WHAT IS
A DOULA?
The word, "Doula," comes from the Greek
word for the most important female slave or servant in an
ancient Greek household, the woman who probably helped the
lady of the house through her childbearing. The word has
come to refer to "a woman experienced in childbirth who
provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational
support to the mother before, during and just after
childbirth." Mothering the Mother
A Doula accompanies a woman in labor, mothers the mother,
and takes care of her emotional needs throughout
childbirth. She provides support and suggestions for
partners that can enhance their experiences of the birth. A
postpartum Doula continues that valuable emotional support
and guidance, helping a family make a smooth transition
into new family dynamics. "What is a Doula?" 14 August
2007. http://www.dona.org/mothers/index.php
BENEFITS OF A
DOULA
Although doula’s do not provide medical assistance, through
loving touch, position and comfort measures they make
childbearing bearable.
Numerous clinical studies have found that a doula’s
presence at birth:
• Results in shorter labors with fewer complications
• Reduces negative feelings about one’s birthing experience
• Reduces the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing drug),
forceps or vacuum extraction and cesareans
• Reduces the mothers’ request for pain medication and/or
epidurals.\
RESEARCH
Research shows parents who receive support:
• Feel more secure and cared for
• Are more successful in adapting to new family dynamics
• Have greater success with breastfeeding
• Have greater self-confidence
• Have less postpartum depression
• Have lower incidence of abuse
"Why Use a Doula?" 14
August 2007. http://www.dona.org/mothers/why_use_a_doula.php