FAQ

Understanding the doula's role

What is a doula? A doula is a professional birth companion trained to offer emotional, physical and informational support to parents-to-be. She is there before, during and after the birth, and never replaces the medical role of the doctor or the midwife.

What's the difference between a doula and a midwife? A midwife is a health professional qualified to provide medical care throughout pregnancy and to deliver babies. A doula performs no medical acts. Her role is to offer continuous presence, emotional support, natural pain-management techniques and objective information, to help parents experience a calm birth.

Does a doula replace the doctor or midwife? No. A doula complements the medical team rather than replacing it. She works alongside the health professionals present at the birth to offer the continuous human support that hospital staff don't always have time to provide.

Is a doula worth it even if I give birth in hospital? Absolutely. Most of the families Ysé Naissance supports give birth in hospital. Your doula can be with you wherever you give birth: hospital, birthing centre or home.

Our services and how they work

What services does Ysé Naissance offer? Ysé Naissance offers four types of services:

• Private prenatal classes with birth support

• Workshops on group childbirth preparation

• Postpartum support in-home

• Happy Push online program! (videos at your own pace)

When in pregnancy should you start prenatal classes? We recommend starting between the 20th and 32nd week of pregnancy. That gives you time to take in what you learn while staying close to your due date. That said, it's never too late — we can adapt the content to how far along you are.

Can my partner take part in the prenatal classes? Yes, and we strongly encourage it! Your partner's participation is included in all our services. The group workshops are designed specifically to be taken as a couple, so you can learn the labour support techniques together.

How many sessions are included in the private package? The private support package includes prenatal meetings, continuous presence during labour and birth, and a postnatal visit. The exact number of prenatal sessions is tailored to your needs during the free introductory meeting.

What does the online Happy Push! program involve? Happy Push! is a 100% online birth preparation course made up of short, practical videos with exercises. You can follow it at your own pace, from anywhere, which makes it ideal if you live far from Montreal or have a busy schedule.

Do you support high-risk pregnancies? Yes. Our team is trained to support high-risk pregnancies, medicalized births, situations involving trauma, and births that don't go as planned. We adapt to each situation.

Insurance and rates

Are doula services covered by insurance? Yes. Ysé Naissance services are covered by most private insurance plans through perinatal naturopathy receipts. Émilie Péru is a certified member of the ANPQ (Association des Naturopathes Professionnels du Québec), which means we can issue receipts that insurers recognize.

Does RAMQ cover doula services? No, the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) does not cover doula services. Check your group or individual insurance contract to find out what naturopathy coverage you have.

How do I find out if my insurance covers your services? Check your insurance contract to see whether naturopathy is covered. The great majority of group plans in Quebec (Desjardins, Sun Life, Great-West, and others) include this type of coverage. If you're unsure, contact us — we can help you check.

How much do Ysé Naissance services cost? Rates vary with the type of service you choose. We invite you to book a free introductory meeting so we can discuss your needs and walk you through our packages in detail.

Service area and logistics

Do you come to our home? Yes. We offer prenatal classes at home as well as postnatal home visits across the island of Montreal and the surrounding area.

What areas do you cover? We work across the island of Montreal (Rosemont, Plateau-Mont-Royal, Verdun, Outremont, Côte-des-Neiges, NDG, Villeray, Hochelaga, Mile-End, Griffintown, Saint-Henri, and so on), as well as the South Shore and the North Shore.

Do you offer services outside Montreal? Yes, through our Happy Push! online program, available anywhere in Quebec and Canada. For in-person services outside Greater Montreal, contact us to check availability.

Getting started with Ysé Naissance

How do I get started with Ysé Naissance? The first step is to book a free introductory meeting with one of our doulas. It's a no-obligation call that lets us understand your needs and suggest the service that fits best.

Can I meet the doula before committing? Yes, and that's how we do things. We always offer a free meeting before any commitment, to make sure the connection is there — that matters enormously in a birth-support relationship.