What is a doula?
Giving birth is much, much more than simply a physical experience, it is hugely transformational and emotional for both mother and father.
Doulas are usually mothers themselves and are experienced and knowledgable about childbirth and also the highs and occasional lows that follow. They are advocates and a listening ear for pregnant women and labouring mums and when the family goes home with the new baby, the doula will support every member of the family unit, enabling them to approach this new life with confidence.
What does a birth doula do?
A doula is a woman specially trained to give emotional and practical suppport during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period, leading to more a satisfying and empowering experience and a decrease in interventions, caesareans, postnatal depression and an increase in breastfeeding success. More and more women and couples are choosing to have doula support.
Birth doulas have been used for decades in many countries but are relatively new here. They are becoming increasingly popular as the number of midwives has fallen and many midwives find they can be attending up to five births at the same time. It must be emphasised however that birth doulas are not substitute midwives, they are dedicated to supporting the family that has hired them but their role is not a medical one.
Research has shown that having a birth doula can:
- Shorten first time labour by 2 hours
- Decrease the need of a caesarean by 50%
- Decrease the need for pain medication
- Help fathers participate with confidence
- Increase success in breastfeeding
Here are some statistics:
no doula with doula
Caesarean 18% 8%
Forceps delivery 26% 8%
Epidural 55% 8%
Prolonged breastfeeding 29% 51%
How can I help?
The services I can offer vary greatly according to the needs of the mother-to-be / parents-to-be. My role has to be flexible to fit in with the given situation e.g. the type of support will differ for a first time mum to that of a woman who has children already. Every birth is unique and therefore every woman's experience is also unique.
Before the birth I will meet with the mother (or couple) at least twice face-to-face, and then be available by phone or for additional meetings if needed. I am always happy to listen to any worries or calm last minute panics. I can help pack for the hospital, suggest ways to make any older children feel included in the whole process and hopefully enable the mother to look forward with excitement to the birth. A bond between doula and client is essential and these meetings all help build a relationship of trust and understanding.
I will be on call for 2 weeks before the due date and 2 weeks after and can be called as soon as the mother goes into labour. I will be there as early as she feels she needs me and be as hands on or off as she feels comfortable with. During labour, I am able to offer help and suggestions on comfort measures such as breathing, relaxation, movement and positioning. I can also encourage the father to participate in the birth to a level at which he feels comfortable. My most important role is to provide nurturing, continuous support and reassurance, hopefully helping the mum have the birth she wants. I will support her throughout the labour - however long and am happy to attend either a home or hospital birth.
After the baby is born, I will follow up with a couple of postnatal visits to help the new mum settle at home, or alternatively I can be employed as a postnatal doula for a few weeks.
About partners...
Mothers have said that although their partners really wanted to be at the birth and be supportive coaches, they could see it was quite a stressful time for them too. The parents appreciated the doula being present as a calm third party, someone who'd been through it before and knew what was normal and was wasn't. Also they found that if the partner needed to step out for a while he didn't feel he was abandoning the labouring mum, he was supported by someone who would look after his needs too and needn't feel daunted by what was being asked of him in terms of endurance, diplomacy and general cheerleading! Midwives are often unable to be with the mother throughout her labour and to have someone else to share the support is a huge benefit to the father.
I am a member of Doula UK and registered with them as a trainee doula (www.doula.org.uk) and I trained with Nurturing Birth (www.nurturingbirth.co.uk). For more information about what a difference a doula can make, please visit either of these sites.