What is a Doula?
A doula (doo-luh) offers physical and informational support to women and their families in preperation for birth and during labor, birth, and postpartum. As your doula, I will spend time getting to know you during the pregnancy. We can talk about your desires for your birth and create a birh plan. I will provide information on your choices in childbirth, as well as resources to help you create and persue your plan.
During labor I will be at your side offering physical support to bring you comfort and ease. Sometimes this is in the form of massage, recommending position changes, or simply holding space. I will also be availabe in case any questions come up during labor about options or interventions. After the birth I will hang around long enough to assist in any initial breastfeeding, and make sure you are comfortably resting with baby. Having a doula offers many benefits including:
31% decrease in the use of PItocin (labor induction/augmentation drug)
28% decrease in the use of C-Section
12% increase in the liklihood of spontaneous vaginal delivery
9% decrease in the use of medications for pain relief
14% decrease in the risk of newborns admitted to the special care nursery
34% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience
If you are interested in having a doula support you during your labor and birth, check out My Services.
