Doulas, derived from a Greek term meaning "women who serve," typically assist women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period with emotional, physical, and informational support. Their primary goal is to serve the pregnant or parenting woman by comforting, educating, and encouraging her during her childbirth and parenting experience.
There are two official types of doulas: birth doulas and postpartum doulas.
Birth Doulas CD (DONA)
Although not all birth doulas are certified or recognized professionals with specifically delineated skill sets and abilities, the general role of a birth doula is as follows.
- Help establish a positive pregnancy experience by identifying pregnancy as a life-changing and beautiful event for the pregnant woman.
- Assist the pregnant client with developing and realizing her individual plans and goals for the birth, including location, medication use, midwife versus physician choices, etc.
- Provide an additional support contact for the spouse or partner of the pregnant woman to comfortably facilitate their involvement at the level they desire.
- Understand the physiology of childbirth and prepare the pregnant woman in terms of what to expect.
- Attends the labor and delivery to serve as an advocate for the pregnant woman and as a source of emotional and physical comfort and support for her throughout the process.
Postpartum Doulas PCD (DONA)
Some birth doulas may stay with a client to also serve as her postpartum doula, if desired, although these two positions are certified separately and entail different roles and responsibilities. Here is generally what to expect of a postpartum doula.
- Provide education, such as breastfeeding instruction or infant care skills, to new parents.
- Assist with the transition from pregnancy to parenthood by supporting meal preparation, parental coping skills, resource referrals, etc.
- Promotes emotional and physical recovery from the birth.
What are the Benefits of Hiring a Doula?
According to DONA International, the primary certification organization for professional doulas, having a doula present during the pregnancy, delivery, and/or postpartum period can improve the mother's childbirth experience, promote smooth transitions into parenthood for new parents, reduce the likelihood of pregnancy-related mood disorders, and increase the comfort levels of the mother and her support network.
Doulas can not only provide companionship and comfort, but also valuable pregnancy or postpartum education and improved communication of a pregnant woman's decisions and concerns to her medical professional of choice.
Many doulas work as labor assistants and postpartum coaches to share their own knowledge of the childbirth and parenting experience. Because many doulas work informally or part-time, their services are often affordable and negotiable based on the needs and preferences of the clients, allowing for a highly customizable range of services and reasonable costs.
Resources Regarding Doulas
There are certain questions every interested client should ask a doula before hiring her. In addition, there are several aspects of this profession that should be considered before deciding to work as a doula.
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