top of page
Search

Every woman deserves a doula!

  • taylormarbury
  • Mar 17, 2022
  • 4 min read

Updated: Mar 29, 2022

What is a doula? A doula is a labor support professional. They are experts on birth and provide continuous emotional support, physical comfort measures, and assistance in obtaining information for the birthing person and her partner during pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum!


Doulas have a positive impact on the well-being of the whole family! Research indicates doula-supported women are:


  • 28 % less likely to have a cesarean

  • 31% less likely to use synthetic oxytocin (Pitocin) to speed up labor

  • 9% less likely to use any pain medication

  • 34% less likely to rate their childbirth experience negatively

There have been some really amazing studies on the long and short term effects of having a doula for your birth. Not only have doulas been proven to shorten the length of labor, most women describe their childbirth experience as less painful, and that they felt satisfied and empowered by their birthing experience. Long term, mothers described their transition to motherhood as easier, that their babies cried less, and they felt happier. Women who have doulas appear to have an easier time overall. So what happens when a woman feels strong, brave, courageous, and powerful as she steps across the threshold into parenthood? It directly affects the way she cares for her newborn. A happy, calm mother will mean a happier, calmer baby! And who doesn't want that? Fathers also reported feeling calmer, safer, and enjoyed the birthing experience more when they had a doula present!


Doulas are there in addition to, not instead of, a birth partner. The birth partner is essential in providing support. No one knows the mother as well as her partner and they make unique contributions a doula cannot. With a doula present, the pressure on the partner is decreased and he or she can participate at his own comfort level. For those partners who want to play a more active role, doulas will assist and guide them in effective ways to help the laboring person. Doulas and dads work better together to give mom the very best birth team to achieve the very best birth!


The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek, meaning "a woman who serves". Unlike the hospital staff who is there to ensure the health and safety of the mom and baby, a doula is there for emotional support. The doula's only concern is the mother. When a doula can effectively work with the hospital staff and the birth partner, the mother really benefits!


For years our culture has been sending the message to women that their bodies are somehow not good enough. We see this through dramatized television shows portraying birth requiring all kinds of extra interventions like forceps, vacuum extraction, etc., products that are for sale to alter our natural shape (such as waist trainers, padded bras, and endless beauty products), and the way we are treated in labor by impatient hospital staff. Doctors are medically trained. This means they naturally look for a problem and find the best way to fix it, which often times includes the use of medications. Every medication has positive and negative side effects. This is not something to be taken lightly, because for every medication a mother is given that drug has a domino effect for the rest of her labor, and some of that medication will also be transferred to the baby.


The doctor's medicine based care approach has the ability to change the course of labor and the way the baby will enter the world. The majority of women can easily birth their babies without any intervention. Your body is not a lemon! It knows what to do and we must trust the natural process of labor and birth. When we simply leave nature to take its course, it allows the mother to feel confident in her body's abilities and birth becomes an empowering experience instead of a scary medical "problem" that needs fixing. When we start telling women their bodies aren't good enough, their labor isn't progressing fast enough, or that their pelvis is "too small" (VERY rare is this true), we deflate their confidence. Therefore, women will start rushing to be "saved" from this natural process. Their fear causes tension in their bodies, which leads to more pain, which leads to an increase in non medically necessary interventions.


Ob/Gyns and midwives are essential. I do not want to minimize the importance of their role on your birth team. We need trustworthy and patient doctors. If something were to become a true medical emergency we need their knowledge and expertise to take care of you and your baby. Finding a doctor who shares your same philosophy around birth is key. People often forget that the doctors, nurses, and midwives work for YOU. You hire them to take care of your medical needs throughout pregnancy, labor, and birth. That means that if you don't feel 100% satisfied, or that your current provider might not be the best fit, you have the freedom to find a new one!


I believe in your body's ability to birth your baby. I believe in a mother's natural instincts. I believe that by trusting the process we can change the way the world births forever. This change means a healthier future for all birthing people and their babies. Every woman deserves a doula!


Your doula loves you and believes in you.


Taylor


 
 
 

Comments


©2022 by Milk & Honey Doula Services, LLC. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page