As long as women have been giving birth, there have been doulas, yet to many, this is a new concept. When I tell someone I’m a doula, they often say, “Oh, so you’re a midwife” or “I can’t have a doula because I’m having an epidural” or “You’re a nanny?” All statements are misconceptions and deserve clarification.
The word doula means “woman’s helper.” There are two kinds of doulas: labor doulas and postpartum doulas. Both must go through extensive training and evaluations to become certified. Labor doulas offer physical, informational and emotional support to the couple during pregnancy and the birthing process. We do not perform any medical tasks, yet we can read laboring women very well and offer suggestions that may help her labor progress more quickly and with less pain. Labor doulas remain with the couple from early labor through the delivery and the immediate postpartum period to help initiate breastfeeding. Even women who intend on having an epidural can benefit from a doula. Many times, women have to wait longer than expected to have an epidural or the epidural doesn’t take effect, so the doula can be a great asset in helping the couple work together to manage the pain. Also, many women who have epidurals find that pushing can be very difficult. A doula can help the laboring woman push more effectively. Usually, however, most women who use doulas tend not to need an epidural because they are well supported and informed and they realize that they are stronger than they once believed. Statistically, women who use doulas are less likely to request pain medication; less likely to have a c-section; more likely to have a shorter labor; less likely to need pitocin; more likely to have a satisfying birth experience.
Postpartum doulas pick up where the labor doula left off by supporting the new family once they are home from the hospital. Postpartum doulas are not nannies that come in and take over the care of the newborn, yet we are educators who teach the family different ways to care for their new baby, while supporting each new family’s style of caring for their newborn. Offering support and information on such things as breastfeeding, bathing techniques, swaddling, diapering, etc. can often put the nervous parents’ minds at ease. Postpartum doulas also can take care of dishes, laundry and run errands to help ensure that the new parents’ are getting some much-needed rest and bonding with their baby. Using a postpartum doula can lower the incidence of unnecessary calls to the pediatrician; increase bonding time; and help the couple feel more secure as parents.
For more information on doulas, contact Darla Burns at 661-294-5009 or www.douladarla.com .