Here’s our 30 second “elevator speech” answer to the question “What is a doula?”…….
Doulas are individuals who are hired by families looking to have additional support during their pregnancy and birth. We are there to help with emotional, physical, and informational support – we don’t make medical decisions, nor do we “replace” dads and partners. Doulas give prenatal support and continuous labor support. Having the sort of support that doulas are able to give has been shown to reduce the rates of interventions (including cesareans) and improve satisfaction rates. And the research has shown that there are no known downfalls.
And here’s what the research shows – women who received continuous support were less likely to….
-have epidurals
-give birth with the assistance of forceps or vacuum extraction
-give birth by cesarean
-report dissatisfaction or a negative experience
If you’d like to read more, here are a few resources (thank you to the DONA website for the resources):
Cochrane Review (a systemic review of the medical lit available on doulas)
Social support by doulas during labor and the early postpartum period