Welcome to By Your Bedside. My name is tracy and one essential thing I learned from being in quarantine for well over a year is the importance of and need for human contact.

When someone you love is suddenly hospitalized on the other side of the country, your first instinct might be to drop everything and jump on a plane to be with them. But then reality sets in. You have a job, a family, pets, and/or other responsibilities that make it hard, if not impossible, to drop everything and go! The good news is that your loved one doesn't have to go through their hard time alone. And if you're the one who is suddenly hospitalized and your family lives far away, they might want to drop everything to be with you, but they have those responsibilities. Perhaps you no longer have family or you're estranged from your family. Whatever the circumstances, no one should have to be hospitalized or go through a medical procedure alone and frightened.

That's where By Your Bedside can help! By Your Bedside is a huge network of doulas -- people who are trained to help! Doulas primarily help people who are pregnant and giving birth, but in between birthing clients, doulas tend to have a lot of down time. Doulas are already familiar with local hospitals, are accustomed to hospital protocols, are used to sitting patiently and waiting to help when needed. They are the perfect solution to your problem!

Even if you can drop everything, it will still take some time to make arrangements at work and at home. It may take hours or days before you can arrived at your loved one's bedside. They shouldn't have to be alone while they wait for you to arrive! Doulas are ready and waiting to join your loved one in the hospital or, if you're the one in the hospital, to be with you until someone arrives to be with you or until the doula' presence is no longer needed.