Doulas of Long Beach was founded by Lauren Foster & Chelsea Croce
Born of a desire to cultivate community and make birth & postpartum experiences better than we found them, we created these offerings, this model of care, for YOU.
Our mission is to provide support and care for every family and every choice. We value diversity and individuality and pride ourselves in customizing your care to meet your family's distinct needs. We aim to be your ally, your guide, and your team as you transition into this new identity as parents and as a family.
We personally screen and highly vet each candidate to ensure that you receive the best doula match possible!
Our mission as matching service is to connect you to birth & postpartum doulas who are available who will provide you unconditional support, hands on education, quality resources, and an incredible experience.
THE CORNERSTONES OF DOULAS OF LONG BEACH
Thrive not Survive
Any parent will tell you: bringing a baby into this world is tough, especially in our society. Isolation, judgments and feelings of not being good enough run rampant and it can all get so overwhelming. Imagine your pregnancy, birth and postpartum being a time where you feel fully supported, fully loved, and fully empowered. That is the DLB difference. Survival simply is not enough... we want you to THRIVE! This is why our matching service connects you to high quality doulas offering 24/7 on-call labor & birth support, daytime and overnight postpartum care, and live-in sleep training services.
Coming Together
Whether you’ve lived in Long Beach for a day or over a decade, you know this city is all about community. And whether you realize it yet or not, thriving in parenthood requires help from friends, family, and neighbors. As your neighborhood doulas we seek to deepen those community connections with compassion and love. While a lot of the work the doulas in network do is one-on-one, we strive to provide community resources to get you connected to local experts, fellow parents and parents-to-be. Parenting is not an island and you are not alone.
Open Arms
We believe in creating a safe space by offering truly non-judgmental support. In this, we believe we have the capacity to change lives. Through unity and acceptance and in trusting that you know exactly who you are and what you want, we help instill confidence in your choices and enhance your experience as a parent. At Doulas of Long Beach, the doulas we add to our network, bring no agenda, no specific birth philosophy and no bias into your life. They offer our support with open arms, open hearts, and listening ears.
Doulas of LB is wholeheartedly committed to the inclusion of ALL individuals and families regardless of age, race, class, ethnicity, national origin, gender expression & identity, sexuality, relationship status, ability, and religion.
what people are saying:
“Fantastic experience! Doulas of Long Beach provided great candidates to interview who matched our preferences, desires and budget. You all made the process so easy and stress free; my partner and I are incredibly grateful! It is a wonderful service you offer and I am so happy to have found you.”
“It was a wonderful, easy experience! Every one of our matches was great! We found a few doulas on our own beforehand and were not impressed so to have nothing but amazing choices through Doulas of Long Beach was just so nice. When you are going through a pregnancy for the first time it’s seamless and enjoyable experiences like this that really make an impact.”
“ Chelsea and Lauren! I just wanted to say an absolute thank you for helping me find a Doula. Your process was clear, thorough, and helped me sort through a sea of options and find the perfect fit. Your web design is beautiful, and the communication was thoughtful and perfectly-timed. I appreciate you!”
“We were matched with 3 amazing newborn care specialists and the whole process was very organized and easy to work through.”
“We were matched with a wonderful doula! The process was very smooth and easy. Great experience!”
“Such a great experience! We are very grateful that you provided us with a few local doulas and that we found our perfect match.”
“Very streamlined - exactly the type of help I was looking for!”
meet the owners
Lauren Foster
In the last 16 years as a doula, childbirth educator and pediatric sleep coach, I have served over 500 families throughout Southern California and the US. I draw from my previous experience as a nanny and my degree in psychology and child development to support the entire family unit. My natural insight and desire to get to know you and your family’s unique needs assist me in selecting a member of the Doulas of Long Beach team that will wholeheartedly support you. Born and raised in Long Beach, I am so honored to serve this diverse community with love, compassion, and joy.
CHELSEA CROCE
Over the past decade I have had the distinct pleasure of working with a variety of families during pregnancy, birth and early postpartum. Walking alongside moms and dads as they find their strength, confidence and unique style of parenting brings me such joy. Through my own pregnancy and journey to motherhood, I experienced first hand the importance of community and support every step of the way. It is my desire that each and every family flourishes with the unconditional support of a doula. I am proud to serve the Long Beach and Orange County communities in this way.
our providers
Our team of affiliated Birth & Postpartum Doulas, Sleep Coaches, Lactation Consultants, Placenta Specialists, and Childbirth Educators are hand selected by Lauren and Chelsea to ensure the highest quality of care in the industry. Each and every member of our team is professionally trained, participates in ongoing continuing education, goes through an extensive interview process, submits to a background check, and is CPR and First Aid certified. Doulas of Long Beach is available to you for education, physical & emotional support and hands-on guidance as you journey into parenthood.
To best match you with one of our incredible doulas, we invite you to complete our detailed inquiry form to share your ideal care needs and budget. We match based on availability, location, personality, special skills and more.
All of the doulas affiliated with our matching service are trained through a recognized organization which includes an in-person training and varying criteria to prove competence in supporting families. Doula trainings include education & guidance in the following and more:
Newborn Care: swaddling, soothing, bathing, feeding
AAP Sleep guidelines
Nurturing postpartum recovery: nourishing foods, encouraging rest, emotional support
Postpartum expectation: physical, emotional, familial
Breast & bottle feeding support
Normal newborn behavior and how to navigate newborn & parent preferences
Hands-on doula skills - including comfort measures and partner support
Learning & identifying the stages and phases of vaginal birth
Signs of labor progression including tools of comfort that can be used during each stage of labor
Medical & non-medical options for pain management
Knowledge of cesarean births and guidance on how to support families through an expected or unexpected cesarean
Skills to communicate respectfully & effectively with medical staff such as Obstetricians, Midwives, and Labor/Delivery Nurses.
Knowledge of various settings for birth including hospital, home, and birth center - and how they differ.
Our affiliated doulas are highly vetted & go through a thorough interview process that includes assessment of the following:
Attendance at an in-person workshop from a nationally recognized training organization
Up-to-date infant CPR certification and liability insurance
National background check clearance
The ability to demonstrate basic and advanced knowledge of the birth process and postpartum recovery, as well as ample knowledge of the many questions or topics that could be discussed by a new parent
Commitment to continuing education and an expansion of knowledge
Alignment with our desire to work collaboratively with all medical professionals
Glowing client reviews that exhibit their knowledge, compassion, and nonjudgmental support that we look for in an affiliate doula. If a doula is newer to this field and has limited experience, character references are also reviewed.
Availability and desire to be a part of a team, to back up other affiliated doulas and to commit to excellence in communication and client support.
A warm, professional and nurturing personality
