What is a Doula?
A birth doula is a person trained and experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth.
What does the word doula mean?
The word “doula” comes from ancient Greek, meaning “woman’s servant.” Throughout history and in much of the world today, a group of women support a mother through labor and birth, providing physical comfort measures and providing continuous emotional support. Like their historical counterparts, today’s birth doulas know how to help a woman in labor feel better. However, today’s doulas are much more diverse than their predecessors and have a wide range of ages and cultural backgrounds.
How can having a doula improve the outcome of my birth and postpartum period?
Numerous clinical studies have found that a doula’s presence at birth:
- tends to result in shorter labors with fewer complications
- reduces the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing drug), forceps or vacuum extraction
- reduces mothers’ requests for pain medication and epidurals
- reduces cesarean sections by up to 26%
- improves the mother’s satisfaction with her birth experience
- reduces postpartum depression
- improves breastfeeding success
- reduces the length of hospital stays
- builds mother’s self confidence in the postpartum period
How will having a doula help my birth partner or labor coach?
A doula is supportive to both the mother and her partner, and plays a crucial role in helping a partner become involved in the birth to the extent he/she feels comfortable. A Doula’s presence is designed to enhance the partners self confidence and give them the freedom to eat, drink and rest during labor just like the laboring mother. A doula might also remind the birth partner of labor positions, or pain management options forgotten in the moment.
Does a doula make decisions on my behalf?
A doula does not make decisions for clients or intervene in their clinical care. She provides physical, emotional and informational support, while respecting a woman’s decisions. A doula, can, however, provide evidence-based information so her client can make the best possible informed decision for herself and her baby.
How does a doula differ from a nurse or doctor?
Doulas do not replace nurses or other medical staff. Doulas do not perform clinical or medical tasks such as taking blood pressure or temperature, monitoring fetal heart rate, doing vaginal examinations or providing postpartum clinical care. They are there to comfort and support the mother and to enhance communication between the mother and medical professionals.
How much does a doula cost?
Doulas in the Southeast Minnesota area range in cost from $350 and up, depending on experience and childbirth education.