What is a Doula?
A
birth doula is a woman trained and experienced in childbirth who provides
continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a mother
and her partner during labor, birth, and the immediate postpartum period.
Doulas work in homes, hospitals, and birth centers.
A Birth Doula:
• Recognizes childbirth as a key life experience that the mother
will remember her entire 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 plans for the birth
• Stays by the side of the laboring mother throughout the entire
labor and delivery
• Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures, and an
objective viewpoint; as well as helping the mother get the information
she needs to make well educated decisions
• Facilitates communication between the laboring mother, her partner,
and the clinical care providers.
Doulas Do Not:
• Perform clinical tasks such as blood pressure checks, fetal heart
checks, vaginal exams, and other such duties
• Make decisions for the woman and her partner
• Speak to the staff instead of the mother and her partner regarding
matters where decisions are being made! (Doulas can speak to the staff
members ONLY if you and your partner are not comfortable doing so)
• Discourage the mother from her choices.
• Have their own agendas. This is your birth.
Effects on Birth Outcomes:
• Labors are shorter by 25%.
• There are fewer complications.
• Cesarean rates are reduced by 50%.
• There is less need for pitocin to speed up labor by 40%.
• Use of forceps or vacuum extraction is reduced by 40%.
• Request for pain medication is reduced by 30%.
Effect on the Mother:
• Greater satisfaction with her child's birth
• More positive assessment of baby
• Less postpartum depression.
Effects on the Baby:
• Babies have shorter hospital stays and fewer admissions to special
care nurseries.
• Babies breastfeed more easily.
Effects on the Healthcare System:
• The cost of obstetrical care is dramatically reduced.
• Women are pleased with the personalized care doulas offer.