Doula Support
What a doula provides
A birth doula is a person trained and experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a laboring person before, during, and immediately following childbirth. Doulas provide information, suggestions, and resources preparing clients for the birth experience. A doula supports families through all types of birth experiences protecting the birthing space and helping their clients emerge from birth feeling positive, empowered, and confident that they had the information needed to make the right choices for themselves and their baby.
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Recognize birth as a unique experience the birthing person will remember all their life
Understand the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a person in labor
Assist families in preparing for and carrying out their plans for birth
Stay with the parents throughout the labor
Provide emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as help the family get information needed to make informed decisions
Facilitate communication between the birthing person, partners, and care providers
Nurtures and protects the parents’ memories of the birth experience
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Offer education, companionship and nonjudgmental support during the postpartum fourth trimester
Assist with newborn care, family adjustment, meal preparation and light housework
Offer evidence-based information on infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from birth, infant soothing and coping skills for new parents and makes appropriate referrals when necessary
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A doula does not perform medical tasks, such as performing cervical exams, listening to baby’s heartbeat or diagnosing breastfeeding problems. There are incredible doctors, nurses, midwives, and lactation professionals who are there to provide clinical care the laboring person and baby. A doula does not take the place of a birthing person’s partner.
Evidence based practice
The word “doula” comes from the ancient Greek meaning “a woman who serves” and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Clinical studies have shown that a doula’s presence at birth:
Tends to result in shorter labors with fewer complications
Reduces the need for interventions such as pitocin, episiotomy, and forceps or vacuum extraction
Reduces the need for cesarean sections
Reduces the mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals
Other benefits include:
Greater success with breastfeeding
Easier transition into parenthood
Research evidence shows that the quality services of a postpartum doula can ease the transition that comes with the addition of a baby to a family, improve parental satisfaction and reduce the risk of mood disorders.
Higher levels of confidence in partners as coaches
Increased maternal sense of satisfaction in the birth
Overall sense of well-being following delivery
Why Hire a Doula?
The average labor and delivery nurse spends only fifteen minutes offering physical comfort measures, providing emotional support, or advocating for patients. Even at a home-birth, a midwife’s primary concern is the birthing person’s health as labor progresses. A doula provides a knowledgeable and experienced person who is there solely to support the birthing person, and stays throughout the birth. Different from a friend, a doula is more objective and trained in support measures to redreduce pain and speed up labor progress.
Studies have shown that the continuous presence of a caring, experienced person can reduce the length of labor, the use of pain medication, the need for intravenous oxytocin to stimulate stronger contractions, the likelihood of having an episiotomy, the percentage of instrumental vaginal deliveries, and the C-section rate.
People who have a doula experience less anxiety in labor, express greater satisfaction with their birth, and feel that they coped better. They can have more positive feelings toward the baby, better self-esteem, and less postpartum depression.
A doula will enhance rather than detract from the birth partner’s participation. Partners and close relatives are the best people to provide love and comfort to a laboring woman. A doula often provides support, guidance, and resources to the partner during labor so they are best able to provide care and support to the mother.
