what is a doula?
The word "doula" (pronounced doo-la) is a Greek word meaning "servant" or "caregiver". The modern sense of the word is "mothering the mother" during labor & birth. Through the ages, it was commonplace for women to support women during birth~as companions &/or Midwives. For a period of time, as men entered the scene, women were denied this vital support; this was a sad time in the history of birthing. More and more, women are looking for female labor companions~in addition to spouses. Assembling a birth team to honor the Mother's requests (barring any special circumstances) is the closest guarantee a family will get to having the birth experience they so desire.
The role of the Birth Doula is to provide constant support on all levels (emotionally, mentally, physically) to the expectant mother & her birth companion. Doulas are trained and experienced in childbirth and are often mothers themselves. They possess knowledge & awareness of female physiology in birth, offering a variety of comfort measures as a means of coping with labor effectively. It is important to accompany the expectant Mother to help ensure a safe & satisfying birth experience.
What Birth Doulas do NOT do:
What Birth Doulas DO do:
Given the epidemic of unnecessary inductions, with 1 in 3 women having a cesarean birth, it is important now more than ever to educate women and encourage each expectant Mom to find what works best for her, while remaining open to possibility. Understanding that there are long-term effects of traumatic birth experiences for the Mother, Father/Companion & Baby, one can view having a Birth Doula as a 'insurance policy' to honor birthing wishes and support an empowering, positively transformative experience.
The role of the Birth Doula is to provide constant support on all levels (emotionally, mentally, physically) to the expectant mother & her birth companion. Doulas are trained and experienced in childbirth and are often mothers themselves. They possess knowledge & awareness of female physiology in birth, offering a variety of comfort measures as a means of coping with labor effectively. It is important to accompany the expectant Mother to help ensure a safe & satisfying birth experience.
What Birth Doulas do NOT do:
- Doulas do not perform clinical tasks, such as taking blood pressure, assessing the baby's heart rate, or checking the progress of the cervix in labor
- They do not give medical advice, however they do work together with Parents to explore all options to ensure the best decisions have been made in each individual situation
- Doulas do not make decisions for the Parents or communicate with the medical staff with regards to your wishes, but they support each choice the Mother & her partner make
What Birth Doulas DO do:
- Give each family information about labor & birth to help them make informed choices, including exploring options of what to incorporate in a birth plan
- Help with questions to ask caregiver to ensure each Mother does what is best for her & her baby
- Provide emotional support during labor & birth
- Offer productive, effective ways for Father (or other Birth Companion) to work with Mother & birthing body
- Suggest different ways for Mother to move in labor, encourage change of position, sips of water or light snacks, etc
- Offer comfort measures including massage, counter-pressure, hot/cold packs, breathing techniques, relaxation to improve the Mother's ability to cope with each surge
- Hold space for laboring Mother & birth companion to get into their own rhythm within the natural process of labor
Given the epidemic of unnecessary inductions, with 1 in 3 women having a cesarean birth, it is important now more than ever to educate women and encourage each expectant Mom to find what works best for her, while remaining open to possibility. Understanding that there are long-term effects of traumatic birth experiences for the Mother, Father/Companion & Baby, one can view having a Birth Doula as a 'insurance policy' to honor birthing wishes and support an empowering, positively transformative experience.
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