Do you accept insurance?

No. It would be wonderful if your insurance provider covered our service fees, and we encourage you to file a claim with your insurance company. Go ahead and stir the pot a bit, make some calls, write some letters, and request changes. Doulas are proven to lower c-section rates, postpartum depression, and hopefully, your efforts will make a much-needed difference!

The Happiest Doula, LLC has the required National Provider Identification number and taxonomy information and includes this information on all our order confirmation receipts and invoices, should you require it for filing for reimbursement with your insurance provider or via your FSA/HSA account.

You can also check with your employer directly to see if they offer fertility benefits from programs like Carrot, Maven, or Progyny, which reimburse for doula services. More info about health insurance for doula services is outlined here.

Are you vaccinated?

Yes, indeed! We have received covid boosters and flu shots as well.

How many clients does each birth doula work with per month?

Each of our birth doulas decides how many clients she can comfortably work with per month/year. Prior to the pandemic, we typically would attend 1 birth a week. To keep ourselves and our clients healthy, since the start of the pandemic, we’ve selected to average working with only 2-3 in-person clients per month/doula.

We work on a first-come, first-served basis! Your spot on our client calendar is not guaranteed until payment is received so don't delay in securing the support of our doula team. Please take note that the busiest time of the year is from August until December. Most babies are born in September so our doulas are in high demand and stay booked throughout the holiday season. Book a free consultation with the owner, Cynthya.

Please ask us about your options to finance services for the entire birth year. We offer private learning, labor support, newborn care, breastfeeding help, and birth photography. Doula support is available in Atlanta/Decatur and Clearwater/St. Pete; service includes 2-3 educational prenatal meetings, labor/birth support, and a postnatal lactation visit; clients spend $3-5k on average.

Do you have restrictions on working with my OB or hospital?

No way! Our agency works with ANY medical providers at ALL area hospitals and birth centers. We will cheerfully do so!

We carefully navigate our role as supportive doulas while enhancing our working relationship with hospital staff members and medical care providers. Our team's super-power is the ability to collaboratively work with the people YOU have chosen to provide healthcare for your baby's birthday. We respect your choices and work for you unconditionally, alongside your doctor or midwife, to help you have your ideal childbirth experience.

Why would someone planning to deliver in a hospital need a doula? Isn’t that why there is a labor and delivery nurse?

Labor nurses are trained to provide medically sound, knowledge based and extremely competent care in all possible scenarios of birth. Labor nurses manage medications, the labor process to ensure safe practice, physician orders, obstetrical complications, obstetrical emergencies as well as any additional healthcare concerns that a pregnant woman may be experiencing. In contrast, the role of the doula is to be 100% focused on the physical and emotional well being of the woman (and her partner) in labor. While both roles are vital to a successful birth team they are very different and it is important for women to know what kind and how much support they will be receiving.

How can you serve three cities in the southeast?

The Happiest Doulas began over 15 years ago to provide Atlanta families with doula support, birth classes, and private lessons.

In December 2017, The Happiest Doulas began a new chapter in the Tampa Bay area. Agency owner, Cynthya, joined forces with local providers of holistic care in the areas of St. Pete - Tampa - Sarasota. As the Board President of the Tampa Bay Birth Network, Cynthya continues the mission of building a wide community of like-minded professionals that support informed birth and parenting for all.

What differentiates The Happiest Doulas from other agencies or doula collectives?

We provide holistic support and educational opportunities to families in both metro Atlanta and St Pete. When a client reserves our Childbirth Doulas Support Package, they agree to work with their choice of a primary doula and a secondary/backup doula, ensuring a knowledgeable and experienced team is available to guide them through pregnancy and their postpartum time.

When working with The Happiest Doulas, you have a 99% chance that your selected birth doula will be available when you request her presence during labor and she will stay by your side for an hour or two after you've met your baby. If the rare occasion arises for a backup doula to fill in for your primary doula, she will likely be the person you've selected as your secondary choice. Typically, backup support is provided by your childbirth instructor - someone you have become very familiar with prior to the birthday party.

Doula collectives or collaboratives are a group of doulas who receive sales leads and independently work with each client, with several members belonging to multiple groups too. In a collective grouping of individual doulas, you may encounter many different service fees, contracts, backup charges, and other arrangements, and/or be subjected to a rotating on-call or changing shift schedule.

Our doula agency is focused on giving the premium support clients expect when reserving professional labor and birth services. To ensure our clients receive priority care, our doulas do not work for any outside collective, group, collaborative, etc., or contract independently, meaning that The Happiest Doulas are able to provide you with the full attention you deserve and expect.

Atlanta & Tampa Childbirth Agency

Birth Photographer and Doula in St Pete and Atlanta. Preserve your memories of baby’s first birthday while getting experienced labor support and guidance. Doulatog services in Tampa Bay and Atlanta.

What Happens If I Need a C-section?

Our doulas provide support for all types of births, including surgical births. For cesareans, we provide in-person support as much as the birthing facility will allow us to do so. We are often alongside clients in surgery - some OBs encourage us to assist clients with breastfeeding - we can take photos with your phone or camera and offer support any way a client sees fit. If the hospital or provider won't allow doulas in the OR, we will be with you before surgery and join you post op to help you establish a proper breastfeeding latch. If your OB is flexible, we may be able to join you in surgery when your partner escorts baby to the nursery.

Labor and birth can be very unpredictable. Research has shown that having a doula with you during this time reduces the rate of c-section, and is more likely to result in positive outcomes. Occasionally, cesareans are medically necessary due to preexisting circumstances. The majority of these are breech position, twins/triplets, etc., babies that need to be born before 34 weeks, and placenta previa (placenta is laying over cervix). All but one of these conditions are known well in advance of a due date and a breech baby can often be turned externally, allowing for labor and a vaginal delivery. Almost all other reasons for c-section occur during labor.

We never quite know which path a birth will take us down and our team is prepared to support clients however they need us to do so on their journey.

Will you work holidays?

Absolutely. There are many independent doulas who choose not to work major holidays leaving pregnant couples seeking support from a limited amount of local professionals. Our group will happily attend holiday birthdays and offers a secure back-up doula just in case help is needed.

Be sure to secure doula services now as our group books quickly for birthdays - request an interview here.

Do you have client testimonials or reviews of your work?

Yes! We have many love letters from happy clients. Scroll to the footer on any page of this site, to read client testimonials about how our birth and postpartum services have helped them achieve their pregnancy and childbirth goals and thrive in parenthood. We hope this helps you to learn what to expect when working with us. We have a dozen or so doula reviews on both Google and Yelp in both Atlanta and Tampa - St Pete.

Birth Doula Reviews

Our Best Doula Reviews on Google and Yelp. Learn what our clients think about our classes that prepare them so well for childbirth and how our doula services expertly guide them throughout labor and birth. We love our clients as much as they love us and are ever so grateful for the time they take to show their appreciation of our work together.

When will you arrive to support my labor?

We'll be talking over the phone during the stages of labor so that we can give you extra support prior to our arrival, which we determine based on what's happening, where you live, and the time of day - darn traffic!

If we are not yet with you and you believe labor is progressing quickly or that you might be transitioning, then we would advise to meet you at the hospital. After your exam, if you are in early labor and not as close as anticipated (it happens), we can walk around the hospital together to keep progress moving forward and decide on a new plan, if necessary. Sometimes, clients who live more than 45 minutes from the hospital choose to check into a hotel and labor in luxury! 

Do you come to my home or the hospital during labor?

Both! Our goal is to keep you comfortable during labor and at your home for as long as you want to stay there. Ask your doula to visit your home during labor so she can help you decide when to leave for the hospital. 

How do you help my partner during labor?

Let me count the ways....we can reassure them that everything is normal and right on time. We’ll calmly explain what's happening if a curve ball is thrown and medical interventions must take place. In case you’re unable to speak when a care providers is suggesting an intervention, we’ll remind your partner to ask for any known risks and alternatives of the suggested procedure or medicine. This allows for informed consent and consideration of your original birth plan and all the available options.  

Our presence at a labor allows the partner to take breaks, make phone calls, use the bathroom and catch a quick nap. If your partner wants to be your main support person and actively involved, we’ll support them by showing where to apply counter pressure, massage, etc. Our extra help will relieve the stress from your partners shoulders, ensuring your experience is positive and transformative.

How many waterbirths has your group witnessed?

500? Maybe even more!

Most of our clients do not have access to waterbirth or water immersion during labor because their birthing location does not have a waterbirth program in place. If you'd like to explore the option of waterbirth for your labor, you'll need to find a care provider with privileges to assist you at a location that offers waterbirth. This likely means you'd need to change providers for prenatal care and delivery.

The only metro Atlanta area hospital that offers waterbirth is North Fulton Hospital. Check out the providers of Providence Midwifery or Nile Midwifery for midwifery and waterbirth options at North Fulton Hospital. Also, waterbirth is available intown at Atlanta Birth Center by Certified Nurse Midwives.

In the Tampa Bay region, consider Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater. It's a Bay Care facility. You can complete the form on this page to request a physician who provides waterbirth access at Morton Plant. And because there is Florida State Licensure for midwifery providers, Tampa Bay offers birth centers such as Sweet Child O' Mine in Brandon or Labor of Love in Lutz.

“Waterbirth is a reasonable option for low-risk birthing people, as long as they understand the potential benefits and risks. If women have a strong desire for waterbirth, and there are care providers who are comfortable attending waterbirths, then at this time there is no evidence to deny this option of pain relief. You can learn more about the current research on waterbirth safety, pain relief, and the reduced rate of severe tearing by reading the evidence.” - Evidence Based Birth

Are you familiar with HypnoBirthing or Hypnobabies?

Definitely. We've seen clients snore through transition/transformation using Hypnobabies and later, breathe their babies out gently. It is truly remarkable but leaves the OB speechless!

We believe to effectively use hypnosis during childbirth, clients need to practice regularly and have a trained hypno-doula present to assist during the birthing time. Want to try Hypnobabies for yourself? Also, take a look at Gentle Birth and/or HypnoBirthing for a comparison.

Do you support clients that plan to use an epidural?

Yes, we most certainly do! The point of the birthday party is to welcome your baby with joy and love and if you are upset, in pain, or exhausted, you probably aren't having an enjoyable time. Birth is wonderful and beautiful however you choose to celebrate it! We've got "special tricks" for epidural clients and encourage you to choose what is right for your labor. We won't judge you.

Do you offer a postpartum follow-up visit?

Yes! Our labor doulas are also Certified Lactation Counselors (CLC) and within a few days following your baby’s birth, we’ll visit you at home (or the hospital, if needed) to provide guidance on body-feeding and help with any issues or concerns that may arise.

We are also very happy to support you in person, over the telephone, via text, and by video. In the weeks or months that follow birth, most of our clients ask to meet us for coffee to debrief about their birth experiences and to catch up on each other's lives. We love our clients and want to stay in touch with them beyond childbirth!

Doula Support

You're well on your way to having the childbirth experience you've been wishing for! While our specialty is supporting hospital births, we wholeheartedly enjoy providing labor doula services for homebirth and at birth centers.

The advantage of hiring a group of doulas...

Our team is well known throughout Atlanta and gaining popularity in St Pete - Tampa. Our reputation is positive!

Our clients have the distinct advantage of working with a group of dedicated professionals who support each other and provide back-up help when needed, which is not a guarantee when working with a doula who is an independent contractor. We encourage you to make sure you will have dedicated support for your birthday celebration and that you have hired the best choice to meet your needs. 

In metro Atlanta and Tampa Bay, certified doulas who have attended 50+ births charge a fee ranging from $1500 - 3000. A trained but less experienced doula may only charge $800-1450. In NYC and South Florida, the going rate for a doula who has attended 100+ births is more than $3500 (in 2019). Some doulas charge much more than $10,000 per birth.

Our clients invest approximately $3,000 - 5,000 per birth experience. The typical amount spent on photography and related items is about $1,500.

The amount of in-person support you might receive for labor and delivery could be anywhere from 3 to 24 hours, plus on-call "ready" time 24/7 for several weeks in a row. When you factor this in, even the most expensive doulas are a bargain! The right doula for you is priceless.

The Happiest Doulas provides dedicated primary and secondary (backup) doulas in both Tampa and Atlanta. We accept credit card payments, offer monthly payment plans, and encourage you to submit your paid invoice, which contains our NPI and taxonomy codes, to your health insurance provider for potential reimbursement. Financing is available.

Have you previously worked with my caregiver?

After 15 years of service in Atlanta and 7+ years in St Pete - Tampa, we’ve worked with some great OBs and midwives! During labor, we introduce ourselves to all care providers and encourage collaboration on how to better serve our clients/patients. We’re often asked for a stack of business cards for future referrals - a nice perk for carefully advocating for our clients.

What is your birth philosophy?

It is your body, baby, and birthday party, so you’ll decide how we’ll support you (and your partner) during labor. Specifically, The Happiest Doulas are here to support whatever decisions you feel are best for your family. Our job is to ensure that your wishes are communicated to your care providers and the hospital staff and that you have the necessary information to give informed consent at all times. This helps you achieve your goals and fulfill your heart’s desires!