Hiring a Doula with Your Carrot Fertility Benefits!

More and more companies are offering their employees comprehensive birth and postpartum coverage with Carrot Fertility Benefits. We commonly have families inquiring with Doulas of Orange County asking about finding a doula that is approved and meets the requirements for Carrot. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about hiring a doula with your Carrot fertility benefits.

What is Carrot Insurance? 

Carrot is a private health plan company that is provided as a corporate employee benefit by many companies around the US. Carrot boasts of “Comprehensive support and access to care for maternity through menopause — and pre-pregnancy through parenting”. Depending on the employer’s plan, they can cover everything from fertility and IVF treatment, egg freezing, prenatal support and childbirth education classes, doulas, midwives and OBGYN’s. 

Does Carrot health plan really cover birth and postpartum doula services? 

Yes, absolutely! Birth Doulas provide comfort, education and encouragement during pregnancy, labor and birth to improve overall maternal health and wellbeing. A postpartum doula provides in-home care during the first 12+ weeks for a new mother and her baby.   

Carrot recognizes the impact that a doula has to improve the overall maternal health outcomes and wellbeing of parents and by partnering with corporations; they set up a health plan that covers an allotted amount of doula care. 

Are there any requirements that Carrot requires for doulas to be approved by their network? 

Per their website, they share that “Carrot members currently have unlimited access to chats with doulas for labor, birth plans, and postpartum questions. Members can use their Carrot funds to pay for eligible doula services. To ensure members receive high-quality support that promotes healthy birth outcomes, doulas must meet specific criteria –– like obtaining accreditation from an approved organization, participating in an adequate training curriculum, and having an appropriate breadth of experience.”

As of March 2024, those requirements include:

• Certification

  Doulas need to hold a current and valid certificate. Some commonly used certification programs include (but are not limited to):

  • BirthWorks International, CAPPA: Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association, ToLabor, DONA International or ICEA: International Childbirth Education Association

• Training

  The doula must have attended at least 24 hours of evidence-informed training that included one or more of the following areas:

  • Physiology of labor, Labor doula training, Antepartum doula training, Postpartum doula training or Bereavement training

  Their training must also require periodic certification renewal and/or continuing education.

• Experience

  The doula must be at least 18 years old and have spent a minimum of 15 hours providing doula services in one or more of the following areas:

  • Continuous labor support for at least three childbirths as the primary labor doula supporting the birthing parent. At least two of those births must be vaginal births. The doula must also have provided antepartum and postpartum support for at least one birth.

  • Postpartum support following at least three childbirths

  • Bereavement support for at least three pregnancy losses
    
    

What is the process to get your doula support covered by Carrot insurance? 

Every company can choose and set up their desired health plan for their employees. Doula coverage by Carrot may include 6 weeks of daytime and overnight doula care, in addition to prenatal and birth support, but does vary from company to company. So double check with your employer!   

Depending on your employer’s plan you will either need to request a “superbill” from your doula that includes a detailed invoice showing the price and services included and you can submit this to Carrot for reimbursement. Other plans include a “Carrot Card”, similar to an HSA / FSA card that you can utilize to pay your doula invoices directly. 

How to Find Postpartum Doulas Accepting Carrot Fertility Benefits?

You will need a doula that is approved or willing to be approved by Carrot based on their requirements above.  Many of the doulas on the Doulas of Orange County team have previously worked with Carrot Fertility. We can match you with a doula in Orange County CA that accepts Carrot Fertility.

Early Signs That You are Pregnant with Twins or Multiples

Parents who give birth to twins often say they intuitively knew they were carrying more than one baby from the very start. Even before their doctor heard two heartbeats or confirmed a twin pregnancy via ultrasound, they just knew.

Do you have a feeling you are pregnant with twins or multiples?

There are some early signs that you could be expecting more than one bundle of joy! Scroll through to see if you might be pregnant with multiples and for tips on soothing your symptoms.

Sky High hCG

Studies have shown that pregnant people expecting twins or multiples may have higher hCG levels than those experiencing a singleton pregnancy. That said, hCG levels vary from person to person and pregnancy to pregnancy, so hCG levels are not definitive to determine a twin pregnancy. Some people have high hCG levels and only give birth to one baby; others have exceptionally low hCG levels and give birth to multiples.

If your doctor has been monitoring your hCG levels, talk to them about your levels, and ask if they indicate that you could be expecting multiples.

More Morning Sickness, More Babies

Hormone fluctuations cause pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. If you are pregnant with twins or multiples, you will likely have higher hormone levels. These more elevated hormones increase the risk of extreme morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum. This condition can lead to dehydration, weight loss, and electrolyte imbalance. Of course, every pregnancy is different. Some parents experience little to no nausea and vomiting during their twin or multiple pregnancies.

Check out our blog post 11 Safe + Effective Morning Sickness Remedies for the best tips to relieve morning sickness.

Yuck! Food Aversions

It's common for pregnant people to experience strong aversions to certain foods, especially coffee, meat, fish and seafood, and (surprisingly) leafy green vegetables. Food intolerances can increase morning sickness. In this case, the smell or taste of specific foods and beverages could trigger nausea and vomiting.

No one knows for sure why food aversions occur during pregnancy. They may be caused by changes to your taste perception or the increased sense of smell commonly associated with pregnancy. Other studies suggest that food aversions and intolerances during pregnancy are a natural adaptation to reduce pregnancy's physical challenges.

Next Level Exhaustion

Fatigue is a common symptom of early pregnancy. Still, people who have experienced both singleton pregnancies and multiple pregnancies reported that they were far more tired when expecting multiples. Higher hormone progesterone levels and an increased basal metabolic rate may contribute to people's utter exhaustion when pregnant with multiples. The first trimester can be incredibly taxing for all pregnant people, as this is when a baby's foundational body systems are forming. Your body is undergoing rapid changes to support your pregnancy.

If early pregnancy fatigue is taking over your life, you can try:

• Taking naps during the day (some people find sneaking in a short nap on their lunch break at work is helpful)

• Going to bed early every night

• Staying well hydrated

• Ensuring you are eating a healthy balanced diet

• Avoiding sugar and caffeine, which can cause fluctuations in your energy

• Eating foods high in B vitamins

• Going for a walk or other light daily exercise

Intense Breast Pain

Breast pain is a typical early pregnancy symptom that can be more intense when expecting twins or multiples. Your breasts are preparing to feed more than one baby, and the hormones that initiate these preparations may be higher. If you are experiencing intense pain and discomfort in your breasts, you can:

• Stop wearing bras with underwires

• Choose softer bras and ensure your bras fit properly

• Avoid high impact physical activities such as running and jumping

Talk to your doctor if you experience burning pain, localized swelling, or notice a lump in your breast. These could indicate infection or other health concerns.

Non-Stop Peeing

Frequent urination is another symptom that many people experience during early pregnancy, sometimes even before a positive pregnancy test. Parents of multiples sometimes report that they found their trips to the bathroom were even more frequent than they were in other pregnancies. Of course, hormones are to blame for this symptom, too!

To reduce the number of times you have to run to the bathroom, we suggest:

• avoiding drinking liquids before bed

• limiting beverages with a diuretic effect like coffee, tea, and seltzer

• being careful to empty your bladder each time you urinate

"Showing" Sooner Than Usual

If you are expecting twins or multiples, your belly may be bigger than expecting one baby. Looking "bigger" than would be expected for how far along you are can be a sign that you are expecting twins or multiples. Still, every body and every pregnancy is different.

Your doctor or midwife may notice that your fundal height measurements are significantly higher than expected if you are pregnant with multiples. To measure your fundal height, your care provider measures the distance between your pubic bone and the top of your uterus. After about 12 weeks of pregnancy, this measurement is an indicator of how well your baby, or babies, are growing. 

Your Resting Heart Rate is Increased

Just like your basal metabolic rate increases, your resting heart rate will increase during pregnancy. A normal resting heart rate is about 70 bpm (beats per minute), rising to 80-100 bpm in pregnancy. People who are pregnant with twins or multiples may have a resting heart rate higher than 100 bpm. If your resting heart rate is above 100 bpm, you may be diagnosed with tachycardia. Tachycardia can be a normal pregnancy condition but needs to be monitored by your primary care provider.

You can help keep your heart rate within a normal range by not smoking, reducing stress, and using mindfulness techniques like meditation and deep breathing.

Major Mood Swings

If you're feeling incredibly moody, you could be expecting twins or multiples. Blame it on all those extra hormones (again!). Intense feelings can be overwhelming for you, but keep in mind that they can go as quickly as they come due to hormonal fluctuations. Be sure to validate your feelings and give yourself space to recognize and accept how you feel in each moment; don't latch onto those feelings. Try journaling when you need to vent, chat with a friend, or consider seeing a therapist regularly.

Your Intuition Says it's Twins (or more!)

Your intuition is powerful! As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, many parents "just know" that they are pregnant with twins or multiples.

How Twin Pregnancies are Confirmed

Many twin pregnancies are discovered by ultrasound. Your doctor may suspect you are pregnant with more than one baby when checking your baby's heart rate or having alpha-fetoprotein levels tested. If your doctor suspects you may be pregnant with multiples, they will likely recommend you go for an ultrasound. 

Doulas of Orange County wholeheartedly congratulates you on your pregnancy! We love working with families in Orange County, California, and surrounding areas, expecting multiples. We have experienced professionals to support you through pregnancy, during your birth, and in the first year of your baby’s lives. We can connect you with the right professionals to provide the support you want and need.

Welcome Home!

It's official, Doulas of Orange County is now located in the city of Irvine! We made the move on Monday, saying farewell to our first office in Costa Mesa and saying a hearty hello to the Airport Business Center! 

Saying goodbye to our Costa Mesa office was truly bittersweet. That space holds so many wonderful memories for us...it was where we launched our parenting + community center, where we first taught classes, and where we met so many new parents and parents-to-be. We are honored to have spent two and a half wonderful years as a small business in Costa Mesa!

The growth we've had as a business is encouraging and exciting to say the very least and we are looking forward to the wonderful new memories we'll create at our new office at Sky Park Circle. In the coming days we'll be sharing more sneak peeks of the space via social media - if you don't already follow us on Instagram & Facebook - follow along for updates and fun new happenings! 

On a similar note, we have space for one more part-time renter at our new location near John Wayne Airport. This 9x12 office space will be shared with Lauren Slak, Licensed Midwife and includes 3.5 days of use per week. Rent includes use of our warm and inviting lobby, access to our coffee & tea bar, baby changing table, in-suite bathroom and priority access to use of our class and event space. 

Additionally, our class & event space is available for weekly or monthly classes as well as pop-up shops, movie nights, baby showers, blessing ways and more! 

We are looking for engaging, like-minded practitioners that are eager to serve the pregnant and parenting community in Irvine and surrounding areas. If this is you, we'd love to meet you and provide an in-person tour of the space. Please inquire at hi@doualsofoc.com

Our doors officially open on August 7th with all classes & groups resuming as scheduled. Please note our new address is 17985 Sky Park Circle Suite A, Irvine CA 92614. 

We are anxiously awaiting the opportunity to invite each of you to our open house... more details coming soon!

Thank you to everyone for your support, now and always.