ABOUT DOULAS and HOW I WORK
Families almost always state that choosing a doula was the best choice they made for their birth. Entering into this time in your lives is full of wonder and excitement, but during labor a grounded voice of experience who can help to coach, encourage, reassure and support you and your partner is invaluable.
A doula can:
As your doula, I will use a wide variety of techniques to help you manage your labor. These include breathing, massage and touch, positioning, rebozo, birth ball, aromatherapy, water therapy, acupressure, counter-pressure, vocalization, visualization, use of imagery, and guided meditation. The woman in labor is my guide. I find that I get in synch with her and carefully watch and listen to all her verbal and nonverbal communication, intuitively catering the techniques I use to fit with her preferences and personality. I am part of the birth team, so I do not replace the role of husbands, partners or other support people. I help everyone to feel confident in their support role. Often I will do something that the laboring woman really likes, and than her partner is able to do it during the following contraction. Labor is usually long and requires endurance from the whole team. As the doula, I can help relieve the partner if he/she needs to rest and having more than one person present means that the laboring woman will never be left alone. One of us will always be by her side.
At a hospital birth, my role is also to help you to respectfully communicate with the medical staff and to make sure that you are fully informed and in control of any decisions. I help ensure that all staff is clear and informed about your birth preferences, and I work to make it a comfortable environment with everyone working together for you.
Clinical research studies have shown that a doula’s presence at birth: