This is a question that many people ask when someone suggests hiring a birth or postnatal doula.
Rightly so- you may have gotten this far without support from a complete stranger, right?! A common misconception of a doula is that they replace the role of the birth partner when actually, the main aim is to make the birthing team even stronger by empowering with knowledge, advocating and providing guidance if needed.
To give you a brief background, doulas have been around for years, but are becoming a popular addition to parents’ birth teams in our modern day world. Traditionally, mothers, aunts, sisters, even neighbours would be around to support a new family during and after baby’s birth. But in recent years that community dynamic has changed dramatically. Our health system is more stretched than ever and doulas are providing more families with emotional and practical support everyday.
It was in 1973 that the term “doula” became an official ‘job’ description- it’s a shame they didn’t pick a name that was a bit more self explanatory!! The word doula comes from ancient Greece and means female slave (hmmm). In this context, it’s someone who supports before, during and after childbirth.
A 2013 Cochrane study found that the presence of a doula during pregnancy and childbirth resulted in a wide range of positive outcomes, including reduced chance of unplanned caesarean or assisted birth, reduced need for medicalised pain relief or epidural during birth, shorter labour, increased parental satisfaction with the birth experience and increased likelihood of initiating breastfeeding.
So what can you, the birth partner, expect from a doula?
During pregnancy, before the birth:
- In the lead up to the birth, doulas spend a good amount of time getting to know you and teaching you about the how’s, what’s and what-if’s about birth. Informed parents are confident parents, and doulas love to see parents take control of their decisions knowing they are doing the best for their newly formed families. This would normally be over 2-3 antenatal sessions in the comfort of your own home in the months before birth.
- Doulas help you to write your birth preferences (what you can control) and think through navigating unexpected turns (what you can’t control).