COVID-19: Virtual Support

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, most hospitals in the Twin Cities have limited birth support. This leaves families birthing in hospitals having to make difficult choices about who to have with them when they welcome their babies. The Olive Tree is here for you no matter what. Doulas are masters of creative solutions!

Your Options for Birth Support

You still have lots of options for your birth support! These include:

hospital birth
- vaginal birth at Hennepin Health (HCMC), Fairview/M Health (Riverside, St. John's, Woodwinds, Southdale, Ridges), North Memorial (North Memorial, Maple Grove Hospital), HealthPartners (Regions, Methodist, Lakeview, Hudson), Allina (Abbott, United, Mercy): doula and one partner/family/friend in-person
- abdominal birth (cesarean section) at all area hospitals: one support person in the operating room (unless general anesthesia is used) with possible virtual doula/partner support depending on facility
birth center birth
- one partner/family member/friend and your doula present
  (currently, all Twin Cities birth centers are allowing doulas in addition to one support person)
- one partner/family member/friend with virtual doula support
  (if you would prefer to minimize exposure, I am happy to support you virtually)
  Interested in a birth center? Check out the excellent options in the Twin Cities: Roots Community Birth Center, Minnesota Birth Center, Health Foundations Birth Center, Willow Midwives & Birth Center
homebirth
- any number of healthy support people that you so choose; I am happy to support you in person or virtually based on your comfort and preference
  Interested in homebirth? The Twin Cities has some fabulous homebirth midwives! Check out Metro Midwifery, North Star Midwifery, Mandala Midwifery, Twin Cities Midwifery, Geneabirth, Trillium Midwives, Thrive Midwives, Peacefully Born Traditional Midwifery, Tender Heart Midwifery, and more!

What I'm Doing to Stay Safe

The safety of the families I serve and my own family is of utmost importance to me. Here are the safety measures I'm currently practicing:

Vaccination: I am fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of February 2021!
Self-isolating: I only leave my home to spend time outside with my family, to attend my own (or my children's) medical appointments, and to run essential errands. We utilize curbside pick-up, drive through, or delivery whenever possible. We are both working from home.
Masks: I and my spouse both wear masks any time we're going anywhere. I wear a mask any time I am with my clients.
Virtual and/or socially-distanced meetings: Whenever possible, I am asking my clients to consider virtual prenatal and postpartum meetings. All interviews are currently conducted over video chat or phone call. When meeting in-person (with the exception of your labor/birth), I am only bringing the bare minimum of personal items and will remain at least 6 feet away from you whenever possible.
Hand washing and other disinfecting: I have always been vigilant about hand washing (ask my kids!), but I am even more conscious now. I also clean any personal items, like my phone and keys, with 70% alcohol when I get home, and change clothes after being in any shared space.
Following facility requirements: As always, I am following all facility hygiene and protection requirements when attending births, such as wearing a mask and gloves, limiting contact with shared surfaces/items, and anything else requested.
Staying aware of current recommendations: I pay close attention to recommendations from reliable sources (CDC, WHO, MDH, among others), and follow those recommendations to the best of my ability.