What
is a Doula?
A birth doula is a trained labor support person who provides emotional
and physical support to a laboring woman and her partner. While she is
not a medical professional, she can offer a wide range of comfort measures
during labor - from massage to aromatherapy to continuous reassurance
and coping techniques.
A Birth Doula:
Recognizes
childbirth as a key life experience that the mother will remember
all er life.
Understands
the psychology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman
in labor.
Assists
the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying
out their plans for the birth.
Stays
by the side of the woman throughout the entire 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 decisions.
Facilitates
communication between the laboring woman, her partner,
and clinical care providers.
Perceives
her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory
of the birth experience.
The Benefits of a Doula
are:
Reduction
of the Caesarean rate by 50%
Reduction
in the length of labor by 25%
Oxytocin
use is reduced by 40%
A
30% reduction in requests for pain medication
Forceps
use is reduced by 40%
Requests
for epidurals are reduced by 60%
Increased
breastfeeding success
Reduction
in medical costs
Enhances
the role of the father
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A Doula does NOT:
Provide
clinical or medical care for mother or baby such as taking
blood pressure or temperature, fetal heart tones, vaginal
exams, or postpartum clinical care.
Speak
for the mother or her family.
Disregard
the mother or her wishes
Take
the place of any other partner the mother may have.
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From Mothering the Mother:
How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier and Healthier
Birth by Marshall H. Klaus (Perseus Press, 1993)
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