A doula is a birth support person, They're someone you feel comfortable with and trust to support you both physically and emotionally whilst you're pregnant, laboring and in the immediate post partum period.
The word doula is a Greek word that literally means “female slave for the child-bearing woman.” Today the word has come to mean “One who mothers the mother.”
These days you can have a doula if you're pregnant, experiencing loss or dying, they're a fully present knowledgeable support person.
From pregnancy and birth education, birth planning, active labour positioning, emotional encouragement, partner support, physical comfort measure, feeding support, post natal meal preparation and more, There's a lot a Doula may be able to support you with, during such a major life transition as bringing a new soul into this world. As the saying goes many hands make light work, and it takes a Village to raise a family.
A doula is there to help you feel calm, motived, reassured and confident during your birthing process.
The following conclusion is from The Effect of Doulas on Maternal and Birth Outcomes: A Scoping Review
Monitoring Editor: Alexander Muacevic and John R Adler
Read more here.
"Labor and delivery are events that can present a high medical risk to mothers and their children. Doulas can ease this process in a multifactorial capacity, but it is important first to properly define their role. With a clear definition, the responsibilities of the doula can be filled adequately by thoroughly trained individuals. This could help ensure that the mother and child will reap the potential benefits of having a doula. This scoping review presented data that support the presence of a doula;
doulas have been found to reduce cesarean section frequency, low birth weight, and premature labor. Evidence shows that decreased cesarean sections have led to better outcomes for the mother and the child.
Doula intervention has also been correlated with a decrease in epidural use during delivery, increased rates of breastfeeding, and the use of safety precautions for the child. The advocacy that doulas provide can increase well-being and satisfaction concerning the birthing process, and it provides education and support. This support may reduce mental health morbidities, such as PTSD, in mothers without a support system. The implementation of doulas as a common healthcare entity could be helpful, particularly for women who experience healthcare disparity. Access to doulas can be limited due to a lack of information as well as financial constraints. Future efforts should be focused on promoting the use of doulas and researching their positive impact. More research would help define their roles in more complicated healthcare environments than the ones addressed in this scoping review and identify the positive or negative implications of their presence. Doulas can be a means by which better healthcare is provided to mothers and their children during parturition."
So, as you can see, A Doula is a worthy consideration for all, from single parent families and couples, Vbac mamas and first time mummas and everyone in between, If you feel like you need extra support, but aren't close with anyone or simply need someone who is going to be honest and upfront and support your decisions then I recommend interviewing some Doulas to find one who suits you(Aka, have a cuppa and a chat)
So How's it work?
Doula-ing is an unregulated industry, you don't need qualifications, but you want someone with good references, who you feel safe with, who is reliable and experienced in birth and parenting.
Alot of people work with a contract that outlines what they can and cannot do/will and will not do eg, Doulas aren't medically trained, and this is generally stated in a contract.
Some Doulas support hospital, home and free birth, some only work at home births and some refuse to support free birth, hence you need to find the one whose a good fit for your situation.
Even though doula-ing is unregulated, there are still courses out there created by women who have been working as birth support people for many years; SO, there are "student doulas" who charge(the fee goes to there "training organization" )usually from $300, this is unethical in my opinion and a reputable organization won't ask any woman to work in such demanding role for nothing - to the average price of a Doula in Brisbane currently of $3000.00. When you break this down, the amount of in person, online prenatal, post natal and the being on call for women and their families, attending the birth, physical, emotional support, photo, videoing, birth debriefing, supporting partners, advocating, library hire, printing, travel etc (then there's extras that some doulas offer eg: placenta encapsulation, massage, mother blessings, post partum sealing ceremonies, meals etc) and it works out to be a VERY worthy investment.
Remember: Birth is a major life transition, it is seen as a rite of passage in Indigenous cultures, and it is believed that the birth imprint leaves a lasting imprint of both Mother AND baby heavily influencing both their life long bod AND creative process (and of course all other family members present/ directly involved eg parent & siblings).
Pregnancy, Birth and the postnatal period can have families feeling empowered, nourished, trusting in their primal roles as providers and protectors or it can have families feeling traumatized, deflated and anxious or untrusting of their instincts as care takers of this new soul.- The support you have, the confidence in yourself, your birth team and place and education all have a direct impact on the outcome- You wouldn't go into a triathlon without preparing yourself both physically and mentally- please treat welcoming a new Soul earth side as the same.
Being as clear and open in communication with your preferred Doula is needed to create a solid foundation and the best relationship possible between you both, enabling the Doula to provide what both you and your partner need or to help provide you with referals with outsourcing where necessary.
*The above photo was taken in Guiyang China in 2019, On a Volunteer Doula trip where birth workers shared the power of both Doula support coupled with Optimal Maternal Positioning; read more on this in our next blog post.
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