What is a Doula?
A doula is a labor support professional who is trained to offer information, coaching, and comfort measures to women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum. She does not offer medical care, but plays a support role for the mother and her partner. The word doula literally means “A woman that serves.”
A doula can serve the expectant parents to the best of her ability, to help them achieve their plans for a birth experience they desire.
Won’t the nurses be there for me?
Most nurses are fairly busy with their duties with several patients, and sometimes labors run longer than your favorite nurse’s shift. They will say goodbye, quite cheerily, while you labor on. Studies have shown that continuous support has reduced labor lengths, reduced the need for pain medication, reduced the need for cesarean birth as well as other benefits. A doula will be there from the very itty-bitty hours of your beginning labor until the end. She will check in on you afterwards, and be there to phone after the birth.
She is not only there to support you, coach you on how to get through the discomforts of pregnancy, but also for your husband and family.
A doula will be there for you when you need it the most.
Will my husband feel replaced by a doula? Won’t he be enough support for me?
Many husbands are wonderful support for their wives in labor, but often some women do not realize the emotional strain it can put on a husband who is watching the woman he loves the most go through the experience of childbirth. A doula is not just there for the laboring mother, but also the father-to-be. Often, coaching a father on how to support his wife ends up bringing the two of them closer together.
Also, if a husband struggles with labor, but wants to support his wife, a doula can step in, allowing him to be just the husband for a time and not have the pressure of coaching her through every step of labor.
A doula can help a husband walk away feeling a he was a true part of the birth experience.
I want to have pain medication, so why would I want a doula?
There are many things about pain medication in labor that have pros and cons, but a labor support person has a role to play in a medicated labor as much as an unmedicated labor. A labor can progress in a smoother fashion (even in the instance that the mother is feeling no pain) with different positions, encouragement and other support during the labor thus reducing the risk of C-section, other interventions and complications.
A doula can reduce the risks that come along with interventions in labor and delivery.
I don’t have a lot of money, and paying a doula is really out of our budget. Can’t my friend or relative do the same thing for me?
There are some friends and relatives that can do a great job as a labor support person, and this is better than nothing, but there is something to be said for training! A doula undergoes training and workshops as well as continuing her education with constant study on the topic of different stages of pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, breastfeeding and more.
Cost can be an issue for many people, but one thing many people do not know is that some doulas have a sliding fee scale or offer other forms of payment such as trade/barter.
A doula can be a true confidant. She will set her life aside to be there to answer your questions. She will work very hard to help you to get the birth experience that you desire. Birth has many unexpected twists and turns, some of them beyond your control.
A doula can help you to have a more positive experience, in spite of the unpredictability that naturally comes with birth.
Further Reading:
What is a Doula?- http://www.dona.org/mothers/index.php
Having a Doula- http://americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/havingadoula.html
The difference a doula makes- http://birthwithoutfearblog.com/2013/01/05/the-difference-a-doula-makes-a-birth-story/
A doula can serve the expectant parents to the best of her ability, to help them achieve their plans for a birth experience they desire.
Won’t the nurses be there for me?
Most nurses are fairly busy with their duties with several patients, and sometimes labors run longer than your favorite nurse’s shift. They will say goodbye, quite cheerily, while you labor on. Studies have shown that continuous support has reduced labor lengths, reduced the need for pain medication, reduced the need for cesarean birth as well as other benefits. A doula will be there from the very itty-bitty hours of your beginning labor until the end. She will check in on you afterwards, and be there to phone after the birth.
She is not only there to support you, coach you on how to get through the discomforts of pregnancy, but also for your husband and family.
A doula will be there for you when you need it the most.
Will my husband feel replaced by a doula? Won’t he be enough support for me?
Many husbands are wonderful support for their wives in labor, but often some women do not realize the emotional strain it can put on a husband who is watching the woman he loves the most go through the experience of childbirth. A doula is not just there for the laboring mother, but also the father-to-be. Often, coaching a father on how to support his wife ends up bringing the two of them closer together.
Also, if a husband struggles with labor, but wants to support his wife, a doula can step in, allowing him to be just the husband for a time and not have the pressure of coaching her through every step of labor.
A doula can help a husband walk away feeling a he was a true part of the birth experience.
I want to have pain medication, so why would I want a doula?
There are many things about pain medication in labor that have pros and cons, but a labor support person has a role to play in a medicated labor as much as an unmedicated labor. A labor can progress in a smoother fashion (even in the instance that the mother is feeling no pain) with different positions, encouragement and other support during the labor thus reducing the risk of C-section, other interventions and complications.
A doula can reduce the risks that come along with interventions in labor and delivery.
I don’t have a lot of money, and paying a doula is really out of our budget. Can’t my friend or relative do the same thing for me?
There are some friends and relatives that can do a great job as a labor support person, and this is better than nothing, but there is something to be said for training! A doula undergoes training and workshops as well as continuing her education with constant study on the topic of different stages of pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, breastfeeding and more.
Cost can be an issue for many people, but one thing many people do not know is that some doulas have a sliding fee scale or offer other forms of payment such as trade/barter.
A doula can be a true confidant. She will set her life aside to be there to answer your questions. She will work very hard to help you to get the birth experience that you desire. Birth has many unexpected twists and turns, some of them beyond your control.
A doula can help you to have a more positive experience, in spite of the unpredictability that naturally comes with birth.
Further Reading:
What is a Doula?- http://www.dona.org/mothers/index.php
Having a Doula- http://americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/havingadoula.html
The difference a doula makes- http://birthwithoutfearblog.com/2013/01/05/the-difference-a-doula-makes-a-birth-story/
This article was written by:
Martha Artyomenko- CD-DONA –Kalispell, MT
http://laborpainzsupport.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Labor-Support-Services/433940003350261?fref=ts
Martha Artyomenko- CD-DONA –Kalispell, MT
http://laborpainzsupport.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Labor-Support-Services/433940003350261?fref=ts
