Why a Doula

A DOULA is a “mother’s helper”. Also known as a Birth Companion, their role is to support the birthing mother.

Here are a few broken down points to what a doula does:

Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life
Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth
Stays with the woman throughout the labor
Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decisions
Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care providers
Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of the birth experience
Allows the woman's partner to participate at his/her comfort level

Numerous studies have shown how positively Birth Companions influence birth. Women with a doula at her side will most likely experience shorter labors with fewer complications, increased positive feelings about the childbirth experience, less need for labor-inducing drugs, less medical interventions such as vacuum extraction and cesareans, as well as a increased pain tolerance.