Frequently Asked Questions
What is a birth doula?
A birth doula is a professional support person who attends your birth in order to provide physical & emotional support for you and your partner. A doula provides tools such as massage, positioning, encouragement, and information backed by evidence -based research. A doula does not have a medical role, but instead focuses on being a constant, knowledgeable, comforting presence throughout your labor & delivery.
Are doulas primarily for natural births?
No! A doula’s role is support. This means supporting exactly what you choose and don’t choose for your birth. A doula will provide you with tools to formulate a birth plan that reflects your exact desires & preferences, medicated and non-medicated alike. If you decide to change any part of that plan before, during, or after your delivery, your doula is there to support those changes. Should you ask for your doula’s opinion or advice, she is there to offer you evidence-based information, ask you & your partner questions, and help you weigh pros and cons- as there are both benefits & risks to nearly every decision regarding birth.
Does a doula replace a father or birth partner?
A doula is present for both you and your partner. A doula does not replace your partner, but instead assists and serves them in any way they might need. That might be demonstrating a comfort technique, taking photos when the baby is born, keeping both of you fed & hydrated, or helping to communicate with the medical staff. A birth doula frees up your partner in simple ways so that they are more available to be present to you. A birth doula strives to work cohesively with your entire birthing team to give you better, more constant care & support.
Are birth outcomes better with a doula present?
The largest & most recent systematic review of continuous labor support showed that the effects of labor support were strongest when provided by neither a member of hospital staff nor a person in the woman’s social network, and by someone present solely to provide one-to-one supportive care. Woman with this kind of support were 31% less likely to rate themselves dissatisfied with their childbirth experience, and the risk of their baby having a low five minute Apgar score decreased by 38%.
When support was provided specifically by a doula, the women were 39% less likely to have a Cesarean section (Bohren et al. 2017). Various additional studies regarding doula care report shorter birth times, lower rates of vacuum extraction or forceps, and a decrease in the use of pain medication