What is a doula?
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Doula is a Greek word, and refers to a woman who personally serves another woman. A birth doula is a non-medical assistant who provides physical, emotional and informational support in prenatal care, during childbirth and during the postpartum period. She helps facilitate the birth experience for the parents.
She is an important support during pregnancy, providing advice, exercise and physical suggestions to make pregnancy more comfortable, as well as helping with preparation of a birth plan.
During labor a doula will make non-medical suggestions to the mother for comfort measures such as breathing techniques, relaxation techniques, movement, or positioning.She will also offer emotional support and physical comfort measures, such as massage, suggestions for position changes, and aromatherapy. Just following the birth, a doula can help the new mother with breastfeeding.Studies have shown that women cared for during labor by a birth doula, as opposed to those without, are
- 26% less likely to give birth by cesarean section
- 41% less likely to give birth with a vacuum extractor or forceps
- 28% less likely to use any analgesia or anesthesia
- 33% less likely to be dissatisfied or negatively rate their birth experience
http://www.dona.org/publications/pos...rth_table1.php
On the other hand, doulas do not perform clinical tasks such as heart rate checks, or vaginal exams. These things are better left to your chosen medical careproviders.
