What is a Birth Doula?
The word “doula” originates in ancient Greece and means “woman’s servant.” A birth doula is someone trained and experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the laboring woman before, during and just after childbirth.
Clinical studies have found that a doula’s presence at birth can result in shorter labors with fewer complications, and can reduce the need for interventions, such as induction, forceps, vacuum extraction, pain medication and epidurals, and cesarean section. Women tend to feel increased satisfaction with their birth experience, feel more positive and affectionate towards their babies, and experience less postpartum depression. Women and babies tend to have shorter hospital stays and breastfeeding is established more easily.
Doulas support laboring women with comfort measures such as massage, relaxation, and breathing techniques, and help to enhance communication between the woman and her care providers. A doula does not replace, but rather complements the role of the birth partner by helping them support the laboring mother. Doulas do not perform any clinical or medical tasks, such as monitoring of blood pressure, temperature, and fetal heart rate, or perform vaginal exams. Doulas do not speak on the behalf of, or make decisions for their clients. Rather, doulas ensure their clients' own voices are heard.
Clinical studies have found that a doula’s presence at birth can result in shorter labors with fewer complications, and can reduce the need for interventions, such as induction, forceps, vacuum extraction, pain medication and epidurals, and cesarean section. Women tend to feel increased satisfaction with their birth experience, feel more positive and affectionate towards their babies, and experience less postpartum depression. Women and babies tend to have shorter hospital stays and breastfeeding is established more easily.
Doulas support laboring women with comfort measures such as massage, relaxation, and breathing techniques, and help to enhance communication between the woman and her care providers. A doula does not replace, but rather complements the role of the birth partner by helping them support the laboring mother. Doulas do not perform any clinical or medical tasks, such as monitoring of blood pressure, temperature, and fetal heart rate, or perform vaginal exams. Doulas do not speak on the behalf of, or make decisions for their clients. Rather, doulas ensure their clients' own voices are heard.