What is a Doula?
"Doula"
is derived from a Greek word which has evolved to describe
a woman who attends other women through labor and childbirth.
Doulas are trained and experienced in childbirth and provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support during labor, birth and the immediate postpartum period. A doula's goal is to help the woman have a safe and satisfying experience as the woman defines it.
The
concept of a Doula is not new. Women supporting other women through labor is an ageless tradition common to all cultures. . It has only been recently that, the knowledge between generations of birthing women has been broken. Since many of us do not live in close knit communities where our sisters, mothers, aunts, and friends teach and support us through pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood, these life events can be scary and uncertain.
A doula fills this gap by providing support to a woman and her support system throughout the childbearing year. A doula does not replace the support person(s); instead she helps support them so that they can focus on loving and encouraging the laboring woman. Supports need support to!
Doulas also serve as a source of evidence based information during pregnancy, labor and birth. A doula assists families in gathering information about their labor and the options available. Another important role of the doula is providing continuous emotional reassurance, physical comfort such as massage, and trusting in the woman's ability to birth her baby.
| Doulas
Make a Difference!
Recent
controlled trials involving over 1000 women demonstrate
that the presence of a Doula results in:
- 50%
decrease in cesarean sections
- 25%
decrease in length of labor
- 30%
decrease in use of forceps
- 40%
decrease in use of Pitocin
- 60%
decrease in use of epidurals
- 30%
decrease in use of narcotic pain medication
|
Do
You Need a Doula?
Even with a caring partner, family support, and the care of a doctor or midwife, will he or she:
- Come to your home and labor with you until it's time to go to the hospital or birthing center and then stay with you continuously until the baby is born?
- Provide advanced labor techniques such as massage or acupressure?
- Provide prenatal visits in your home?
- Help you develop a "birth plan"?
- Provide the encouragement you need while you are in transition and when the baby is being born?
- Take notes during labor and provide you with a written record of birth?
- Take photographs of you and your support person(s) during the labor and with your new baby?
- Help you with breastfeeding?
If
the answer to any of these questions is "NO"... you need
(and deserve) a Doula! For more information, call Doulas Supporting
Teens (541) 344-1091 |
