What is a doula?
A doula is a trained labor professional who provides support during labor and birthing. The word doula comes from the Greek, meaning “with woman.”
What help do you give as a labor doula?
I provide emotional, physical, and informational care throughout the entire course of labor. I can give you information about labor and birth to help you make informed choices, reminding you of what you have learned in classes and of your desires for labor and birthing. I provide emotional support in the form of encouragement and constant presence. I can give you suggestions to help your individual labor progress well and help you have a healthy birth. I support you physically with comfort techniques, such massage and counter pressure. I also support your partner, giving him suggestions and help for taking an active role in your labor support, allowing him to take breaks, and giving him informational and emotional reassurance regarding the birthing process. I will help you labor at home if you desire. I may also help you know when to go to the hospital or birthing center, or when to call the midwife.
What support do you not give as a labor doula?
A doula never provides medical care. I am however trained in medical interventions and can explain how they work as well as the pros and cons.
I do not replace your partner; instead I support the couple. I will help as much or as little as the couple desires. Your partner has emotional investment in you; a doula usually does not. This is both a pro and a con. Your partner’s emotional investment in you allows him to truly understand you and provide care. A doula’s lack of emotional ties allows her to be objective and unbiased in your care.
What are the benefits of having a doula? From The Doula Book (Klaus, Kennell, Klaus).
“In studies of over 5000 women involving comparisons of outcomes with and without such support [as a doula], we have seen a major reduction in the length of labor, a greater than 50 percent drop in cesarean sections, [and] a remarkable drop in the mothers’ need for pain medication.”
Why can’t I just rely on my doctor for everything?
You can, and you should, rely on your doctor for medical advice.
Unfortunately, many doctors don’t seem to have the time necessary for support. Are your prenatal visits less than 30 minutes? Do you have long wait times to see the doctor? If these are YES, then you probably have unanswered questions. Most simply don’t have the time to address basic needs such as what you eat, how you manage stress, or how you plan to arrange life post-partum.
Many women find that their doctor is not present during labor. Most doctors do not come until the pushing stage. Your doctor may not be on-call when you go into labor, and someone you may never have met may be catching your baby.
A doula is the only trained professional who will be present with you throughout your labor, birthing, and early postpartum period.
Aren’t the nurses there to help me? What about my husband/partner?
Yes, the nurses are there to help you, but the help they may be able to provide might not be what you need or expect. Nurses are responsible for a number of patients, limiting their time to spend individually with you. Additionally, their responsibilities also include a variety of clinical tasks and paperwork. A nurse will certainly help you when she is able, but you will likely find you need information, comfort, and support “NOW” rather than when the nurse is finished with another laboring mother.
As for husbands and partners – while many men feel confident before labor begins, they often find this confidence wanes as labor progresses. They may resent the fact that they have to put aside their own needs and fears to support a laboring woman. Additionally, most men lack the experience and training necessary to continually provide comfort, support, and coping techniques required for a laboring woman. Many men, no matter how well trained in childbirth education classes, find recall and actual practice of techniques more difficult than they imagined.
It is normal for men to feel this way, and doulas are there to both validate the partner’s feelings and give him the support to in turn support his partner, the laboring mother. A doula can offer the informational and emotional support the partner needs. Some partners become overwhelmed just when the laboring mother needs to most support; a doula can allow him to take a quick break while still meeting the laboring mother’s needs.
What if I want an epidural? Are you going to try to make me feel bad or talk down to me?
No! I firmly believe that each woman (and couple) needs to make the choices they are most comfortable with at the present time. I feel my job is to help you make an informed choice – I want you to know and understand all the benefits and risks “common” procedures (such as epidurals and IVs) have.
I do support natural, unmedicated childbirth, and I feel that every woman is more than capable of having that kind of birth. But I won’t think you’re a failure if you don’t have an unmedicated birth. The thing I believe is most important is a safe, satisfying, healthy birth. Some women have it with epidurals, some don’t. Some women have it with natural childbirth, some don’t.
How do you feel about hospital birth? Do you think all women should have home births?
I operate fully under ICEA’s motto of “freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives.” Therefore, I fully support women and families in the choices they make in childbirth from elective cesarean to home birth, whether I would personally make the same decision or not.
I fully support home birth. I also fully support each family as they make the decision of birthing location based on both the knowledge of facts and personal needs and comfort levels. Many women in the United States choose to birth in a hospital or birthing center.
Is doula support covered by insurance?
Usually no. However, some families have been able to use funds from their health savings accounts for doula services. Most families find that doula services are worth the price.
I offer payment plans for my services. I also offer some services at an add-on price. However, all basic doula services – prenatal visits, on-call period, labor and birthing support, postpartum visit, and phone/email consultation – are included in the basic price.
Also, because I am currently in the process of certification through ICEA, I offer my services at a lower price than a certified doula.
A doula is a trained labor professional who provides support during labor and birthing. The word doula comes from the Greek, meaning “with woman.”
What help do you give as a labor doula?
I provide emotional, physical, and informational care throughout the entire course of labor. I can give you information about labor and birth to help you make informed choices, reminding you of what you have learned in classes and of your desires for labor and birthing. I provide emotional support in the form of encouragement and constant presence. I can give you suggestions to help your individual labor progress well and help you have a healthy birth. I support you physically with comfort techniques, such massage and counter pressure. I also support your partner, giving him suggestions and help for taking an active role in your labor support, allowing him to take breaks, and giving him informational and emotional reassurance regarding the birthing process. I will help you labor at home if you desire. I may also help you know when to go to the hospital or birthing center, or when to call the midwife.
What support do you not give as a labor doula?
A doula never provides medical care. I am however trained in medical interventions and can explain how they work as well as the pros and cons.
I do not replace your partner; instead I support the couple. I will help as much or as little as the couple desires. Your partner has emotional investment in you; a doula usually does not. This is both a pro and a con. Your partner’s emotional investment in you allows him to truly understand you and provide care. A doula’s lack of emotional ties allows her to be objective and unbiased in your care.
What are the benefits of having a doula? From The Doula Book (Klaus, Kennell, Klaus).
“In studies of over 5000 women involving comparisons of outcomes with and without such support [as a doula], we have seen a major reduction in the length of labor, a greater than 50 percent drop in cesarean sections, [and] a remarkable drop in the mothers’ need for pain medication.”
Why can’t I just rely on my doctor for everything?
You can, and you should, rely on your doctor for medical advice.
Unfortunately, many doctors don’t seem to have the time necessary for support. Are your prenatal visits less than 30 minutes? Do you have long wait times to see the doctor? If these are YES, then you probably have unanswered questions. Most simply don’t have the time to address basic needs such as what you eat, how you manage stress, or how you plan to arrange life post-partum.
Many women find that their doctor is not present during labor. Most doctors do not come until the pushing stage. Your doctor may not be on-call when you go into labor, and someone you may never have met may be catching your baby.
A doula is the only trained professional who will be present with you throughout your labor, birthing, and early postpartum period.
Aren’t the nurses there to help me? What about my husband/partner?
Yes, the nurses are there to help you, but the help they may be able to provide might not be what you need or expect. Nurses are responsible for a number of patients, limiting their time to spend individually with you. Additionally, their responsibilities also include a variety of clinical tasks and paperwork. A nurse will certainly help you when she is able, but you will likely find you need information, comfort, and support “NOW” rather than when the nurse is finished with another laboring mother.
As for husbands and partners – while many men feel confident before labor begins, they often find this confidence wanes as labor progresses. They may resent the fact that they have to put aside their own needs and fears to support a laboring woman. Additionally, most men lack the experience and training necessary to continually provide comfort, support, and coping techniques required for a laboring woman. Many men, no matter how well trained in childbirth education classes, find recall and actual practice of techniques more difficult than they imagined.
It is normal for men to feel this way, and doulas are there to both validate the partner’s feelings and give him the support to in turn support his partner, the laboring mother. A doula can offer the informational and emotional support the partner needs. Some partners become overwhelmed just when the laboring mother needs to most support; a doula can allow him to take a quick break while still meeting the laboring mother’s needs.
What if I want an epidural? Are you going to try to make me feel bad or talk down to me?
No! I firmly believe that each woman (and couple) needs to make the choices they are most comfortable with at the present time. I feel my job is to help you make an informed choice – I want you to know and understand all the benefits and risks “common” procedures (such as epidurals and IVs) have.
I do support natural, unmedicated childbirth, and I feel that every woman is more than capable of having that kind of birth. But I won’t think you’re a failure if you don’t have an unmedicated birth. The thing I believe is most important is a safe, satisfying, healthy birth. Some women have it with epidurals, some don’t. Some women have it with natural childbirth, some don’t.
How do you feel about hospital birth? Do you think all women should have home births?
I operate fully under ICEA’s motto of “freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives.” Therefore, I fully support women and families in the choices they make in childbirth from elective cesarean to home birth, whether I would personally make the same decision or not.
I fully support home birth. I also fully support each family as they make the decision of birthing location based on both the knowledge of facts and personal needs and comfort levels. Many women in the United States choose to birth in a hospital or birthing center.
Is doula support covered by insurance?
Usually no. However, some families have been able to use funds from their health savings accounts for doula services. Most families find that doula services are worth the price.
I offer payment plans for my services. I also offer some services at an add-on price. However, all basic doula services – prenatal visits, on-call period, labor and birthing support, postpartum visit, and phone/email consultation – are included in the basic price.
Also, because I am currently in the process of certification through ICEA, I offer my services at a lower price than a certified doula.
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