A doula has been trained to support a woman during the labor and delivery of
her child. This support can be an invaluable asset to a woman and her partner
during the pregnancy, birth and early postpartum weeks. A doula gives comfort
measures such as massage, words of encouragement , and suggestions for
positioning to ease the intensity of labor. A doula is someone who can give a
woman and her partner the resources needed to make educated decisions about the
birth of their child, whether that birth will be in a hospital, birthing center
or at home. The focus of a Doula remains on the mother and her partner during
the pregnancy and labor. This focused attention has proven to aide in the
reduction of cesarean births, the need for pain medication or other interventions
and has shown and increased bond between mother, child, and partner when a
doula was present at a birth.
A doula is not a medical professional. She will not provide clinical care such as examinations, fetal heart rate checks or anything related to the mother’s or infant’s care. That is still very much in the hands of the doctor or midwife. A doula only enhances the care a woman is given; it should never replace it. Doula’s do not make decisions for the mother. She can offer the materials necessary for the mother and her partner to make informed decisions for themselves. A doula will support the decisions of a mother, and should never let her personal beliefs get in the way of her professional obligation to the woman she is helping.
It is best to find a doula fairly early in pregnancy, so there time for the woman and her doula to become well acquainted with each other. The bond between doula and mother (and her partner) can make all the difference in having a satisfying birth experience.
A doula is not a medical professional. She will not provide clinical care such as examinations, fetal heart rate checks or anything related to the mother’s or infant’s care. That is still very much in the hands of the doctor or midwife. A doula only enhances the care a woman is given; it should never replace it. Doula’s do not make decisions for the mother. She can offer the materials necessary for the mother and her partner to make informed decisions for themselves. A doula will support the decisions of a mother, and should never let her personal beliefs get in the way of her professional obligation to the woman she is helping.
It is best to find a doula fairly early in pregnancy, so there time for the woman and her doula to become well acquainted with each other. The bond between doula and mother (and her partner) can make all the difference in having a satisfying birth experience.