When my daughter was three she asked me what the difference was between a Midwife and a Doula.
I replied, "the Midwife catches the baby and the Doula holds the Mama's hand."
In all her three year old wisdom she replied, "Oh, so the mama won't be afraid." -Kyle Maclean |
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What Does a Doula Do?
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A Doula offers:
- Close contact throughout pregnancy to make sure all questions and concerns are addressed and answered
- Information on the risks and benefits of all tests and procedures offered during pregnancy and labor to ensure informed consent at all times
- Birth Plan counseling to help a woman identify her birth priorities
- Unlimited 24 hour telephone consultation and e-mail support
- Recommendations of resources, reading materials, and web site links
- Referrals to appropriate services as indicated on an individual basis.
- Preparation for the birth experience. A doula helps a woman to identify and express any fears or expectations about labor
- Continuous emotional support during entire labor and recovery. Including reassurance about the normalcy of labor, explanations of all medical interventions before they occur and the reasons they are necessary
- Prayer for the woman, her baby and her birth prenatally, during birth and in the post-partum period, if desired
- Positive assurances, encouragement, praise, affirmation, and empowering phrases
- Preserves and nurtures a positive birth memory
A Doula offers continuous physical support during entire labor and recovery including the following:
- Guided relaxation techniques (roving body check, breath awareness, etc.)
- Patterned breathing techniques (slow, light, patterned)
- Massage (deep, effleurage, acupressure, etc.)
- Attention focusing techniques (visualization, music, guided imagery, etc.)
- Birth Ball Use (sitting, leaning, swaying)
- Body Position Suggestions that promote labor and birth progress:
- Standing, leaning, slow dancing, walking, kneeling leaning forward, kneeling on one knee, sitting up, birth ball (sitting, leaning, swaying), lying down, side-lying, semi-reclining, supine with tilt to side, squatting, supported squat, lap squatting, the dangle, open knee-chest, closed knee-chest, lying semi-prone, etc.
- Movement suggestions that encourage correct fetal positioning:
- The lunge, pelvic rocking, abdominal lifting, abdominal stroking, stomp & squat, rhythmic motion, kegel, etc.
- Hot and Cold therapy
- Hydrotherapy
- Aromatherapy
- Specific Backache Comfort Measures:
- Counter-pressure, double hip squeeze, knee press, pelvic rocking, the lunge, abdominal lifting, hands and knees, etc.
- Reminders to urinate and hydrate frequently
- Pushing instruction that encourage proper fetal descent
- Support during recovery for any complication or side-effects
- Help with initial breastfeeding
- Post-partum visit to review birth and suggest any appropriate resources
- Post-partum help with any breastfeeding problems
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Benefits of a Doula
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Effects on the birth outcome:
- Labors are 25%-50% shorter (by an average of 98 minutes)
- There are fewer complications
- Cesarean rates are reduced by up to 51%
- There is a 40% less need for Pitocin to speed up labor
- Use of forceps is reduced by 57%
- Women request less or no pain medications and epidurals (30%-60%)
Effects on the parents:
- Women report greater satisfaction with childbirth and their abilities to be a good mother
- Mothers have more positive assessments of their babies
- Less postpartum depression
- 70% of couples were more satisfied with their relationship six weeks postpartum, compared to only 30% of couples without doulas
Effects on the baby:
- Newborns have shorter hospital stays and fewer admissions to special care nurseries
- Newborns breastfeed more easily
- Facilitates affectionate bonding between mother and child postpartum
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