You may have heard one or more people talking about using the services of a doula during and after childbirth. If you are wondering what a doula is, you have come to the right place. Today I am going to offer a brief explanation of what doulas do, so that you can decide whether you would like to find one to help you out.
A doula is a trained professional who provides useful information as well as physical and emotional support for a pregnant woman during and for some period of time after the birth of the baby. There are birth doulas and postpartum doulas, and each provides services during the period of time that their name would imply.
A birth doula can work with you on your birth plan as well as help you to carry it out when the time comes. Doulas can help you to be more comfortable during labor and delivery, they know techniques that can be useful in different situations to help ease various types of discomfort. Your partner may enjoy having a doula be a part of your family’s birth experience so that they can participate at their level of comfort while knowing that your needs are being tended to by an experienced professional. Birth doulas can also help to facilitate communication among the various medical personnel and family members who are present at the birth.
Postpartum doulas help with newborn care, family adjustment, and sometimes even cooking and light housework. They can be a valuable source of information about how to deal with situations like breastfeeding problems, balancing baby care with self care, and other things that new moms often find themselves wondering about.
I did not use the services of a doula during or after the births of either of my sons, and I wish that I had educated myself more about them beforehand because I think that, especially with our most recent pregnancy, having a doula could have made things a lot easier. If you think that hiring a doula may be a smart move for your family, I would encourage you to look for doulas in your local area and see what they have to offer.
Photo by taliesin on morguefile.com.