Define doula: demystifying the doula part one
Define doula
Typically, a birth doula is someone who serves other women during birth, acts as a birth companion or a non-medical birth worker. Doulas compliment the work of midwives and/or other medical practitioners who might support a birth.
Doulas offer extensive emotional and physical support for pregnant people and their birth partner/s; who are also experiencing birth in their own way. Whilst the emphasis is on the birthing person, the birth partner plays an important role (should there be one present). Of course not everyone will have a birth partner and this is where having a doula can be highly valuable.
Each doula has their own preference of whether they support hospital, birth centre or home births; I personally support all of these.
So why have a doula?
Doulas help to break down the birth process in detail (from a physiological perspective; what changes can I expect from my body during birth?, a practical perspective; what‘s the process if I birth at home, a birth centre or hospital?, to an emotional perspective; how can I cope?, how will I react when it all starts to happen?, how can ensure I have the support I need?).
Benefits of hiring a doula
Many women report that the presence of a doula in the birthing space can already be enough to offer reassurance and comfort before any action is actually taken. Simply sitting next to a client can have a calming effect.
That being said, research also shows that having the support and wisdom of a doula can lead to reduced c-section rates, a shorter labour, fewer interventions, an improved experience and stronger newborn health. Powerful stuff huh? Read on to discover how the powerful doula influence unfolds.
What does a doula ‘do’?
Offer presence. First and foremost, the role of a doula is to show up and be there for you (at every stage of the birth trajectory); gently honouring and respecting the sacred space that you are developing within yourself on your journey to becoming a parent
Consider what you might need before jumping into action. Whilst our training is invaluable for understanding certain elements of the birthing process, doulas often rely on intuition and subtle hints to connect with the type of support that you might need. Not all support is visible to the naked eye, energetic forces play a significant role; especially in birth when your senses are heightened
Educate and empower you to make informed choices, helping you to feel in control and in the lead of your own birth
Encourage you to connect with yourself, your partner and your baby through meaningful exercises; birth is a community experience
Share birth positions, movements, comfort measures and practical tactics that can help to ease the discomfort and intensity of labour
Provide unwavering emotional support, helping you to feel a sense of confidence, safety, love and even excitement for your birth ahead
Quick wins if you decide not to hire a doula
For many people hiring a doula isn’t an option. Below I’ve shared some handy elements to bolster up your birth prep:
Write a birth plan to be clear about your needs and expectations — you’ll find lots of suggestions online for relevant topics to include. Be sure to discuss this with your health care provider as you near your due date
Take a short childbirth education class. If you have a birth partner, I highly recommend attending together. Some midwife practices offer ‘centering pregnancy’ courses which can be incredibly valuable and help you to build community with other mothers — I love the Amstermam practice in Amsterdam
Research breathing exercises to support you as well as the role of hormones during labour
Consider creating a postpartum plan and preparing your help for this delicate period. Can you rest for 5 days in, 5 days on and 5 days around the bed? If not, what support can you gather to allow you a decent period of rest?
Buy some books on labour to understand what to expect and how to prepare — Penny Simkin and Ina May are fantastic places to start. If you’re a more visual person, try the powerful @Badassmotherbirther or @Christianhypnobirthing accounts for inspiration
Lookup some ‘mama hang’ events in your area to build your own network - the Labour Dept in Amsterdam throw a variety of community activating events
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be creating more posts to demystify the doula universe.
