What does a Doula do?

Sorry I haven't posted lately. Life has been busy. My oldest son is at the end of football season and my daughter has been super busy with girl scouts. So finding time lately has been hard.

However I have been thinking a lot about what to write for my next blog entry. I was kind of all over the place with ideas. That was until I had a parent teacher conference for my oldest son. One of his teachers told me that my son tried to explain what it is that I do. She had never heard of a doula and ended up googling it to find out more information. At the conference she asked me if I could come in and talk to her more about it. It was then that I realize how many people don't really know what a Doula is.

There are a lot of people that get a doula mixed up with a midwife. So I thought that it might be good to explain. 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. Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.

As a birth doula we have key things we focus on. Here are a few: Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life. Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor. Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth. Stays with the woman throughout the labor. Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decision. Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care providers. Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of the birth experience. Allows the woman's partner to participate at his/her comfort level.

Studies have shown that the presence of a doula improves birth in the following ways:

• 50% reduction in cesarean birth
• 30% reduction in requests for pain medication
• 60% fewer requests for epidural anesthesia
• 25% decrease in the length of labor
• Lower post partum rate for mothers
• Increased breast feeding success
• Greater overall satisfaction from the mother about her birth

More significantly, women and their partners feel more in control, better informed, educated, more at ease and confident in the birth process when an effective labor support person is nearby.
Postpartum Support Statistics
Research shows that families who received support during the fourth trimester - after the birth of the baby - had a reduction in the following areas:

• Postpartum Mood Disorders such as Postpartum Depression
• problems associated with breastfeeding such as latch (regardless of nipple type), milk production, breast infections and other unforeseen issues
• problems with older sibling adjustment
• feeling of disorder or feeling "out of control" during the postpartum period

So I hope that this can give you some insite as do what a doula does. If you have any questions please get in touch with me. A doula can really make a huge difference in your birth experience.