Part 2 of What is a doula?

On May 26, we had the first part of What is a doula?. Here is part 2.

What is a doula? (part 2 of 3)

What doulas offer and their training

By Meredith Hocking, Birth Doula (Womb Within has its very own doula)

Birth doulas offer a variety of services, from childbirth classes to birth photography, help with writing a birth plan, and breastfeeding support. Postpartum doulas work with moms after they are back home, assisting with infant-parent bonding, breastfeeding, older children, and household tasks like laundry, light cleaning, and meal preparation. Some doulas provide both labor and postpartum services.

Statistically, women who have the continuous support of a doula during labor and delivery have shorter, easier labors with fewer complications, and use less pharmaceutical pain relief. As one doctor once noted, “If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it!”

Doulas today come to birth with a variety of experiences and training. Generally speaking, most doulas have been through some sort of classroom training, have read extensively, and have observed births as part of their learning process. They may or may not have paid for certification through a national organization.

We also learn “on the job”, with each birth being a continuation of our learning. We seek feedback from doctors, nurses, midwives, and of course the couples we support. Many of us have had our own birth experiences, and often it is these experiences that have driven us to become doulas, either because we received doula support during their births, or because we realized the great benefit doula support would have been to us. Either way, we have a desire to help women achieve an optimal birth experience.

Don’t forget to come back for the third and final installment of What is a doula? Meredith discusses “So what is an optimal birth experience?”

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