In childbirth, you’ll do best when supported by people you trust. It is best to choose people who encourage you and give you confidence you that you are doing well. Only invite people who will support the choices you've made and help build your confidence.
You may be asking yourself:
"What does a doula do?"
"What are the benefits of having a doula?"
"Do doulas make a difference?"
Labor Support
A good labor support person is making sure you’re not disturbed; you are respected as well as respecting the time that labor takes and will reminding you that you know, and your body knows how to birth your baby.
When choosing the right labor support team for yourself and your partner be sure to involve your labor support team in your birth plans, your personal preferences when it comes to pain management, your preferred comfort techniques, etc.
Doula Support
There are many research studies that show that having a Doula (trained labor support person) as a part of your labor support team reduces the use of medications for induction, cesarean birth rates decrease, a decreased request for pain medication, decrease in newborns needing medical interventions, an increased rate of individuals saying they had a satisfying birth experience from both birthing person and their partner. Why is this?
A doula is there to support all of your decisions and choices you've made to set yourself up for the best birth possible. They are there to support you with no judgment. Doulas pride themselves in being excellent emotional support during labor. Labor can be a big emotional roller coaster, without proper support labor can be very exhausting both physically and emotionally. Doulas are fully trained on how to keep a laboring person and their partner how to stay calm and trust the process of birth and to give you the confidence that you can do this. Doulas also come equipped with many different pain coping techniques and is there to support you physically in any way you need. That could look like helping you walk around and stay active and switching positions during birth, or giving you a massage between contractions, or even as simple as guiding your breath through contractions. A doula is a trained professional who comes with a lot of knowledge and is there to help you navigate through many steps along the way by asking things such as "Would you like to hear your other alternatives to this one?" "Would you like to try this other option first?" "Would you like the doctors/nurse to go over the pros and cons of this before you make your decision?" A doula will never make a decision for you; however, will be there to remind you that you do have options and ask if you want to explore those options. A doula will also keep the birthing persons partner well informed and involved with the birth. Doulas do not take place of the laboring persons partner, in fact most doulas work with the partner to provide the birthing person the best support that they can.
A Doula is someone you can rely on to support you; someone you can trust has your best interests at heart and will help you enjoy this precious experience.
Thank you for reading!
Samantha Reinhardt