- What is a doula? A doula is a professional labor attendant who provides physical, emotional, and informational support to you and your partner during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. In addition to emotional support and encouragement, a doula often helps with pain management by utilizing a multitude of techniques. Doulas also act as an advocate for clients to ensure their wishes and concerns are being respected. According to the NIH, “doula-assisted mothers were four times less likely to have a low birth weight baby, two times less likely to experience a birth complication involving themselves or their baby, and significantly more likely to initiate breastfeeding”.
- What types of births can doulas attend? Doulas can attend all types of birth: unmedicated, medicated, home births, birth center births, hospital births, even caesarean births if hospital permits.
- Are there different types of doulas? Yes! There are birth doulas, postpartum doulas, sibling doulas, loss doulas and fertility doulas. Some doulas specialize in specific areas and other offer full spectrum services.
- What type of doula services do you provide? I offer comprehensive services covering pre-conception, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum support. These can be packaged together or you can choose one individually. See the Services page for more details!
Check out these!
Evidence Based Birth: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/
Gruber, Kenneth J, et al. “Impact of Doulas on Healthy Birth Outcomes.” The Journal of Perinatal Education, Springer Publishing Company, 2013, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647727/#:~:text=Doula%2Dassisted%20mothers%20were%20four,more%20likely%20to%20initiate%20breastfeeding.
Tobah, Yvonne Butler. “Doula: Do You Need a Doula?” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 3 Feb. 2021, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/expert-answers/doula/faq-20057910.
Aaryel Francis 