out, our process is designed to feel effortless, supportive, and completely tailored to your family’s needs.

We accept e-transfers, all major credit cards, and bank cards. Please note that a 2.4% convenience fee applies to credit and bank card payments.

Many families choose to use insurance or wellness benefits through providers such as Sun Life, Carrot Fertility, or Cigna, which may cover part or all of their doula services or classes. We also offer beautifully designed gift certificates that can be added to your baby registry, allowing friends or family to contribute toward your care.

Our Care Coordinator is happy to provide customized invoices or documentation for insurance pre-approval or reimbursement, making the payment process smooth and stress-free from start to finish.

Every family’s needs are unique, which is why we begin with a personal consultation call. During this conversation, our Client Experience Guide will learn more about your goals, preferences, and support needs. From there, we’ll help you determine which package or pathway feels like the best fit — whether you’re seeking postpartum care, prenatal education, sleep consulting, or feeding support. Our goal is to make your decision feel simple, confident, and aligned with what matters most to your family.

Helping Hands Doula proudly supports families across the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding regions. Many of our services, including prenatal education, lactation consulting, and sleep support, are also available virtually for families outside of the GTA. Whether you’re local or connecting from a distance, you’ll receive the same high standard of care, professionalism, and compassion.

Your privacy is always protected. All information shared with Helping Hands is handled confidentially through our secure client portal. Only the team members directly involved in your care have access to your details, ensuring your family’s information remains private and respected at all times.

Yes. Helping Hands gift certificates are a thoughtful way for friends and family to contribute to your care. They can be used toward postpartum support, prenatal classes, sleep consulting, or lactation visits, and are a meaningful addition to any baby registry. Our Care Coordinator can assist with beautifully designed digital or printed options for easy gifting.