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A doula provides non-clinical
support to a woman and her partner during pregnancy, birth, and the
perinatal period. Her services usually center around emotional support, practical
assistance, and information.
Emotional support. Couples
usually meet with their doula several times during pregnancy, and may call
and email her frequently, so by the time of the birth, she knows them quite
well. She is able to give continuous one-on-one support, including at home
in early labor, and as an experienced professional supporter, she can
provide reassurance, especially to first-time parents. The presence of a
doula has been shown to have a significant medical benefit in many
research studies.
Practical assistance. Doulas
can offer mothers and their partners practical tips on comfort measures for
labor, such as positioning strategies, massage, and counterpressure
techniques. She can help with the mundane tasks of labor support, such as
getting drinks for the mother or allowing the partner to take a break.
Information. Doulas can
provide information and help parents to do research on their own. What kind
of information? Some parents might want a list of what items to bring to
hospital for labor; others may want to have a detailed discussion of the
pros and cons of induction of labor, including understanding the medical
literature on the topic. Some parents may want to understand this to prepare for an open discussion with their medical caregiver. A doula can
help parents find and understand the information they want, and can function
as a "walking childbirth class" to help parents make informed choices in
conjunction with their medical care providers.
It is crucial that doulas do not
make decisions for a couple, or speak for them. A doula does not
pressure a woman into
taking (or avoiding) any particular course of action. She offers support and
information to enable the parents to make an informed choice after
consulting with their caregiver, but offers no medical advice or
diagnosis.
There are a few things a doula is not.
She is not acting as a nurse, midwife, or physician, so she does not provide clinical
care such as performing vaginal examinations or monitoring fetal heart tones. The
support a doula provides fits together with, but does not replace, the care of
a doctor, midwife, or nurse.
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