Birth Doula
Anyone who knows me, knows that I absolutely love being a birth doula! I am a DONA certified birth doula (CD) and am incredibly honored when a woman and her partner invite me to be part of their birth. That said, please note that I am currently only taking repeat birth doula clients so the information that follows is meant to help you understand why having a doula at your birth is so important for you and your baby…
I want you to consider the following: You will remember your baby’s birth for the rest of your life, so what better time to have as much support, care, and information as possible? It is not self-indulgent to ask for additional help — if anything it is a really important skill to practice before you are a parent!
And if you are hoping to reduce the amount of interventions in your birth, having a doula has been shown to have a significant impact on the rates of both labor and postpartum interventions. The Cochrane Collaboration (an independent organization dedicated to providing up-to-date, accurate information about healthcare practices) concluded that all women should have support throughout labor and birth. In their analysis of continuous support for women during childbirth they found that women who received continuous one-on-one labor support were:
- less likely to have a Cesarean birth
- more likely to give birth spontaneously (without forceps or vacuum assistance)
- less likely to use pain medications
- more likely to be satisfied with their birth
When I examined the statistics from my clients’ births, I found similar outcomes:
- 17% induction rate vs. a national average* of 49%
- 10% Cesarean rate vs. a national average* of 33%
- 30% epidural rate vs. a national average* of 76%
(* As depicted in the Listening to Mothers II national survey)
The research-based and anecdotal statistics support what I have always known about my work as a doula — it truly does make a difference for the whole family! In our culture, where most expectant families have never even witnessed a birth and where our rates of interventions are skyrocketing, doulas play an incredibly important role in helping improve birth experiences and outcomes.
Birth doulas play many roles during labor: answering questions, providing emotional support, assisting with comfort measures, taking photos, supporting you in making informed decisions about your birth, and ultimately helping you to have the best birth possible!
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By providing necessary information and support, doulas also free up the dad/partner to focus on loving the laboring woman like nobody else can! For more information on dads and doulas, check out this article on the DONA International website. |
As a birth advocate, who believes that natural birth (under most circumstances) is better for mom and baby, I think having a doula at your side and thereby reducing interventions is important. As a therapist, given that studies have shown that women who have doula support during their birth often experience a higher rate of satisfaction with their birth and a lower rate of postpartum depression, I think it is imperative!
I wish you a beautiful birth and all the support you need during your amazing transition to parenthood. For a list of local birth doula collectives and groups, please go to my Resources page.
And please feel free to Contact Me if you have questions about birth doulas or would like specific referrals to doulas in the area. I work with a lot of very experienced, wonderful birth doulas and am happy to suggest some doulas for you to consider in your search. I am also happy to refer you to doulas who are working on their certification or able to volunteer their services. Your birth is important — do not let money stand in the way of getting the support you need and want.