A Doula is there for the mother !

The word "doula" comes from ancient Greek and is now used to refer to a woman who helps another woman.

It is also applied to childbirth to refer to "a woman experienced in childbirth who provides physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, continuously during and just after childbirth."

Klaus, Kennell and Klaus, in "Mothering the Mother".

A birth doula or birth coach

  • recognizes birth a key life experience that the mother will remember all her life
  • understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
  • assists the woman, and her partner, in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth
  • stays by the side of the laboring woman throughout the entire labor
  • assists the woman to get the information she needs to make informed birth decisions
  • facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and clinical care providers

       With a doula the chances of cesarean birth decreases significantly. Doulas help shorten labor, decrease anxiety and tension and decrease the need for pain medication.

       The acceptance 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.

      I encourage partners and family members to be active in the birth process and support fathers and others on their emotional journey.

     "Our care should be based on the knowledge that birth is inherently safe, not on the fear of unexpected outcomes"
    Paulina G. Perez
    The Journal of Perinatal Education
    Vol.5, No1, 1996