I am writing this post to answer some of the most common questions that I have been asked so many times.
"What is a doula?" "What does a doula do?" "Do I need a doula?" "Isn't that the dads job?" And the one I love the best, "Is that a real job?"
What is a doula?
A doula is a professional, trained in childbirth, who provides emotional, physical, and educational support to a mother who is expecting, is experiencing labor, or has recently given birth. The doula’s purpose is to help women have a safe, memorable, and empowering birthing experience.
What does a doula do?
Before labor, the doula provides the mother with information and resources to research her birth choices through phone calls and prenatal appointments.
During labor, provides continuous emotional and physical support.
Uses comfort techniques like massage, suggesting different positions, and helping with relaxation breathing.
Accommodates the mother’s wishes to the best extent possible for the birth environment.
Encourages the mother to communicate with her doctor and to be informed about any procedures and interventions (a doula does NOT give medical advice or interfere with the doctor/mother relationship)
Do I need a doula?
The simple answer is yes, and I will explain why.
For starters, you need a doula because doulas are good at presenting all of your available options and helping you decide if the options are right for you.
An example: A hospital might offer wireless monitoring.
Unfortunately, some nurses do not know it is an available option or they are not trained to operate the equipment.  As a doula, I would inform my clients about this option. If I were not there to do so, they may not know it was even an option.
Another example: My client may want a birth ball upon being admitted to the hospital.
They may not know that hospitals generally do not have a birth ball for every room! A doula would naturally gather all available resources to allow her client the best options for her birth.
A doula will generally carries with her to every birth, among other things:
Robozo
Birth Ball
Massage Tools
Pressure Point Combs
Tens Unit
A doula is extensively trained and she makes this knowledge available to every client. I believe that the more knowledge a woman has access to, the more options she has.
See this quote from the American Pregnancy Association:
"Numerous studies have documented the benefits of having a doula present during labor. A recent Cochrane Review, Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth, showed a very high number of positive birth outcomes when a doula was present. With the support of a doula, women were less likely to have pain-relief medications administered and less likely to have a cesarean birth. Women also reported having a more positive childbirth experience. Other studies have shown that having a doula as a member of the birth team decreases the overall cesarean rate by 50%, the length of labor by 25%, the use of oxytocin by 40%, and requests for an epidural by 60%."
Isn't that Dads job?
Yes it is! We would never take the support job away from the fathers/partners. On the contrary, we support fathers as well! We give partners the opportunity to support the mothers. We can remind dads to keep the lights and/or noises low. We can teach Dad comfort techniques. With a doula present, fathers can take a nap during a long birth or go grab something to eat so that way they can be at 100%. In this way, they will be able to support the mother better, which will also ensure that Dad gets the most out of the birthing experience as well.
Is being a doula a real job?
Yes, it is a real job! Being a Doula requires certification and we earn that with very extensive training. We often meet with our clients for 4-6 hours during pregnancy for prenatal appointments. When the mother goes into labor, we stay with them during the whole thing, often 12 or more hours, sometimes for as long as two or three days!
Doulas work very hard, for very long hours, it is absolutely a job and one that we love very much. It is a calling for most of us. It will never get you rich or famous and it can sometimes be grueling, but at the end of it, when we know that we have been there for a family, and that family has gotten the most out of their birthing experience possible, we feel the most rewarded. That is what it means to us and why so many of us feel called to it.
I hope that this post has answered some questions that you may have had about Doulas but if there was anything I missed, please don't hesitate to shoot me an email. I love hearing from you and I am always here to answer any questions you may have.
