What is a Fertility Doula?

Hello! I am so grateful that you’re here and I hope that this blog post serves you in a positive way. My name is Jess and I am a Certified Fertility Doula, Fertility Coach and most importantly I am a mom who knows first hand that getting pregnant is not always easy. After my own struggle to conceive, I wanted to find a way to support women who are experiencing the same struggle that I went through.

When I started, I was sharing my vision with a friend who said, “why don’t you become a fertility doula?” It was the first time I’d ever heard the term fertility doula. Thoughts raced through my head:

• Fertility Doula – isn’t that confusing?
• Won’t that be triggering for women who are trying to get pregnant to work with a doula?
• No, no, no – I want to support women who are ready to get pregnant, not who are pregnant.

But – after looking into, I learned about the value that a fertility doula provides and I set forth on becoming certified.

So, what exactly is a Fertility Doula?

The word ‘doula’ derives from a Greek word that means “woman helper” (1). While the traditional use of the word surrounds birth, doulas provide support for a variety of life-changing events including death, gender transition, or abortion (2). A fertility doula specializes in fertility related disorders including:

• infertility
• environmental impacts on male & female reproduction
• hormone health
• cycle tracking
• holding space for grief & loss brought on by miscarriage
• stress management
• pregnancy planning

A fertility doula can support you when you’re struggling to get pregnant, or if you’ve experienced a miscarriage and you’re feeling afraid to try to get pregnant again. Alternatively, they can meet with you during your IVF cycle or help you navigate the hard decisions you’ll make when deciding to freeze embryos.

People have different reasons for hiring a fertility doula. Many of my clients are looking for someone who specializes in fertility and can help them make decisions on how to move forward. I have also been told that they hired a fertility doula because they didn’t have anyone they trusted in their life, and they needed someone to help them manage their grief of pregnancy loss. Regardless of your reason for hiring a fertility doula, they are trained to support you on this beautiful journey – and you do not have to walk it alone.

If you or someone you know if ready for parenthood, share this article with them. You never know how it can support them.