What is a Doula?
What is a Doula?
I get asked this question more than any other and when I first heard of a Doula I asked the same thing!
Simply put, a Doula is a birth coach and postpartum support. A Doula is an educated, unbiased, caring and 100% supportive resource, coach and advocate for new parents.
The second most asked question I get is "What does a Doula do?" The job of a Doula is simple. It is to assist with pain management, coaching, informed decision making and most importantly to help maintain a sense of control and confidence in a new parent during the pregnancy and labor process.
Studies have shown that having a Doula at your birth can shorten the length of time in labor as well as reduce the needs for medical interventions and cesarean rates. In addition to raising the overall level of satisfaction new parents have at their birth.
To take it back to basics, and to understand how this role has suddenly made its way into the mainstream world and quickly becoming a household phrase lets discuss the origin of the word and its beginnings.
The word doula was first used in a 1969 study done by Dana Raphael, who cofounded the Human Lactation Center in the 1970s. Danas research stated that it was a common and practice that a female companion be part of childbirth, and in human societies this was traditionally a role occupied by a family member or friend whose presence contributed to successful long-term breastfeeding and child development. She then coined the term and title for this role. Doula.
The word “Doula” comes from modern Greek, derived from the Greek word doulē and literally translated to “servant” or “female slave”. While this being a dramatic and somewhat controversial title in this day and age, the principle is the same. The job of a Doula is to do what they can in an unbiased way to “service” or assist new parents through the journey of conception, pregnancy, labor, delivery and the postpartum period with complete unyielding support.
It is no question that conceiving, pregnancy, labor, delivery and that initial postpartum period require support. Tremendous support. The saying, “it takes a village” has copious amounts of truth behind it.
During my Doula training my instructor said that often people who have found their calling in being a Doula are "Doulas" in every aspect of life. They are people who are always there to lend a hand, they are the person you call when you've had a rough day or week and they are the person who comes over to help you at the drop of a hat. They are "Doulas" for friendship, for marriage, for work. They are composed of compassion and empathy. I believe this completely.
Often people assume that pregnancy support is the job of a spouse, partner or doctor and it is easy to assume that during your labor and birth the support you have would be nurses and your doctor. To anyone who has yet to experience these things, those are well educated and well founded deductions! After all, all of those people play a part in the important stages or moments and our “cinematic education” teaches us that those things are truths.
I was surprised during my laboring process in the hospital to find myself alone at times! I never realized that the nurses don’t stay. I had no idea that my doctor would come in intermittently until the final stage and while I was being cared for after the birth of my daughter my husband would be alone to deal with a new baby without the resources or mother’s intuition to care for that new baby.
During my first pregnancy I found that I often left the doctors office with more questions then I went in with! I could make countless notes in order to be “prepared” for my visits and yet I would leave with longer lists and a more detailed version of the notes I went in with. Without having an educated support base I turned to Google. I read books. I looked to blogs and social media. I discussed things over with my husband. But let’s be honest I knew way more than he did about my body and babies! And those internet resources either left me terrified or gave me a whole new list of things to ask my Doctor. How were any of these things supposed to guide me?
I in no way believe that Doulas have very answer. A doula is NOT a medical doctor. They cannot make a medical decision for you. But a Doula IS educated in the field of pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum and most importantly they, unlike the other medical professionals in the field of Birth Work, have YOUR goals and wishes in mind above all other things. And that is what is most important.
Since we all love the “Top 10 Reasons Why”, check out my Top 10 Reasons to hire a Doula here.
Yours in all things,
Brittany