What is a Birth Doula?
I have a confession to make: I love fall. While the majority of people are bemoaning the fact that summer has come and gone so quickly, I am happily pulling down my cool weather clothes. Sweaters, long-sleeved flannels, jeans, and my favorite, sweatshirts. If truth be told, most of my tops are sweatshirts. I love the coziness that putting on an oversized sweatshirt gives. I love that they have fun sayings on them like “Snacks & Naps” or “Introverted but willing to discuss birth.” Cheesy? Yes. Entertaining to me? Most definitely. My favorite sweatshirt has a picture of an avocado family with a very obviously pregnant mom avocado. The caption reads “Every birth deserves a doula.” Maybe it’s because I have a soft spot for pregnant avocados that makes this my favorite sweatshirt, but I think the real reason is the conversations it inevitably starts when I wear it in public. Over and over, I have gotten the same question “So, what is a doula anyway?” It always surprises me a little bit that doulas are not more well-known. I will attempt to educate you as to what these amazing creatures are.
The word doula comes from ancient Greek and means “a woman who serves.” According to Merriam-Webster, a doula is “a person trained to provide advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth.” That seems like the cold, clinical definition, so let me tell you what a doula is to me: A doula is someone passionate about all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She can, and often does, talk about birth for hours and hours to anyone who will listen, much to the chagrin of her dear husband who tends to just smile and nod while tuning her out as she talks about the benefits of skin-to-skin for the 1,000,000,000th time. (I just pulled that example out of thin air and it in no way applies to me and my husband!)
A doula is someone you can call up if you have questions that you want answered regarding pregnancy or labor. She can provide evidence-based resources, weeding out the many websites providing misinformation about birth. A doula is your cheerleader and coach during your pregnancy journey. When you’re just done being pregnant, she will come alongside you to encourage you. A doula will sit with you wherever you’re at. She is there for you in the highs and the lows. You don’t have to feel like you need to explain things to her. She will be there with you in whatever state of mind you’re in. You don’t have to prove anything to her. A doula also supports your partner. You two don’t have to feel like you’re alone in this. She brings a calming voice to the birth room. A doula is educated and trained in non-medical birth support. She lives and breathes birth work. She works tirelessly to provide you and your family with the best birth experience possible. She goes to bed at night satisfied that she is making a difference in the world.
Now that we’ve established what a doula is, I want to take the time to address some misinformation that is floating around regarding doulas. Here are five common myths that I hope to debunk for you:
1. A doula can only attend natural homebirths.
Doulas are trained to work in all different birth settings including hospitals, birth centers, and homes. Most women choose to have an epidural during labor and birth in the United States. Contrary to popular belief, epidurals do not typically provide a completely pain-free experience. Doulas can assist with different positions and comfort measures to provide the most comfort to the woman who has an epidural.
2. Doulas do not attend cesarean births.
Doulas can help clients who are planning a cesarean birth to have the best possible experience. Doulas work with clients prenatally to help them prepare for the day of the cesarean. On the day of, doulas can meet with you before and after the Cesarean or, if your hospital allows, she can come into the operating room with you to provide a calming presence throughout the whole process. When you’re in the recovery room, your doula can assist with initiating breastfeeding and skin-to-skin bonding.
3. I have a partner, so a doula is not needed.
A partner is there to provide mental, physical, and emotional support for the birthing mother. But they need support, too! Doulas come alongside the partner to support them while they support the mother. They work as a team with the partner to give the birthing mom the best experience possible. Having someone who can nurture and reassure both parents (or grandparents as the case may be) is invaluable during the birth experience.
4. Doulas can only support at birth.
It can be overwhelming leaving the hospital with this precious little one, heading into unknown territory. Postpartum doulas are trained to assist with caring for the newborn, can provide breastfeeding support, and take care of light housework and meal preparation for the new parents. One of their primary goals is to educate the parents in parenting this new little one and they can refer them to specialists if needed.
5. Postpartum doulas are glorified nannies.
While postpartum doulas are trained in newborn care, they have very different roles than a nanny. Nannies focus their care primarily on the infant or baby. Postpartum doulas provide holistic care to the entire family during the postpartum period. While like nannies some doulas provide nighttime care for infants, their role is much more expansive. They also provide newborn support and education on bathing, dressing, swaddling, and diapering. They provide light housekeeping, laundry, and meal preparation.
This has been a very condensed version of what a birth doula is. I could go on and on about the benefits of hiring a doula. Research has shown that births utilizing a birth doula (or continuous support) have better birth outcomes compared to those who do not. I recognize that not everyone wants to have a doula at their birth or can afford to hire one. But I also believe that everyone should have access to compassionate doula care if they desire it. There is a lot of work to do on that front, but I am hoping to implement changes in my own community through education and advocacy so that access to doula care is the norm, not the exception. I will leave you with a quote by Dr. John Kennell: “If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it.”
Until next time,
Abby