“Attending births is like growing roses. You have to marvel at the ones that just open up and bloom at the first kiss of the sun but you wouldn’t dream of pulling open the petals of the tightly closed buds and forcing them to blossom to your time line.”
-Gloria Lemay

What is a DOULA?

The Greek word Doula means woman caregiver. We now use the word to describe a trained and experienced labor companion who provides the woman and her husband or partner continuous emotional support, physical comfort and assistance in obtaining information before, during and just after childbirth.

A birth Doula

• Recognizes birth as a key life experience that the mother will remember all her life
• Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
• Assists the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for birth
• Stays by the side of the laboring woman throughout the entire labor
• Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures, an objective viewpoint, and assistance to the woman and her partner in getting the information she needs to make informed decisions
• Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner, and clinical care providers
• Perceives her role as one who nurtures and protects the woman’s memory of her birth experience?

Why hire a Doula?

You may wonder why you would need a Doula when you have such a wonderful midwife or doctor.
Consider this:
• Your Doula is available by phone or email 24/7 no matter what
• She is with you from the time you invite her to your labor and stays until you are settled in with your baby.
• She also makes one postpartum visit to your home.
• She can help initiation and continuation of breastfeeding
• She is there to do all the miscellaneous tasks: massaging you, getting wet wash clothes to cool you, guiding your partner to help you, getting your partner coffee or a snack while you are getting examined, help hold your legs, and keep your hair out of your face.

Your care provider is great and a Doula is not there to take his/her place. She is part of your team to help bring your baby into the world.

Benefits:

The presence of a doula can lead to
• shorter labors with fewer complications
• less requests for pain medications including epidurals
• decreased use of Pitocin to stimulate labor
• decreased use of forceps/vacuum extraction
• lower rates of cesarean birth
• decreased perception of pain during labor
• increased satisfaction with the birth experience

The long term benefits of doula labor support include
• Less anxiety and depression
• More confidence with baby and partner
• Improved breastfeeding
• Greater maternal satisfaction
• Better mother-infant interaction
• Decreased post-partum depression

Limitations of Practice:

As a Doula, I do not
• Perform clinical tasks such as blood pressure, fetal monitoring, and vaginal exams. I am there to provide physical comfort, emotional support, and advocacy.
• Make decisions for you. I will assist you in getting the information needed to make an informed decision and I will remind you of your birth plan if decisions being made will alter your plans.
• Speak to medical staff regarding matters where decisions need to be made. I will discuss your concerns with you and suggest options but you and/or your partner will speak on your behalf to medical staff.