What is a Birth Doula?
A Doula is a professional labor support specialist who works with both the mother and partner to help facilitate a calm, relaxing, supportive, and welcoming labor and delivery experience for the family to be. She understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman during labor. She offers a continuous presence during the birth in which she nurtures the mother, and offers physical comfort measures through breathing, relaxation, positioning, and movements. She also provides emotional support and encouragement, which every woman deserves.
A doula can bring forth an empathetic and realistic approach to labor. She is dependable, open, understanding, and offers continuous informational support. It is a Doula's goal to help protect the woman's memory of her birth and assist in facilitating communication between all parties involved.
A doula can bring forth an empathetic and realistic approach to labor. She is dependable, open, understanding, and offers continuous informational support. It is a Doula's goal to help protect the woman's memory of her birth and assist in facilitating communication between all parties involved.
What a Doula is NOT
A Doula is not a replacement for medical staff. She cannot offer medical advice or diagnoses, or perform clinical tasks such as vaginal exams or fetal heart-rate monitoring. Most importantly, a Doula is not your voice. She may assist in gathering information and educating the parents to be, but a Doula will not make any decisions on behalf of the family.
A Doula's work should ultimately be to compliment the work of the medical team. The main goal of the medical staff is to ensure a safe delivery, and a Doula is there for encouragement, support, and empowerment. The two teams work together to strive for a safe and positive outcome for mother, baby, and partner.
A Doula's work should ultimately be to compliment the work of the medical team. The main goal of the medical staff is to ensure a safe delivery, and a Doula is there for encouragement, support, and empowerment. The two teams work together to strive for a safe and positive outcome for mother, baby, and partner.
Benefits
Statistics show that women who received support during labor and childbirth had a reduction in the following areas:
And most importantly, women and their partners report feeling better informed and educated, more in control, more at east, and confident in the birth process.
- 50% reduction in Cesarean procedures
- 60% reduction in epidural requests
- 40% reduction in oxytocin use
- 30% reduction in analgesic use
- 40% reduction in forceps delivery
- 25% shorter labor
And most importantly, women and their partners report feeling better informed and educated, more in control, more at east, and confident in the birth process.
