A Doula

Joe and I hired a Doula today, to help in our labour and delivery. Matushka Sarah is the wife of one of the priests at our church (Father Justin) and is also a mother of 3 children (her youngest is less than 2 months old). I had never thought of hiring a Doula or, in fact, having anyone in the room besides Joe but after my experiences with the nurses when having Joshua, and hearing the birth stories of women who have used a Doula (specifically, Amy with Matushka Sarah), I couldn't say no.

Many people have asked me what a Doula does in the delievery room so here is an excerpt from Matushka Sarah's blog ...

The Purpose and Value of Labour Support

For most women, giving birth is a pivotal and life changing experience. It can affect, for better or for worse, how the mother feels about her baby, how well they bond, and even the mother’s relationships with her partner and other children. The medical community is recognizing how much the mother’s state of mind can affect the efficiency of labour and is returning to a more natural environment and labour practices, as well as continuing to provide all the miracles and safety of modern medicine. This helps birthing mothers to feel more relaxed, reassured, and in control of their birthing experience.

A doula provides emotional and physical support as well as information to the birthing mother and her partner before and during labour. Having that kind of support usually means a substantial advantage toward achieving better birthing experiences. A doula’s goal is to help the family, through this support, to have as satisfying a birth as possible, regardless of whether they want a natural labour, a painless one, or a c-section. In some cases this means helping them adjust to a labour that does not go as they hoped due to medical emergencies.

A doula provides the mother and her partner with information so they understand what is taking place, which allays fears and enables them to work with the mother’s body and the medical professionals. This information provides them with more choices and more confidence in making decisions regarding those choices. A doula can provide the couple with useful questions and productive ways of approaching concerns with their care providers, facilitating a smooth interaction with hospital staff, if that is an issue.

A doula takes care of the mother emotionally and psychologically during labour by assuring her she is doing well, making her feel cared for, important, and miraculous. She can, in many ways, labour right along with her, conducting and directing her energy and pain. She can assure and direct the partner, giving him confidence in his ability to be helpful which in turn is comforting for the mother to have a calm and confident partner.

A doula can provide physical comfort to help cope with pain, as well as suggestions for positions and techniques that can encourage efficient labour. She can direct the partner in ways he can physically support the birthing mother, which enables him to be an even better support than he might have been without the doula present.

Women who have had a doula usually express much more satisfaction with their labours, even if they’ve had interventions they did not anticipate. They more readily speak of their labours as a wonderful and memorable moment in their lives, a special, intimate, and joyful experience with their partner. Many find healing and closure for previous disappointing labours. The partners express immense gratitude for the doula and sometimes surprise at how much difference the doula’s support has made.

Statistics in studies carried out by medical professionals such Kennel and Klaus (as detailed in the DONA Position Paper and Klaus, “Maternal Assistance and Support in Labor”) demonstrate that having a doula-supported labour significantly decreases the length of labour, the incidence of medical complication, and the amount of medication and medical intervention needed during labour, including c-sections, epidural anesthesia, and forceps or vacuum delivery. Doula support also improves the effectiveness of medication when it is used. Studies also show improved postpartum outcomes in areas such as healing, bonding, and breastfeeding.

The doula’s responsibility during labour is strictly one of support. She does not make any medical decisions, perform clinical tasks, offer second opinions or medical advice, or speak on behalf of the mother. She does not push her own goals on the labouring woman, but supports the labouring woman’s desires for her birth. The doula’s role is a unique and important one that does not take the place of the partner, the nurses or the health-care provider. In fact, the doula’s support of the mother helps all of these individuals to fulfill their own roles and responsibilities during labour in the best possible way.