What is a Doula? Is a Doula Right for me?
~Recognizes birth as a key life experience, understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor….
~Assists the woman and the partner in preparing for and carrying out her plans for the birth…
~Stays by the side of the laboring woman throughout the labor with no change in shift…
~Provides continuous emotional support, practical comfort measures, an objective viewpoint, & information to aid decision-making…
~Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner, and clinical care providers…
~Complements the care provided by the woman’s partner and birth attendants…
~Protects and nurtures the memory of the birth experience because she understands the impact birth has on a woman’s life…
*The endorsement of Doulas in maternity care is growing rapidly with the recognition of their important contribution to the improved physical outcomes, and emotional well-being of mothers and infants. Studies show that the support of a trained doula can:
~reduce the cesarean rate by 50%,
~decrease the need for medication by 30%,
~shorten the length of labor by 25%,
~enhances maternal satisfaction, and increases breastfeeding success.
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Benefits of Continuous Doula Support in Labor
(includes data from wide variety of Medical, Cultural, & economic settings)
~Reduction in analgesia by 35%
~Reduction in oxytocin augmentation by 71%
~Reduction in use of forceps by 57%
~Reduction in cesarean sections by 51%
~Reduction in length of labor (by an average of 98 minutes)
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Combined Data from Five North American Trials
(middle class women who were also accompanied by loved ones)
~Reduction in epidural use by 16%
~Reduction in forceps and vacuum extractor deliveries by 32%
~Reduction in cesarean deliveries by 21%
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What’s a doula?
A birth doula is a trained labor coach who assists you during labor and delivery. She provides you with continuous emotional support, as well as assistance with other non-medical aspects of your care.
You can also hire a postpartum doula to come to your home after the birth to help you settle in with your new baby.
What are the advantages of having a birth doula?
A doula helps you before labor and delivery by answering your questions about what to expect, easing your fears, helping you develop a birth plan, and generally getting you ready for the arrival of your baby.
During labor and delivery, a doula provides constant, knowledgeable support. She can make suggestions about positions during labor, help you with breathing through contractions, and provide massage. She can also answer questions you and your partner have about what’s happening.
It’s impossible to predict or control how birth and labor will go. Will you connect emotionally with your labor and delivery nurse, and will she have time for you? How will you react to the pain? Will you have a swift delivery or a long, drawn-out labor? How will your husband or partner hold up under the pressure?
Faced with these uncertainties, many women find enormous reassurance in having a doula by their side. Research has found that women who have continuous one-on-one support during labor tend to use pain medication less often, have slightly shorter labors, and are less likely to have a c-section or a forceps or vacuum-assisted delivery. In fact, if you’re serious about trying to give birth without pain medication, a doula may be your best ally.
Women who have continuous support are also more likely to report being satisfied with their birth experience. One theory is that mothers who have continuous support produce lower levels of stress hormones during labor than women left alone or attended by inexperienced coaches.
If you’re seeing a midwife in a low-volume hospital practice, or planning to give birth at a birth center or at home, you’re likely to have continuous one-on-one support from your midwife.
If you have your baby at a hospital, it’s likely to be a different story — and hiring a doula may be the only way to make sure an experienced coach will be with you throughout labor.
In a typical hospital setting, doctors and some midwives don’t stay in the room with you continuously during labor. Labor-and-delivery nurses often have to split their time between several patients, and they come and go according to their shifts.
What’s it like to have support from a doula during labor?
Everyone’s experience is different, of course, but here’s one woman’s story of a doula-assisted labor:
“Hiring a doula is like hiring somebody who’s there just for you. When I went into labor, our doula met us at the hospital. Eighteen babies were born in the hospital that day, so our labor and delivery nurse was quite happy to have someone else there to provide emotional support and help make me more comfortable.
“Having the doula gave me enormous confidence, plus it took the pressure off my husband. He was able to relax and enjoy the experience. The doula showed him some acupressure techniques he wanted to try.
“She locked eyes with me and helped me breathe through my contractions, making suggestions about moving around and trying different pain management techniques. She could read my body signals perfectly, and knew when I was in transition (when I got sick, a pan magically materialized). She helped me remember to drink fluids and communicate my needs to the nurses.
“When it was time to push, the doula put warm washcloths on my perineum and locked eyes with me again, which was absolutely critical.
“I couldn’t have done it without her. She made me fearless, and the lack of fear is what gets you through the pain without drugs. I had complete confidence in her. If I had been looking at my husband and saying, ‘Help me through this,’ it just wouldn’t have been the same.”
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How do I find a doula?
If you’re looking for a doula, try these resources:
- The Lotus Project. A local Missoula non-profit resource & education center located at 736a S. First St. W. Missoula, MT. For more information on doula meetings and future classes find us on Facebook or visit:
www.thelotusprojectmt.org
- The Missoula Doula Network. A local Missoula program run through The Lotus Project that offers free monthly “Meet the Doula Nights” where you can learn more about the benefits of having a doula at your birth, and have the opportunity to meet and set up interviews with some of your own local doulas! Also find a printable list on The Lotus Project website or find us on Facebook!
- Doulas of North America (DONA). The organization has a referral finder on its website.
- Check with the Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators (ALACE) by calling (888) 222-5223
- Visit the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA)website, or call (888) 692-2772
*Finally, you can ask your childbirth education instructor, midwife, doctor, or friends for a referral. Word of mouth can be the best local way to find birth professional in your area! Support Local!
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