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 FAQ: 1. What is a doula? 1. What is a doula? A birth doula is a person trained and experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth. 2. What are the benefits of hiring a doula? Numerous research studies have shown continuous doula care provides laboring moms with these potential benefits:
Learn more- http://www.dona.org/resources/research.php 3. What's the difference between a doula and a midwife? Doulas do not perform clinical or medical tasks such as taking blood pressure or temperature, monitoring fetal heart rate, doing vaginal examinations or providing postpartum clinical care. A doula attends the birth to help comfort and support the mother and to enhance communication between the mother and her medical professionals. 4. I'm afraid my husband will feel left out. Is the doula replacing him? No. Doulas never attempt to replace the father. A father contributes a unique nurturing role in the birthing process exclusive to others. He alone provides the intimate love and protection a woman needs. But research shows that with doula support, fathers tend to stay more involved with their partner rather than pull away in times of stress. A doula's role is to compliment the partner, creating a perfect support team of care. Plus, dad can take a break whenever he needs to knowing he's not leaving his wife to labor alone. Learn more- http://www.dona.org/mothers/dads_and_doulas.php 5. I am planning on having an epidural. Why do I need a doula? Did you know that many doctors and/or hospitals want you to be 4 centimeters dilated before being admitted, and 4-5 centimeters dilated before receiving an epidural (the longer you have the epidural, the more likely you are to run a fever, which can have its own consequences) ? Learn more- http://childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10190#drawbacks Often times the latent (first) stage of labor (0-4 cm) can take several hours, even a couple days, to complete. During this time you will want the support and knowledge of a doula. Even after asking for your epidural, there is a waiting period for the anesthesiologist to arrive. You may have questions surrounding the procedure which your doula can help you with. While the epidural is in place, you will be confined to bed but will still need to make position changes. This is extremely hard when you cannot feel your legs. Unfortunately, not every epidural completely removes labor pain. You still need your doula for comfort. An epidural may prolong labor and you may become weary waiting for completion. Emotionally, your doula is there to encourage you and answer your questions. 6. Can't my nurse act as a doula? Most OB nurses genuinely care about their patients and provide excellent care. The problem is that the Labor and Delivery Floor is often very busy and a nurse must provide medical attention to several patients during her shift. This means she must often leave your room to check on others. Even when your nurse is present, much of her job is to monitor all the hospital machines and record information. She cannot continuously focus on your physical and emotional needs. She will not be there gently speaking to you through each contraction. Your doula, on the other hand, never leaves your side! (except to use the bathroom or eat a quick snack). Your doula focuses 100% on your needs throughout the entire labor and softens the impersonal "clinical, sterile" atmosphere into a personalized warm and calming atmosphere where you feel safe and understood and never alone. 7. Does a doula make decisions on my behalf ? No. A doula does not make decisions for you. Rather your doula will help you gather information surrounding the birth process and guide you in asking the right questions of your medical staff. When you have good information and an advocate of your birth plan, you can make informed decisions. Having this kind of control over your own birth experience gives you a sense of empowerment and satisfaction. 8. How will I know if a doula is right for me? Trust is a vital part of the doula/client relationship. You should feel comfortable that your doula is listening to you and not placing her own expectations on you. The birth team relationship begins by building up a rapport through prenatal visits. The expectant mom shares her birth goals, expectations, and fears, and the doula helps fashion a plan of action. She may point out questions you'll want to ask your medical professionals as they relate to your desires for the birth. The doula will show you massage and relaxation techniques to be used during labor. Trust is built as the doula demonstrates understanding and skill.
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