Birth Doula

What does a doula do?

Doulas “mother the mother.” Doulas:

  • Provide emotional, physical, and informational support
  • Use comfort measures: breathing, relaxation, movement, positioning, counter pressure, rebozo
  • Continuously reassures and comforts the mother.  A doula never leaves the mother’s side.
  • Help the mother become informed about various birth choices
  • Help facilitate communication between the mother and care provider
  • Look after the mother’s partner as well (gives them bathroom breaks!), but their primary responsibility is to the mother
  • Helps the mother’s partner be effectively involved in the birth process

Doula-conceptual-model1

When continuous labor support is provided by a doula, mothers experienced a:

  • 31% decrease in the use of Pitocin
  • 28% decrease in the risk of C-section
  • 12% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth
  • 9% decrease in the use of pain relief medications
  • 14% decrease in the risk of newborns being admitted to a special care nursery
  • 34% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience
Resource: http://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/

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