Using a Doula

Have you ever considered of using a Doula for your birth? Do you know what a doula is and is not?

Have you ever spoken to someone who used a labor Doula?

You are at the right place: we are here to help you determine if using a doula would benefit you and your baby, and we believe that indeed it would.

What is a Doula?

Doulas are advocates and listening ears for you - the birthing mother - as well as a helper to your baby's father.

A Doula, usually a woman, is educated and knowledgeable about childbirth and the postpartum experience - the time after the birth.

What a Doula Does?

A Doula accompanies you in labor and is there to "mother the laboring mother" - you - in order to take care of your emotional and some of your physical needs throughout childbirth.

Benefits Of Using A Doula

A Doula provides support and suggestions that can enhance your experience of birth.

The skills that they develop are medically proven to make a true difference in your experience of birth.

Indeed, in a study published in JAMA - the Journal of the American Medical Association - Doctors J. Kennell, M. Klaus, S. McGrath, S. Robertson and C. Hinkley found that:

A growing body of research shows that using a doula has clear benefits for you and your family during childbirth and postpartum, with no known risks.

The value of providing you with continuous emotional support, physical comfort, and encouragement has been recognized worldwide.

According to the World Health Organization, a doula provides:

A report from The Medical Leadership Council in Washington D.C. shows that:

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada says:

There are numerous studies on the effects of support during labor.

Considering outcomes reported in at least 4 studies - involving a minimum of 1,000 women - laboring mothers who received continuous support were less likely than women who did not to:

Laboring moms receiving continuous support were more likely than those who did not to give birth spontaneously - that is, with neither cesarean nor vacuum extraction nor forceps.

Midwives And Doulas

If you are having a birth with a midwife, it is true she will provide you with a lot of support...

...but they often need to perform technical/medical procedures that can distract their attention from you during labor and after the birth of your baby.

In Conclusion of Using a Doula

Using a Doula has many benefits and no adverse effects.

Continuous support during labor should be the norm, rather than the exception. Doulas - either birth doulas or postpartum doulas - provide that support.

All laboring moms should be allowed and encouraged to have a supportive team with them continuously during labor and after the birth.

And that most certainly includes you!

How Do You Become a Doula?

Check out these organizations: DONA, ALACE and CAPPA.