The word doula comes from ancient Greek, meaning ̈a woman who serves ̈. Today,  ̈doula ̈ refers to a professional trained to provide emotional, physical, and informational support to women and families throughout their pregnancy, birth, and the early postpartum period. Doulas can assist women who birth at home or in the hospital. While they provide pain management techniques, reassurance and advocacy during labor, it goes much deeper than that. A good doula becomes part of the family and is a pillar in the home for many moons to come.

While both types of birthworkers support people through all stages of pregnancy and birth, midwives and doulas have very different roles. A doula is trained in childbirth and provides emotional, physical and informational support to you and your partner. A doula is there to provide support to the entire family and is dedicated to getting to know you deeply and walking alongside you, step by step. A doula does not replace a healthcare professional, but rather, is a compliment to your team. A midwife is a medical professional that provides medical care and monitors the health of you and your baby during your pregnancy and birth. A midwife preforms examinations, provides medical advice and will ultimately assist you in delivering your baby. Both doulas and midwives and committed to you and your baby and work together to provide you with the care and attention you deserve.

During pregnancy, birth doulas are there to answer questions and build your confidence through education specific to your needs. During labor, doulas are often there from the start of early labor until long after the birth of your child, uninterrupted. They offer comfort measures and reassurance, suggest positions and help create a beautiful environment to labor in. A doula does not replace your partner, but rather acts as a support person to them as well. A doula cannot take away the potential discomfort of birth, she cannot guarantee you the birth of your dreams, but she will be there to guide you and witness you, every step of the way.

Want to learn more about what I offer as a birth doula? View my Offerings here.

The most recent Cochrane Review of 26 randomized controlled trials of continuous support in labor (compared to no labor support) reported that when women had continuous support of any kind—from loved ones, midwives, or other hospital staff or doulas—they were less likely to

– have an epidural or other regional analgesia to manage pain.

– use any type of pain medication (including narcotics).

– give birth by c-section.*

– give birth with vacuum extraction or forceps.

– give birth to a baby with a low Apgar score at five minutes after birth.

– be dissatisfied with or negatively rate their childbirth experience”* (Bohren et al. 2017).

*Only when a doula provided the support were the asterisked outcomes improved. Support from a loved one or hospital staff did not affect these outcomes, but when women had a trained doula, they were:

-39% less likely to have a cesarean.

– 35% less likely to report their childbirth experience negatively.

-15% more likely to have a spontaneous vaginal birth (no forceps or vacuum extraction) (Childbirth Connection 2017).

Your partner will play a huge role in your birth, with or without a doula. They know you better than anyone in the room. They bring all of your history together and their love for you into your birth. This is an amazing tool. With that said, birth can also feel heavy for a partner to witness because of their love for you. Some partners feel the need to save you from birth, which is something a doula knows she cannot do. Having someone who is trained in birth and cares for you but without all of the history is a great addition to the birth space. When your partner might doubt if you are okay, a doula has a soft smile on her face and is steadfast in her support for you. This smile also translates confidence to the otherwise unsure partner, who perhaps, like you, will also need reassurance at times. We read the room and offer gentle advice to your partner, help them remember what we discussed in our prenatal sessions, and assist them with proper positioning, counter pressure, etc. Birth can sometimes be a long process!

Having a doula in the room also allows birth partners to take breathers if needed, or to take turns on massages and hip squeezes. All while ensuring you always have someone by your side. I also love taking beautiful pictures of them supporting you, should you wish that I do so. Having the presence of a doula means your chosen partner, be it husband, wife, lover, close friend, or family member can actually be present. It means they get to enjoy the birth too.

You might be asking,  ̈What if I ́m only interested in postpartum support from a doula? ̈

I promise you, there is plenty to do in those early weeks of postpartum. Your partner might be great at knocking out a to-do list around the house but isn ́t a strong listener. They might love giving you massages and talking but they hate to cook to clean. Having a postpartum doula come in to take some of the weight off your partners shoulders, in whatever capacity is most helpful to your family unit, will undoubtedly make things flow better. Just like I can debrief your birth with you, your partner also has a story to tell. I show up for both of you as you navigate the new dynamic of your household. Apart from that, woman to woman wisdom (or womban to womban, as I like to call it!) is invaluable at a time as precious as this. I ́ve been where you ́re going. All parts of me have, my physical body and my soul. I get you in ways that sometimes is hard for partners to fully grasp. And what ́s good for you is good for your partner.

A postpartum doula cares for you so you can care for your newborn. New mothers need to be fed, held, heard, soothed, have their rest supported, just like their new baby. Postpartum care is personalized to fit your families ever changing needs, but often includes nutritious food, assistance with physical recovery, assistance with newborn care, breastfeeding guidance, birth debriefing, light housework, sibling and pet care. Honestly, the list goes on and on and completely depends on what would benefit you most. Sometimes that might just be a coffee and a shoulder to lean on.

Want to learn more about what I offer as a postpartum doula? View my Offerings here.

I am currently serving families of all kinds on the island of Gran Canaria,in Spain. Both inside and outside of the capital of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. If you are interested in virtual doula assistance, please contact me here.