COVID-19 Updates
COVID FAQ:
Is coronavirus impacting your services right now?
Short answer, yes. But we have resumed all our services (with some important limitations).
Longer answer… The nature of our work relies very much on close, in-person contact with the families we serve. At the beginning of the pandemic we completely stopped all in-person services for a short time. As the state began working through a phased reopening, and as we learned about how this virus is transmitted, we began slowly and cautiously resuming services with some limitations and precautions informed by guidance from public health officials on mitigating risks of spreading the virus.
We are currently offering all our services, with the exception of in-person group classes and social gatherings.
Can i hire a doula under the current restrictions?
Yes! We are booking new clients and continuing to serve existing clients for all services we provide (birth doula, postpartum doula/newborn care specialist/night nanny, placenta encapsulation, education).
We are using best practices to mitigate risks for our doulas and clients when we do have in-person contact (utilizing Zoom for interviews when desired, conducting daily health screenings of our doula(s), meeting clients outside when possible and desired, wearing masks etc).
Are doulas allowed at the hospital? What about the Birth Center?
As of 7/20/2020 doulas have been welcome at Mission Hospital as part of the birth team and are not considered visitors. The hospital’s visitor restrictions continue to change and patients should refer to the hospital website for current visitation policies. All our doulas meet the new requirements for attending births at Mission under the current restrictions. Doulas are also permitted at Advent Hospital in Hendersonville with some restrictions that our doulas are in compliance with.
Do you offer virtual birth support? (or Virtual Postpartum Support?)
Since resuming in-person support in 2021, we have paused our virtual doula support. We can offer virtual consultation for things like antenatal or fertility support, prenatal support and coaching, baby registry guidance, birth plan guidance, postpartum planning, infant feeding or sleep guidance. Contact us to discuss your needs and how we can support you.
Are your Doulas receiving the covid vaccine? What about other routine vaccinations?
It’s up to each individual doula to make their own decisions regarding their health, including whether or not to receive vaccines. This goes for other vaccinations like influenza and TDAP as well. Doulas of Asheville does not have a vaccine requirement for affiliated doulas as all our doulas are independent contractors, but clients have the right to request doulas that meet their vaccination preferences. If you have preferences regarding a potential doulas’ vaccination status please communicate that to us during your intake or inquiry call and we’ll be sure to match you with doula(s) who meet your family’s needs.
WHAT PPE ARE YOU WEARING WHEN SUPPORTING CLIENTS?
Our doulas follow current public health guidance regarding mask use. If we are in the hospital, we follow the facility’s current requirements regarding PPE. Clients may choose to wear masks or not when in their home. If you have a preference on whether your doula wears a mask when providing in-person support, please let us know so that we may match you with someone who will be able to meet your needs.
I’m looking for support but have questions about how this will work . Can i talk to someone about my concerns and options?
Of course! We are always available by email. You can also contact us to schedule a phone call. We are always happy to talk through your needs, concerns, and how our team can support you.
News & Updates
(Updates from March-September 2020 in reverse chronological order)
SEPT 4, 2020
NC ENTERS PHASE 2.5
Effective Friday 9/5/2020 Governor Cooper announced Phase 2.5 of the state’s phased reopening plan will begin at 5pm. Click here for a FAQ about the changes that will take place in this phase. The complete Executive Order can be found here.
Some changes under this new phase are:
Mass gathering limits are increased to 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors;
Playgrounds may reopen;
Museums and aquariums may reopen at 50% capacity;
Fitness and “competitive physical activity” facilities may open at 30% capacity;
Employers are encouraged to provide face coverings to their employees.
What Does this Mean for our Clients?
Entering Phase 2.5 is another positive step but our current operations will remain largely unchanged. We are continuing to offer robust virtual services and online classes as well as a limited amount of in-person postpartum support, and in-home placenta encapsulation on a case by case basis with several additional safety precautions in place. Visitor restrictions remain in place at all area hospitals and the WNC Birth Center. However, Mission is now allowing professional doulas in addition to one visitor/support person per birthing person. (The Birth Center is still allowing two visitors/support people per birthing person.) Waiting rooms remain closed in all area birthing locations.
If you’d like to chat about your support needs and how we can help, we’re always available by email or you can schedule a phone chat. (If none of the remaining times work for you let us know, we can surely find another!)
Upcoming Classes & Booking Services
We do have several classes scheduled and we’d love to “see” you there! We are offering online childbirth classes as well as online Newborn Care and online Breastfeeding Basics classes. All of our classes take place LIVE via Zoom and are interactive, but you get to join from the comfort of your home! We teach from our HQ in Asheville, but classes are open to anyone anywhere so feel free to share with your far away friends!
To inquire about or book services, contact us anytime!
July 20, 2020
DOULAS ARE BACK AT MISSION HOSPITAL!
Effective July 20, 2020 Mission Hospital has implemented policies and protocols to allow for the return of professional doulas as valued members of the birth team. Visitation policies have not changed, each birthing person is allowed one visitor/support person during their entire stay (this person cannot be swapped out). The new policy designates doulas as members of the birth team, not visitors.
We have been in touch with hospital administration to ensure all our doulas have completed the steps necessary to re-enter the hospital with our clients, including getting FIT tested for the required PPE. All our current clients have been notified and we are working towards transitioning them to in-person from virtual support. If you have been holding out on hiring a doula, now’s the time to get in touch!
May 22, 2020
PHASED REOPENING CONTINUES, STATE ENTERS PHASE 2
On 5/20/2020 Governor Cooper announced that North Carolina is meeting the data indicators identified as necessary to move into Phase 2 of the reopening plan by implementing Executive Order 141. In Phase 2 restrictions on commerce, travel, and business operations are further reduced and gatherings of up to 25 people are now permitted outdoors.
Click here for more information on Phase 2.
BUNCOMBE COUNTY ISSUES SUPERSEDING EMERGENCY DECLARATION
Following the Governor’s announcement, County officials announced a new Superseding Emergency Order for Buncombe County. The County order makes additional specifications for lodging, restaurants, and requires the wearing of face masks in public by anyone over the age of 12 in a public space.
For more on the Buncombe County order, click here.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR CLIENTS
Entering Phase 2 is another positive step but our current operations will remain the same. We are continuing to offer robust virtual services and online classes as well as a limited amount of in-person postpartum support on a case by case basis with several safety precautions in place. Visitor restrictions remain in place at all area hospitals and the WNC Birth Center. Mission is still allowing one visitor/support person per birthing person that cannot swap out and the Birth Center is still allowing two visitors/support people per birthing person. Waiting rooms are closed in all birthing locations.
Our Placenta Encapsulation services remain suspended as we watch three key areas:
1) emerging research on the impact of Covid-19 on the placentas of Covid positive patients,
2) data on whether Coronavirus could be aerosolized during the steaming and/or grinding parts of the encapsulation process; and
3) availability of Personal Protective Equipment and sanitizing products necessary for the safe processing of placentas.
We adhere to the highest industry standards for safety, but as this is a new virus we do not yet have the information we need to be able to confidently move forward with encapsulation. When we are certain that we can put new policies and procedures in place to provide encapsulation services that are safe for our clients and encapsulators we will resume encapsulation. If you would like to talk about your options for preserving your placenta to potentially encapsulate at a later date or if you would like to talk about other ways to memorialize your placenta, please get in touch!
If you’d like to chat about your support needs and how we can help, we’re always available by email or you can schedule a phone chat.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND CLASSES
We do have several classes scheduled and we’d love to “see” you there! Our next online childbirth class is on Saturday 6/20 from 9:30-2:30. We also have an online Newborn Care class set for Thursday 5/28 from 6:30-8:00pm. Our next online Breastfeeding Basics class will be on Tuesday 6/2 from 6:30-8:30pm. All of our classes take place live via Zoom and are interactive, but you get to join from the comfort of your home! We teach from our HQ in Asheville, but classes are open to anyone anywhere so feel free to share with your far away friends!
In addition to our classes, we’ll be doing another Q&A with Fit4Baby in June. We’ll post the date/time as soon as it’s confirmed!
We know this is a really difficult time to be planning for welcoming a baby or adjusting to life at home with a newborn, we’re still here for you even if we can’t be in the same room together!
May 8, 2020
PHASED REOPENING OF THE STATE BEGINS TODAY
On 5/5/2020 Governor Cooper announced Executive Order 138, easing some restrictions on travel, business operations, and large gatherings. The order became effective at 5pm on 5/8/2020 and represents North Carolina moving into Phase I of a three phase reopening plan. We’ll be in this Phase until at least 5/22/2020. Decisions on easing more restrictions will be made based on specific data and disease trends being closely monitored by the Department of Public Health.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR CLIENTS
Entering Phase 2 is another positive step but our current operations will remain the same. We are continuing to offer robust virtual services and online classes as well as a limited amount of in-person postpartum support on a case by case basis with several safety precautions in place.
If you’d like to chat about your support needs and how we can help, we’re always available by email or you can schedule a phone chat.
UPCOMING EVENTS AND CLASSES
We do have several classes scheduled and we’d love to “see” you there! Our next online childbirth class is on Saturday 6/20 from 9:30-2:30. We also have an online Newborn Care class set for Thursday 5/28 from 6:30-8:00pm. Our next online Breastfeeding Basics class will be on Tuesday 6/2 from 6:30-8:30pm. All of our classes take place live via Zoom and are interactive, but you get to join from the comfort of your home! We teach from our HQ in Asheville, but classes are open to anyone anywhere so feel free to share with your far away friends!
In addition to our classes, we’ll be doing another Q&A with Fit4Baby in June. We’ll post the date/time as soon as it’s confirmed!
We know this is a really difficult time to be planning for welcoming a baby or adjusting to life at home with a newborn, we’re still here for you even if we can’t be in the same room together!
April 23, 2020 (4:30pm)
STAY AT HOME ORDER EXTENDED UNTIL AT LEAST 5/8/2020
At a news conference this afternoon, Governor Cooper announced an extension of the current Stay At Home order until at least 5/8/2020.
He also unveiled objective metrics that will be used to assess whether and when the state can move through a three-phase plan to reopen. These metrics will be evaluating surveillance data (the number of people seeking care for Covid-19 symptoms in the ER), the number of lab confirmed cases, the number of positive cases as a percentage of total tests performed, and the number of hospitalizations. There must be downward or sustained leveled trends for each of these metrics in order to move beyond our Stay At Home order.
There are additional capacity metrics that need to be reached in order to move through the phased reopening of the state. These metrics include increasing our testing capacity to 5,000-7,000 tests per day, doubling our state’s ability to do widespread contact tracing (from 250 to 500 tracers), and being able to fill requests for personal protective equipment (PPE) for 30 days.
When asked whether the state would be moving to Phase I of the reopening plan on 5/9 the Governor said, “we will rely on the science, the data, and the facts” and clarified that we would not be moving to the next phase(s) unless “our objective indicators say it’s safe.
For more detailed information on the Governor’s announcement today click here.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR CLIENTS
The Governor’s announcement today will maintain the status quo for a while longer. We are still offering robust virtual services and online classes as well as a limited amount of in-person postpartum support on a case by case basis.
If you’d like to chat about your support needs and how we can help, we’re always available by email or you can schedule a phone chat.
April 5, 2020 (4pm)
UPDATE ROUND-UP
It’s been a few days since we’ve had any major changes to policies or practice, so we wanted to do a quick round-up of where things stand and how our practice is being impacted:
SUSPENSION OF IN-PERSON SERVICES: All of our in-person support is currently on hold with very few exceptions*. This means we are providing virtual support for all current birth and postpartum doula clients and we are accepting new clients for virtual support only. (Our contracts have provisions to transition virtual support to in-person support for local clients should “social distancing” restrictions change). We have moved all our classes to live, online classes via Zoom, and we have temporarily suspended placenta encapsulation and belly binding services. If you are giving birth soon and had intended on encapsulating your placenta, get in touch and we can provide some guidance on what your options are at this time. If you were planning to do postpartum belly binding, we can still send you your own belly binding cloth and provide written and video instructions or provide guidance over Zoom.
* in-person postpartum support and overnight care may be available for essential workers if both the doula and client are otherwise self-isolating. In-person birth support is available if the client is birthing at the hospital and does not have another support person or if they are a birth center patient and have only one other support person.
ONLINE CLASSES: Moving all our birth, breastfeeding, and newborn care classes to an online format was not something we wanted to do, but we are happy to report that we’ve had great success teaching online via Zoom! Participants are still able to interact with each other and the instructors in real time, you are able to get your questions answered, and see all the material we typically present and participate in activities and exercises just like in our in person classes. We have several classes scheduled for April, these classes are available to folks anywhere - not just Asheville! So if you know anyone out of town who is looking for a class feel free to send them our way. We have deeply discounted all our current classes during the current state of emergency. We know a lot of people are struggling financially right now, and many folks have lost access to their local classes. We hope to be able to fill this gap.
VIRTUAL DOULA SUPPORT: While our ability to provide in-person support is limited, we are happy to be able to provide virtual doula support to folks as they prepare for their birth, during labor, and during the postpartum time. We have options for folks ranging from a single video conference, to a package of virtual sessions (for pregnancy or postpartum support), to comprehensive pregnancy, birth, and labor support. Virtual Doula Services are available to folks nationwide, you don’t have to live in the Asheville area to benefit from support!
COMPLIMENTARY VIRTUAL POSTPARTUM VISITS: During the current crisis, several of our postpartum doulas are offering complimentary 30-minute video chats for folks looking for a little guidance and support during their postpartum time.
VISITOR RESTRICTIONS: As of today, there have not been any changes to visitor restrictions at our local birthing facilities. The WNC Birth Center is still allowing up to 2 visitors/support people per patient, Mission Health and Advent Health are both limiting L&D patients to one visitor/support person. Support people should arrive prepared to be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and should expect to remain in the patient’s room for the duration of the hospital stay. (No leaving and returning, no swapping out for another visitor). Get in touch if you would like to talk through your options!
March 27, 2020 (4pm)
STATEWIDE “STAY AT HOME” ORDER ISSUED
This afternoon, Governor Cooper announced a statewide “Stay at Home” order that will go into effect on Monday 3/30. The order will be in place until at least April 29th and provides for essential businesses to stay open while prioritizing social distancing measures.
The new order will keep Doulas of Asheville’s current service restrictions and modifications in place until at least the end of April. The primary impacts for our clients are the transition to virtual support for all current birth and postpartum doula clients, the suspension of placenta encapsulation and in-home belly binding services, and the transition of all our classes to interactive online formats.
If you haven’t already you can check out our Virtual Doula Services and Online Childbirth Education pages. And as always, please let us know how we can support you during this challenging and uncertain time! You can reach us anytime by email.
March 26, 2020 (6pm)
VIRTUAL DOULA SUPPORT!
We’ve been working hard to transition our current birth and postpartum doula clients to virtual support over the last week. In addition to transitioning our current clients, we are proud to announce we are now also offering Virtual Doula Services to anyone who is looking for extra support during their pregnancy, birth, or postpartum time.
With virtual support, you'll be connected to our professional doulas who can provide the same modern, evidence-based information, guidance, and support that we do in person.
Take a look at our Virtual Doula Support page and get in touch to talk about how our team of experience, professional doulas can bring calm and confidence to your pregnancy, birth, or postpartum experience.
ONLINE CLASSES
We’ve already announced that our classes have gone virtual, but we wanted to share that we are now set up to enroll folks from literally anywhere to take our upcoming childbirth, breastfeeding, and newborn care classes online.
We have several classes scheduled to take place live via Zoom in April. We have also reduced our rates for these online classes so that more folks will be able to participate!
These classes are interactive and provide ample opportunity for participants to chat with each other and the instructors. You can ask your questions in real time, and you even get a recording of the class to re-watch after the live session. Click on over to our Education page to see what we have on deck!
Ready to sign up? Here’s your links to Online Childbirth Education, Online Breastfeeding Class, and our Online Newborn Care Class. “See” you there!
At 8pm this evening, Buncombe County’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Supplemental Declaration to the existing Executive Order goes into place. This supplemental declaration is intended to “further minimize all opportunities for exposure and transmission of COVID-19 across the jurisdiction. This declaration directs all Buncombe County residents to “Stay Home – Stay Safe” and to limit movements outside of their homes that are not deemed essential.”
The declaration is valid from 3/26/20 at 8pm until 4/9/20 at 6am, unless it is revised, amended or extended.
The new order provides additional clarity on which businesses are deemed essential and validates our current policy of suspending in-person support for postpartum, birth, placenta, belly binding, and education clients. We are able to offer virtual support and we are making ourselves as available as possible to current clients and anyone looking for information and support during this uncertain time. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
March 23, 2020 (3pm)
HOSPITAL VISITATION RESTRICTIONS: Important clarification on doula support!
On 3/21/20 Mission Health has announced additional visitor restrictions prohibiting any visitors at the hospital with the exception of Pediatrics and Labor & Delivery. Pediatrics and L&D patients will be allowed ONE visitor. At that time, we told you we were awaiting confirmation that this would also mean that L&D patients would not be able to have doula support in addition to their chosen visitor. We received confirmation last night that this is in fact the case. Doulas will not be permitted to attend their clients’ births in addition to the patient’s visitor. (As of today, the Birth Center is still allowing each birthing person to have up to two visitors/support people).
We had already been in touch with all our birth doula clients to prepare them for this likelihood and we have been putting in place our plans for virtual support during the remainder of their pregnancies and now also for their births.
While this isn’t what any of us hoped for as we prepared for your births, we understand the severity of the situation and that the hospital must do everything they can to mitigate risks to their patients and staff. We support Mission’s efforts in this regard and are committed to doing everything we can to continue to provide the professional, judgement-free support our clients expect from us.
Click here for information on Virtual Doula Services.
WNC BIRTH CENTER YouTube CHANNEL
The WNC Birth Center has launched a YouTube Channel! You can now virtually “attend” their orientation and have a virtual tour. They have also announced going virtual for some prenatal appointments to limit the number of people coming into the birth center. Stay tuned to their Facebook page for updates and information.
SCHOOL’S OUT ‘TILL (at least) MAY 15
Governor Roy Cooper announced today that all NC schools will remain closed until May 15th. There were additional closures of public buildings and spaces announced during today’s press conference. The Governor also provided clarity on which businesses should be closed.
March 21, 2020 (8pm)
HOSPITAL VISITATION RESTRICTIONS
Mission Health has announced additional visitor restrictions, prohibiting any visitors at the hospital with the exception of Pediatrics and Labor & Delivery. Pediatrics and L&D patients will be allowed ONE visitor. This visitor must remain with them from admission to discharge. They may not leave the hospital and return. Waiting rooms are closed and visitors may not swap out. Additionally the hospital cafeteria will be open from 6:30am-6:30pm only and for to-go orders only. Visitors should plan to bring some food to have on had in their rooms. Food delivery is still permitted, but you will need to meet your delivery person at the hospital entrance.
As of March 20, we had confirmation from multiple sources in Labor & Delivery that doulas with professional credentials would be permitted to support their clients at Mission in addition to the patient’s chosen visitor. We are still awaiting confirmation that this is either still the case or that this has changed in light of the new visitor restrictions.
As doulas, we know that we offer a valuable service to our clients and can be helpful to the medical care providers as well. However, we also know that during this crisis the priority needs to be the health and safety of all patients and front line medical staff. As wonderful as doulas are, we are an addition person at the hospital and right now that does mean additional risk. We are keeping in contact with hospital staff and will update here as soon as we know whether we will be able to be present with our clients at their births. At the same time, we are preparing our clients and doulas for the possibility of virtual support.
For patients at Advent Health in Hendersonville, similar restrictions are now in place. Visitation is not permitted at the hospital or medical office buildings, with the exception of Pediatrics and Labor & Delivery patients. Those patients may have one visitor.
Click here for information on Virtual Doula Services.
DOULAS OF ASHEVILLE GOES VIRTUAL
We are happy to announce that we hosted our first “virtual” group childbirth class via Zoom today! While we are under orders to practice social distancing, all our group classes will be taking place online using Zoom. Participants are able to see each other and the instructors live via video and we are able to share the presentations we use and videos that accompany them. There are opportunities for participants to interact in real time, contribute to conversation, and ask questions during the class. We will also be recording classes and participants will receive a recording of the class to rewatch on their own time.
As long as we are under the current emergency order restricting in-person contact with clients, we will also be conducting interviews, meet-ups, prenatal visits, and postpartum visits via Zoom. We are in the process of working on how to provide postpartum support to families in this time of social distancing. For now, we have suspended all postpartum shifts and placenta encapsulation services. We know how difficult this time is for families with little ones, but we take your health and safety (as well as the health and safety of our doulas) very seriously and need to take responsibility for limiting all non-essential in-person contact at this time.
Stay tuned for more updates and announcements about additional classes, virtual meet-ups, and additional virtual services!
PLACENTA ENCAPSULATION SERVICES SUSPENDED
We have made the difficult decision to suspend all placenta encapsulation services for the time being. This is necessary for a few reasons. 1) we are under orders to limit any non-essential in-person contact; 2) given the nature of this virus, we cannot ensure that our doulas and encapsulation specialists have not been exposed to and could pass on the virus unwittingly; and 3) there is simply too much that is not know about this virus and how it is transmitted for us to be certain that there are no risks to either the encapsulator or the person consuming the capsules.
We will be watching the developments as we learn more about this virus and will adjust this policy as appropriate based on current information. If you give birth during this time and had planned on having your placenta encapsulated, you can freeze your placenta according to our direction and have it encapsulated at a later time if it is deemed safe to do so.
March 19, 2020 (8pm)
A new emergency declaration announced today significantly expands social distancing and closes many more businesses.
The Declaration announced today went into effect at 5pm prohibits all public gatherings of ten or more persons and applies to “gyms and fitness centers (include: martial arts studios, cross-fit gyms, dance studios) indoor pools, spas (spas include: massage parlors, medical spas, nail salons, beauty parlors, hair dressers, even one chair salons, barber shops) and tattoo parlors, movie theaters, live performance venues, and arcades (including: bowling alleys, indoor recreation centers, climbing gyms, trampoline parks, escape rooms)”.
While this Declaration doesn’t specify each type of personal and professional service business, we believe it does limit our ability to provide in-person postpartum and birth doula services. The Declaration states:
“If your business or service delivery requires you to be within 6 ft. of another person for a duration of 10 minutes or more, then it is likely that it falls within the Local State of Emergency Supplemental Declaration.”
Exempt from the Declaration are “grocery stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, hardware stores, gas stations, farmers markets, and food distribution sites selling prepared food.”
We are currently evaluating how this Declaration will impact our business and our ability to serve our clients and we are reaching out to each of you individually.
Furthermore, we are still awaiting clarification from Mission Health on whether professional doulas will be exempt from the current visitation policy. Several staff within the Labor & Delivery Unit believe that doulas are considered a part of the birth team and will not be considered a visitor. However, the policy as written does specify only one additional person per patient will be permitted in the hospital. We are hoping to receive clarification tomorrow (3/20) but are preparing for the chance that we may not be able to provide in-person hospital support to our birthing clients.
These are really difficult and unprecedented times. We are doing everything we can to stay as up to date as possible and find creative ways to adjust how we work as things change by the day. As always, we are here for all your questions, concerns, venting, whatever we can do to help. Stay safe, y’all.
March 17, 2020 (10pm)
Another day, another round of new restrictions in place to hopefully “Flatten The Curve”. Here’s the latest roundup:
Mission Hospital has now instituted new visitor restrictions. Patients may have ONE visitor between the hours of 6am and 8pm only. There are exceptions for Pediatrics, NICU, Laboring Advocates, pre- and post-surgery and end of life services. In these cases, one person may remain overnight. This appears to mean any birthing person will only be able to have one support person. If they have hired a doula, their doula may not be permitted to attend the birth if the doula is considered a visitor. We are seeking further guidance from the hospital on whether professional doulas are considered “visitors” or a member of the birth team. We will keep you posted!
Advent Health (formerly Park Ridge Health) is also restricting patients to ONE visitor and prohibiting anyone under 18 from visiting.
Governor Roy Cooper announced a new Executive Order requiring all bars and restaurants to close their dining rooms, allowing them to offer carryout or delivery service only. The order also expanded unemployment benefits to help workers unemployed due to Covid-19 and for those who may still be employed but will not receive a paycheck.
Buncombe County announced significant closures of public buildings, including all public libraries and parks.
Testing for Covid-19 has expanded. The mobile testing sites as Sona and Blue Ridge Community College are still open, and now Buncombe County Health & Human Services is conducting mobile testing at Biltmore Church in Arden and UNC Asheville.
We will be hosting our first virtual childbirth class via Zoom conferencing this Saturday! We’ll be moving all our in-person classes and events to Zoom and are working on providing more online content to clients as our ability to be with you in person is becoming more and more limited.
As always, please get in touch with us at any time… even if it’s just to vent about how difficult this whole situation is. We’re all in this together.
March 16, 2020 (8pm)
** People registered for any of our March classes, please check your email for an important update from Co-Owners, Christine and Elizabeth. **
We’re sure you are all following the local and national news for ongoing updates regarding the Coronavirus Pandemic. Since we last updated, schools have been canceled statewide and additional restrictions on public gatherings have been ordered. Public officials have indicated that many of the more restrictive recommendations they announced today (see below) may become requirements very soon.
HERE”S WHERE WE CURRENTLY STAND:
All public schools are closed to students from 3/16/2020 through at least 3/30/2020 and mass gatherings have been banned by Executive Order from the Governor;
Buncombe County hosted a press conference today in which they recommended bars and restaurants either close or limit their business to take-out only. It was also advised that people should avoid gathering in large groups, and if in groups people should maintain a distance of 6 feet from each other. At this time these restrictions are a strong recommendation, but they may become requirements very soon;
Today, Macon County announced a presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in a person who spent time in Buncombe County while symptomatic;
CDC is recommending all gatherings of 50 or more people be canceled or postponed;
The White House Cornonavirus Task Force is recommending no gatherings of 10 or more people, and any gatherings of any size should only happen if people can remain 3-6 feet apart from each other. The Task Force is also recommending that in areas where there is community transmission, bars, restaurants, gyms, and other areas where 10 or more people congregate should close.
Among other recommendations from the White HouseTask Force are:
If someone in your house has tested positive, keep the entire household at home. Do not go to work or school;
If you are an older person, stay home and away from other people;
If you are a person with a serious underlying health condition*, stay home and away from others;
Avoid discretionary travel shopping trips and social visits;
Avoid eating or drinking in restaurants bars, food courts. Use drive-through, pickup and delivery options;
Do not visit nursing homes or retirement or long-term care facilities unless to provide critical assistance;
Practice good hygiene such as washing your hands, especially after touching frequently used items or surfaces. Avoid touching your face.
*At this time, experts aren’t able to provide clear guidance on whether pregnant people are included in the high risk category. Initially pregnancy was not thought to be a risk factor with COVID-19, but there have since been several documented cases of pregnant people and newborns infected. In the UK, pregnant people are now being considered among the most vulnerable. Until there is clarity, and out of an abundance of caution, we (Doulas of Asheville) are operating under the assumption that pregnant people should be treated as a high risk group.
HOW THIS AFFECTS OUR CLIENTS:
We will be keeping all scheduled postpartum shifts, prenatal appointments, private classes, and will be attending births as planned and as birthing locations permit. We will, however, be practicing social distancing when providing one-on-one support and education to clients. This will mean refraining from hand shaking and hugs (and we love our clients so we know this will be hard!) and keeping a distance of 6 feet between clients and staff. We will also be limiting personal contact with clients to essential contact only (i.e. hands-on support during births or postpartum shifts) and will use PPE if recommended by public health officials like CDC and/or WHO. We understand that clients may wish to observe a more conservative self-isolation and we will be flexible about rescheduling appointments and in-home support. With this virus in particular, individuals may be infected and contagious without exhibiting any symptoms. We will honor requests for canceled and/or rescheduled shifts under these circumstances without the cancellation penalties that typically apply. Our doulas will not work if they or anyone they have been in contact with is ill, but the difficulty with this virus is that infected persons may be asymptomatic for 14 days while unwittingly transmitting the virus.
The WNC Birth Center has instituted visitor limitations and now only 2 support people may accompany each birthing person. As of this update, Mission has still not limited visitors and/or support people (flu restrictions are still in place barring any children under 12 and all visitors are being screened for Coronavirus symptoms upon entry to the hospital);
All our group classes scheduled for March will be hosted via Zoom, not in-person. We will likely continue this format for April and will update our policies based on current guidance from public health agencies, county, and federal government. Registered participants will receive instructions via email for how to participate in the class. The class will be broadcast live, participants will have audio and video of the instructors and each participant with also be able to see and interact with each other online.
We’ll continue to follow the news and guidance from federal, state, and local government and keep you updated. The situation is changing very quickly and we are doing everything we can to stay up to date, connected with our clients, and adapt to be able to support you during this difficult time. Please feel free to reach out to us or your assigned doula at any time, day or night. We’re all in this together.
IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE SICK:
Do not go to the the ER or your primary care physician without calling first. You may be screened over the phone and advised on whether a test for COVID-19 may be appropriate or not. There are now two drive-thru clinics set up for mobile testing. One is a Sona Pharmacy in Asheville, the other is at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. The BRCC location is offering screening to the public free of charge, there may be a charge at the Sona clinic depending on your insurance status until a relief package is passed by Congress.
Instructions for how to be screened for the BRCC clinic are here.
March 13, 2020 (11am)
** Current clients and class participants, please check your email for an important update from Co-Owners, Christine and Elizabeth. **
At Doulas of Asheville, the health and safety of our doulas, clients and their families are our top priorities. As this Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to become a significant public health threat and closures are becoming widespread, we wanted to take a moment to communicate the safety measures have always had in place and some new protocols in light of this virus to protect our doulas and clients and be socially responsible during this pandemic.
1. Many of our clients are the most vulnerable among us (newborns), and pregnant people are considered anat-risk population during a viral pandemic. We practice rigorous hand washing and personal hygiene at all times, including using personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary (diaper changes, hands-on breastfeeding support, when fluids are present during birth, during placenta processing, etc).
2. During flu and RSV season we are especially mindful of illness in our own homes and the homes of our clients. All our client contracts already address protocols for managing birth attendance, scheduled shifts, or appointments when the doula, a member of the doulas family, the client, or a member of their family is ill. Our doulas do not attend births or scheduled postpartum shifts when they are or have recently been ill or have an ill family member at home. Clients will instead be supported by another doula on our team of qualified professionals. We are fortunate to have a large team of doulas operating on a shared call schedule. We also require Clients to notify us when they or a member of their family have a fever, respiratory symptoms, vomiting, or diarrhea. Clients may cancel and reschedule shifts for illness without the usual requirements for 24 hours notice. This will continue during the current COVID19 pandemic.
3. Critical to the prevention of this particular virus is social distancing. We are currently preparing to move all our scheduled group classes and events planned for March to an interactive, live, online platform. We will be communicating with class participants directly, and if classes are moved from in-person to online, each participant will be provided instruction on how to join the online class. If participants are unable to participate in an online format they may choose to have a private class instead.
4. We will be keeping all scheduled postpartum shifts, prenatal appointments, private classes, and will be attending births as planned. We will, however, be practicing social distancing when providing one-on-one support to clients. This will mean refraining from hand shaking and hugs (and we love our clients so we know this will be hard!). We will also be limiting personal contact with clients to essential contact only (i.e. hands-on support during births or postpartum shifts) and will use PPE if recommended by public health officials like CDC and/or WHO. We understand that clients may wish to observe a more conservative self-quarantine and we will be flexible about rescheduling appointments and in-home support. With this virus in particular, individuals may be infected and contagious without exhibiting any symptoms. We will honor requests for canceled and/or rescheduled shifts under these circumstances without the cancellation penalties that typically apply.
5. As of the time of this announcement, Mission Hospital has not implemented more restrictive protocols on support people and visitors at births. (The hospital is currently under flu restrictions, so no children under 12 are permitted and all visitors to the Hospital are being screened upon entry for COVID19 symptoms.) We expect further restrictions to be put in place soon and will update you all and our clients as soon as we hear. We are actively communicating with hospital staff to understand how additional restrictions will impact patients and their ability to have their doula included in their birth and/or postpartum support team. (We do currently provide in-hospital postpartum support day and overnight and will continue to offer this as long as our doulas are permitted).
We will continue to update this page, our social media platforms, and clients (via email) as this situation evolves and more changes to how we practice may become necessary.
If you have any questions or concerns, you can always reach us directly by email info@doulasofasheville.com.