Thirteen & Finn Doula Services is the doula practice of Cortney Louge (that’s me!), DONA trained Birth Doula. Thirteen & Finn was created after years of learning about birth work and the need for prenatal education and labor and birth support for pregnant people. My interest in pregnancy and birth was sparked in 2015 after supporting my first birth, the birth of my nephew Finn. That passion only continued to intensify through my own two pregnancies and births. Finally, after a lot of reading and research, I decided to take the plunge and begin the process of certification as a birth doula through Doulas of North America International (DONA).
A Birth Doula is a compassionate advocate who supports a birthing person during labor and birth. Birth Doulas provide evidence- based, impartial information during a pregnant persons prenatal season to help them make informed decisions about their care. Birth Doulas are trained to provide continuous, hands-on, one-on-one physical and emotional support to birthing persons and their partners during labor and birth.
It’s really pretty simple. My birth interest was sparked through the births of my two children, both of whom were born on the 13th, and my nephew Finn. And so, I present to you, Thirteen & Finn.
Who is behind Thirteen and Finn?
I, Cortney Louge, am the doula behind Thirteen & Finn. I’m a late-20’s mom of two with a deep passion for prenatal education and options, advocacy for the birthing person in the care they receive, choices they have during their birthing experience, support during labor and birth, and providing a soft place to land for the birthing person and their partner or support person in their postpartum period.
Ultimately, my goal is to provide the birthing person with as much information as they desire for them to make the decision that is best for them. Then, my goal is to honor those choices and support them during your labor and birth experience as best fits for YOU!
Where and when does Thirteen and Finn provide support?
I provide support in all of the Central Ohio hospitals and/or home births.
But why create Thirteen & Finn?
In my time learning about the birth world in the United States, I’ve found that birthing people have seem to have lost their voice in their care and how they are “allowed” to labor and birth. I have learned birthing people are often told what will happen to them rather than providing educated options for the birthing person to choose what is best for them. I have observed birthing people approach labor and birth as a “speed bump” to parenthood, rather than an empowering experience worthy of embracing. Thirteen & Finn is here to help educate, support and encourage the birthing person as they experience this dramatic and rewarding rite of passage in life. Thirteen & Finn aims to provide more than just a birth support. Thirteen & Finn exists to support the birthing person in helping to make pregnancy, labor and birth everything they hoped it would be.
In my passion for prenatal education and birth support, I am deeply convicted of the great discrepancy in care, support and results of birth in vulnerable populations. Thirteen & Finn was born to play my part in “filling the gap” in care in groups with alarming birth statistics (such as infant or maternal mortality, low birth weight, preterm birth, etc) because of race, socioeconomic background, location, etc. Follow this page to learn more about the discrepancy in the birth world among these populations and how the support of a birth doula can begin to close these gaps.
