What is a Doula? (and why it’s different from partner support!)
Maybe you’ve never heard the word “doula” (pronounced doo-luh) before.
Maybe you saw a doula on the shows Gilmore Girls, Fraiser, or Bones.
Maybe when you think of what a partner or parent does during labor.
So let’s talk about what a doula is, why it’s different than partner support, and how I doula.
What is a doula?
A doula is a trained companion who supports another person through a significant health experience. Historically, doulas were other women in the community who attended births to support mothers in labor physically, mentally, and emotionally. They weren’t certified, they learned how to support people through pregnancy and labor through experience and the elders in their communities. Doula work has been colonized and changed over the years. Now, you can specialize as a doula in a certain area (such as fertility, birth, postpartum etc.) and receive formal training through a formal doula training organization to become a certified doula.
What do doulas do?
Doulas can do many things depending on their interests and what they are trained in. I am a certified full-spectrum doula. So I have training and personal experience with reproductive health, pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum, and infant care.
When a client hires me, I become on call for them. This means that they have virtual access to me for any questions or concerns throughout their pregnancies. I am able to touch base with them before and after prenatal appointments and help them go over their pregnancy care options. In the third trimester, I do a home visit where we go over your birth goals and preferences. I teach hands-on comfort measures to help you through the last weeks of pregnancy and early labor. Then once you are in labor I am there to physically, emotionally, and mentally support you through the labor and delivery of your baby (or babies!) and I help in the postpartum period with your postpartum care and infant feeding.
How is this different from a partner?
One major difference is experience and knowledge. Does your partner know what round ligament pain is or how to deal with it? Do they know how to physically support you if you experience back labor? A doula does, AND they can teach your partner! I like to think of myself as a walking encyclopedia, if you have a question, I have an answer and a research paper to summarize for you! My world is birth. It’s my passion, and my full-time job. Partners may not know how to provide hip squeezes or tail bone presses, a doula can teach them those methods or perform them for you that way your partner can be as involved as they are comfortable with.
A doula is also an extra set of hands to be fully attentive on your physical needs while helping your partner regardless of their comfort level. Not everyone has a partner or parent available to attend their birth. Not everyone has a partner who is comfortable watching you push your baby out, or apply a warm cloth to your perineum to help with pressure. And that’s ok! It’s not everyday your partner or parent watches you give birth, but it is every day that doulas attend births. We are familiar with the processes of our local hospitals and know the benefits, risks, and alternatives to different procedures and interventions.
I love what I do-ula. Pun intended.
Supporting birthing people and their partners throughout this journey is my passion. How can I support YOU? Email me at hello@thebirthchronicles.co and let’s find a way to work together!
-Kayla
