What Is A Doula?
A doula is best summed up in the word Support.
The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek
meaning "a woman who serves”.
The support doulas offer women are emotional support, informational
support, and physical support during the entirely
or your labor and delivery. They also provide support in the form of prenatal
visits to help you prepare for your labor and delivery before labor along with
advocacy and partner support during labor, and breastfeeding support and
postpartum visits after labor. Doulas support you no matter what you choose to
do or not do.
Studies show that women who have a doula attend them in
childbirth have labors that are shorter with fewer complications, babies are
healthier and they breastfeed more easily.
Prenatal Visits
Support in the form of prenatal visits to help you prepare
for your upcoming birth. These visits include: help writing a birth plan,
discussing what your wishes are for your birth, and help understanding labor
and birth.
Informational Support
As a doula I provide you with help gathering information so
that you can make informed decisions about your labor and birth of your baby. I
offer advice about your options during labor and delivery, and offer
explanations for these terms and procedures.
Emotional Support
As a doula I offer a continuous presence during labor,
encouragement for the parents to be and/or the woman’s choice of birth partner,
reassurance that what is happening is normal, feedback and praise. I act like a
road map for you and your partner during the process of birth.
Physical Support
As a doula I provide comfort measures such as: massage, counter
pressure, positioning, comfort in labor using a rebozo, relaxation methods,
birth ball techniques, aroma therapy, hot/cold therapy, mobility and other non-medical
forms of pain/stress relief.
Partner Support
As a doula I do not take the place of your partner. I offer
role modeling and/or advice on how the partner can better help and be involved
at their own comfort level and help them understand the woman and where she is
emotionally and physically at that point of labor. I am support for the partner
just as much as I am support for the mother and foster the relationship and
experience the couple is sharing.
Advocacy
As a doula I offer to help interpret the woman’s wishes and
needs to the hospital staff and/or woman’s partner and family.
Breastfeeding
Support, Postpartum Support
As a doula I offer help with first latch, positioning and
breastfeeding at the hospital right after birth. I also provide 1-2 postpartum
visits after you go home to talk about your experience and answer any questions
you might have about you birth and breastfeeding.
