What is a doula?
"Doula" is the Greek word for female servant. Today we use the word "Doula" to describe a person that serves families in per-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth and postpartum. There is a new movement for doulas that support families in all stages of their life from birth to death. A doulas service can vary, depending on the focus of her business.
There are various certification groups, as well as ongoing education opportunities available on many topics. The doula can learn more resources to use during birth and postpartum. These education opportunities also help to keep doulas informed on current evidenced based education.
Adding a doula to your birth team provides greater satisfaction, and can often reduce health care costs. Does this mean that you will not have interventions during your birth? No, every birth is different and some clients want to use interventions, and some births do need intervention.
For each doula it is a choice of which organization or education opportunity that they chose. Even with this in consideration, doulas have been proven to improve outcomes at birth and postpartum. Most doula services are pretty close to the same. Here is an example of how doulas work. This can vary from doula to doula.
BIRTH DOULA: Usually a package deal for 1 price.
Prenatal visits: Most doulas will do 2 prenatal visits. Some will do less, some more. During the prenatal visit a doula might help you build a birth plan based off of your choices. They might practice various positions with you for the labor and birth. The idea behind the prenatal visit is building a relationship between the doula and the client. The doula is able to get an idea of what type of birth the client would like to have, so that she can support the client during labor and birth.
Attend the Birth: When the doula meets up with the client varies from person to person. Doulas can meet with clients at the birthing location or labor with them in their home. The doula does NOTHING medical. During the labor a doula might suggest positions, pain relief techniques, pushing options, or they may get into their birth bag of tricks. The doula can be the support for the clients partner, suggesting options for them to do to help during labor and birth. Or the doula can be the primary support person.
Once the baby is born most doulas will stay with the family an hour or two to help the new family in their adjustment.
Postpartum Visit: There can be 1 or 2 postpartum visits after the birth. These visits can be used to go over what happened at the birth or to answer questions, or help teach how to bath a baby, or other baby care questions.
POSTPARTUM DOULA: Usually priced by the hour.
Ad a postpartum doula you meet with the family before the birth to go over what services would be expected from the doula. Doulas offer a variety of services to their postpartum clients. Some of the options might be, cooking, baby laundry, shopping, sibling care, baby soothing so mom can get rest, breastfeeding/bottle feeding support, and light housekeeping.
"Doula" is the Greek word for female servant. Today we use the word "Doula" to describe a person that serves families in per-pregnancy, pregnancy, birth and postpartum. There is a new movement for doulas that support families in all stages of their life from birth to death. A doulas service can vary, depending on the focus of her business.
There are various certification groups, as well as ongoing education opportunities available on many topics. The doula can learn more resources to use during birth and postpartum. These education opportunities also help to keep doulas informed on current evidenced based education.
Adding a doula to your birth team provides greater satisfaction, and can often reduce health care costs. Does this mean that you will not have interventions during your birth? No, every birth is different and some clients want to use interventions, and some births do need intervention.
For each doula it is a choice of which organization or education opportunity that they chose. Even with this in consideration, doulas have been proven to improve outcomes at birth and postpartum. Most doula services are pretty close to the same. Here is an example of how doulas work. This can vary from doula to doula.
BIRTH DOULA: Usually a package deal for 1 price.
Prenatal visits: Most doulas will do 2 prenatal visits. Some will do less, some more. During the prenatal visit a doula might help you build a birth plan based off of your choices. They might practice various positions with you for the labor and birth. The idea behind the prenatal visit is building a relationship between the doula and the client. The doula is able to get an idea of what type of birth the client would like to have, so that she can support the client during labor and birth.
Attend the Birth: When the doula meets up with the client varies from person to person. Doulas can meet with clients at the birthing location or labor with them in their home. The doula does NOTHING medical. During the labor a doula might suggest positions, pain relief techniques, pushing options, or they may get into their birth bag of tricks. The doula can be the support for the clients partner, suggesting options for them to do to help during labor and birth. Or the doula can be the primary support person.
Once the baby is born most doulas will stay with the family an hour or two to help the new family in their adjustment.
Postpartum Visit: There can be 1 or 2 postpartum visits after the birth. These visits can be used to go over what happened at the birth or to answer questions, or help teach how to bath a baby, or other baby care questions.
POSTPARTUM DOULA: Usually priced by the hour.
Ad a postpartum doula you meet with the family before the birth to go over what services would be expected from the doula. Doulas offer a variety of services to their postpartum clients. Some of the options might be, cooking, baby laundry, shopping, sibling care, baby soothing so mom can get rest, breastfeeding/bottle feeding support, and light housekeeping.
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How do I pick a Doula?
Here are some questions you can ask your perspective doula.
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Click the picture above to see Bev's answers to these questions.
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