What is a doula? What is a doula's role?

What is a Doula?
The word "doula" is Greek in origin, and has come to mean "woman helping woman" in childbirth. A doula is a non-medical labor support assistant. She provides a birthing/laboring woman with physical, emotional and informational support at childbirth, whether the birth takes place in a home, hospitial, or childbirth center. Her main concern is the mom, although she may also support other members of the family who are present. Doctors, nurses and midwives usually are not in a position to provide this continual support. As medical professionals who may be caring for more than one patient at a time, they cannot stay in the room with the mother. They also need to concentrate on the more clinical aspects of childbirth.
A doula's presence does not make a birth partner's presence unnecessary. A doula's presence frees the partner from certain aspects of concern and allows the partner to interact more closely with the birthing woman. A doula's purpose is to aid the mother in labor and help her have the birth experience she wants, thereby leaving her with a sense of empowerment and a beautiful, positive birth memory.©Karen N. Kilson


What does a doula do?
Most doula and client relationships begin a few months before the baby is due. During this time, they establish a relationship that gives the mother complete freedom to ask questions, express fears and concerns, and take an active role in creating a birth plan. Most doulas make themselves available to the mother by phone to answer questions or explain any developments that may arise in pregnancy. Doulas do not provide any type of medical care. However, they are knowledgeable in the medical aspect of labor and delivery so they can help their clients get a better understanding of procedures and complications that may arise in late pregnancy or during delivery.

During delivery, doulas are in constant, close proximity to the mother at all times. They can provide comfort with pain relief techniques, such as breathing, relaxing, massage and laboring positions. Doulas also encourage participation from the partner and offer reassurance. A doula acts as a silent advocate for the mother, encouraging her in her desires for her birth. The goal of a doula is to help the mother have a positive and safe birth experience, whether the mother wants an un-medicated birth or is having a planned cesarean birth.

After the birth, many labor doulas will spend a short time helping mothers begin the breastfeeding process and enoucourage bonding between the new baby and family members.


Are doulas only useful if planning an un-medicated birth?
The presence of a doula can be beneficial no matter what type of birth you are planning. Many women do report needing fewer interventions when they have a doula, but the role of the doula is to help you have a safe and pleasant birth, not to choose your type of birth. For women who know they want a medicated birth, the doula still provides emotional support, informational support and comfort measures to help the women through labor and the administration of medications. Doulas can work along side medication by helping mom deal with possible side affects and filling in the gap that medication may not cover; rarely does medication take all discomfort away.

For a mother who faces a cesarean, a doula can be helpful by providing constant support and encouragement. Often a cesarean is an unexpected situation and moms are left feeling unprepared, disappointed and lonely. A doula can be with the mother at all times throughout a cesarean, explaining what is going on throughout the procedure while the partner is able to attend to the baby and accompany the newborn to the nursery if problems arise.