Dr. John H. Kennell once said “if a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it”.
Doula’s support all kinds of families, births and circumstances. Evidence has shown that by using a doula, you are more likely to have a positive birth experience, feel in control and feel supported.
Not everyone has a birth partner, not everyone wants their partner at the birth, not everyone has family living locally, not everyone receives continuous support, not everyone knows their birth rights, birth choices and how to remain calm and in control when in labour. Not everyone knows how to look after themselves after having a baby or even how to look after and care for a newborn baby. Let’s face it, they don’t come with a manual and all babies are different. Having a baby is a life changing experience and going into it feeling supported, fully prepared, knowledgeable and in control, will help keep you on the right path and guide you on the journey you must travel, as a new parent.
What is a birth doula?
If you hire a birth doula, they will listen to your needs and requirements. They will invest time in getting to know you and your family and will do their best to ensure that you have the birth that you desire. A birth doula will often spend time with the family during the prenatal stage, getting a good understanding of the families background, listening to any previous birth stories, trauma or anxieties. They will provide information and signpost the family to useful resources, helping them to prepare a birth plan and contingency birth plan. They will help the family to make informed decisions and understand their birth rights and choices. Birth doulas can advocate for families and negotiate with caregivers if they need to. They will often have discussions with you around planning for the 4th trimester and how you might want that to look. They will help you to put a plan in place on eating healthily after giving birth, any help and support you might need, the recovery process and how to look after yourself and your newborn. Doulas provide continuous support for the whole family and this can lead to less medical intervention, shorter labours, increased bonding post birth, increased likelihood of initiating breastfeeding, lower risk of depressive symptomology and reduced need for pain relief.
What Does a Birth Doula Do?
On the big day, a birth doula will be present during labour and birth. Helping to keep the woman calm, feel safe and heard. They can offer comfort, care and relief for the birth partner too, allowing them to be as involved as much or as little as they want to be. They can also capture momentous photos during labour, birth and bonding, should you wish. You will have got to know your doula during pregnancy and you will have spent time with them, talking through your birth plan. A doula will ensure that the birth plan is followed and they will be present to discuss alternate birth plan options too, should the original plans need to change. They can make sure that the family are able to make informed decisions and have the right birth for them, under the changing circumstances.
After the birth, a doula will make sure that the new family can bond with their newborn, that those precious first few hours are safeguarded, offer any support with breastfeeding/feeding and make sure that the family have everything that they need. The doula will then leave you and your new family to get to know each other. They will then return to see your new family during the postpartum period, where they will offer emotional support, listen to your birth story and fill in any gaps that you might have. They might need to help you to understand why things might have gone the way that they did and answer any questions you might have. They can offer you physical support, helping out around the home, preparing meals, caring for your baby whilst you rest and making sure you are happy, settled and comfortable.
Do Birth Doula's Only Support Certain Types of Births?
Birth doulas support any kind of births, from vaginal births, home births, water births and caesarean sections. Birth doula's support women who want drug free births, women who want to breastfeed, women who don't want to breastfeed. A doula will support whatever birth you wish for or need. Doula's will attend hospital births and home births. Doulas will support you if you need/want to have a caesarean section. They will be with you in theatre if they can be or support you before you head down to theatre and be waiting for you afterwards (hospital policy permitting). If you want all the drugs available they will support this and not judge you. If you don’t want to breastfeed, this is fine and they will support your wishes. In the words of Ina May Gaskin, “whenever and however you intend to give birth, your experience will impact your emotions, your mind, your body and your spirit for the rest of your life.” Investing in a doula will not guarantee that you will have the birth that you want, but it will significantly increase your chances of having a positive birth experience.
Birth Doula's provide continuity of care and this is something that very few women receive from their NHS midwife. It is evident that continuity of care helps women to have a positive birth experience.
Contact me for a free 30 minute chat, if you are interested in having a birth doula, to make you feel calm, confident, empowered and in control.
What is a postnatal doula?
A postnatal doula will help families after the birth of their baby. You do not need to have had a birth doula to hire a postnatal doula. Some of my postnatal clients have thought about hiring a postnatal doula during their pregnancy and booked me in advance. However, many of the families that I have supported postnatally, have not realised that they need the support of a postnatal doula, until after their baby has been born. Sometimes new parents can realise this from early on, when their baby is only a few days old and some parents have found themselves looking for a doula for the first time, when their baby is older. The parenting journey is like a rollercoaster and it has its ups and downs. As babies go through new development stages, it can be like starting all over again. You just seem to be able to start to read your baby, get your head around what you’re doing, get into a routine and it all changes again. They start teething, you enter another sleep regression, they catch one virus after another, as they build their immunity. They start solids, they decide they no longer like breastfeeding, they decide they want to breastfeed for longer, they don’t like afternoon naps anymore, the witching hour seems to get longer and longer, car journeys make them sick. You spend most of your afternoons scrolling the internet, sat on your drive, in your car, with the baby asleep in the back. You daren't move in case they wake up, even though you are desperate for the loo and you’ve not been practicing your pelvic floor exercises recently! If only there was someone who can rescue you from this latest phase, remind you that you matter too and remind you of who you are! Well, that’s where a postnatal doula comes in.
What does a Postnatal Doula do?
Postnatal doula's not only offer physical support, allowing you to take a well earned rest whilst they supervise your baby, do your washing up, some light housework or laundry etc, but they offer emotional support too. Sometimes postnatal doulas will just listen and hold your space, reminding you that everything will be OK. They will signpost you to resources and information and help you navigate your way through parenthood. The first few weeks as a new parent can be particularly challenging. Especially if you had a difficult birth, are facing feeding difficulties or postnatal depression. A postnatal doula can really help you adjust to new life, establish breastfeeding, lighten the load and regain some control. Every family is different and every family’s needs are different, so the role of a postnatal doula for one family can be very different for another.
Contact me for a free 30 minute chat, if you are interested in having a postnatal doula, who can help make life as a new parent just that little bit easier.
A doula is there for YOU! A doula will listen to YOU! A doula is working for YOU! Does the role of a doula sound amazing? Well, we are! Think of us as a modern-day Mary Poppins! Most of us have been in your shoes before and can really empathise and understand what you’re going through and know what it is that you need. Doula's will never carry out any clinical tasks or push you down any particular road. We will never judge you or come between you and your partner. We will however be guided by you and support you every step of the way…
Check out blog post by Pearls of Jasmine and read about "Why I Decided to Hire a Doula and Why Every Mama Should Consider It Too!"
If you are looking for a doula, contact me to see what doula services I can offer you.
