What Is A Doula?
A Doula is a trained professional who provides non-medical support to pregnant women & their families. This can be through pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum.
Doulas are not medical professionals & they are not there to deliver your baby, but they can help ensure that the mothers & families needs are met throughout their journey. Doulas can support the mother, spouse, & family through their journey with vaginal births, cesarean sections, miscarriages, & stillbirths.
What Services Can A Doula Provide?
Doulas provide mental, emotional, & physical support to parents during pregnancy, labor, & even postpartum.
This may be done in the following ways:
- Doulas can provide knowledge & support to breastfeeding moms
- Doulas can provide physical comfort through back-pressure massage, helping you find comfortable labor positions, or practicing breath-work & meditation
- Doulas can help advocate for the mothers requests & their best interest by helping them properly communicate with their medical providers & family
- Doulas can help parents create a birth plan (or delivery plan)
- Doulas can coach parents once they've entered their postpartum journey & parenthood
- Doulas can provide support, resources, & knowledge for delivery at home, delivery at a birth center, delivery in a hospital, and potentially even more personal paths such as delivery in water
Is A Doula Right For Me?
If you or your family are looking into hiring a Doula, whether it be during pregnancy, labor, or postpartum, I highly encourage you to research the practice before committing to a decision. Ask yourself what you are looking for in a Doula, and how your unique situation would benefit in hiring one. Start by searching your immediate & local areas first, & try to gather any information you can.
Reaching out & asking questions directly is the best way to gather a true accurate answer for you & your family. If you'd like, fill out my contact form & message me today!
Our History As Doulas
Childbirth is a transformative experience that requires physical, emotional, spiritual, & mental strength. Pregnancy, childbirth, & parenthood can be a beautiful journey, but it can also be challenging as well. Parents often seek the support they need from Family, Close Friends, Doctors, Midwives, & Doulas. Whether you just need an extra hand, or somebody to be there close by your side, Doulas can assist you in a wide variety of ways.
This tradition of women supporting women during childbirth has continued throughout history in many different forms. In various cultures around the world, Midwives & Doulas often took on the supportive role in their communities. In others, it is the mother, grandmother, or other female family members primarily providing the new mom with help. "It Takes A Village" is a saying for a reason.