Doula's in more detail...
How can a Doula help me and my family?
Your Doula's first goal is to get to know the mother and her partner and building a trusting and warm relationship so that by the time your baby is ready to be born you will know and trust all of your support people. She will help you to determine your goals for your birth, and work to help you meet those goals. Your Doula can help to clarify information discussed with the doctor or midwife and suggests topics for future discussion with your caregiver. Once your labour begins, she will stay with you throughout your whole labour and delivery, using non-medical pain relief techniques, and providing emotional support. Your Doula helps ensure your partner is involved in the birth at a level they are most comfortable with. Your Doula is trained in the physiology of labour, help explain medical terms and procedures, and keep everyone calm. After the baby is born, she will help with the initial breastfeeding, and in processing the birth experience. She is also available to answer questions, make suggestions or just lend a friendly ear over the phone before and after the birth.
What can I expect from my doula?
Your Doula will meet with you a minimum of 2-3 times before the birth to answer questions, discuss the birth process and breastfeeding, help with a birth plan if you wish to make one, provide resources and develop a relationship with you and your partner. Once you go into labour, I will be available by phone until you are ready for me to assist you, either at home or in the hospital. I will stay with you throughout your whole labour and delivery, providing comfort, information and support, and taking photographs (if you so desire). I will stay for about two hours after the birth, helping you with initial breastfeeding.
What is the difference between a nurse or midwife and a doula?
A doula is trained to be your emotional support and provide you with comfort measures during your birth. A nurse or midwife is trained to do medical procedures and evaluate the well-being of both mother and child. As shifts change, you may see many different nurses throughout your labour, whereas your doula stays with you continuously. Also, your doula focuses only on you, but a nurse or midwife may have other moms to look after at the same time.Whatever caregivers you choose, doulas works cooperatively with your entire health care team.
Do I need a doula if I have a midwife?
Absolutely! Although there is some cross-over between the roles of doulas and midwives, there are many important distinctions. Primarily, the midwife's responsibility peaks at the time of the birth, which is when she must be at her most alert to perform her job effectively. This means that she must conserve her energy throughout your labour to perform her job as best she can. This does not mean that midwives do not provide labour support--they do--just that they have many other responsibilities that must take precedence.In contrast, a doula's responsibility peaks during active labour and transition, when you need the most help coping with your contractions. By the time the birth rolls around, the doula has already accomplished most of her work--she has helped you through your labour to the point of delivery. As a result, a doula can afford to use most of her energy in the labour stage.As the midwives are busy setting up for the birth, taking fetal heart tones, charting, and many other important tasks related to monitoring the health of mom and baby, your doula is there with you and your birth partner(s), coaching you through each contraction, heating up your hot water bottle, adding fresh water to your labour tub, and fetching a glass of juice for you, and a mug of tea for your partner. Doulas are also very helpful at home births, where an extra pair of hands to help with the clean-up, or whip up a postpartum meal can come in very handy.
“When I became pregnant with our second child, I insisted on having both a midwife and a doula. Many people wondered why I wanted both and wouldn’t just one or the other be okay. I am a big researcher and one point that kept coming up consistently in my research explained that the midwife can concentrate on the baby and the doula can continue to concentrate her efforts on the mother and the father. Having two knowledgeable like-minded people attend my birth was what I wanted and having them working together as a team was incredibly calming for both my husband and myself and the baby during the entire process. A midwife and a doula bring different but compatible strengths to the entire experience. It was like having a family or a team of knowledgeable people surrounding us. So, 16 hours of drug free back labour hours later our daughter (Violet) was born in the hospital and 4 hours after that I went home. The experience was phenomenal and I would do it again in a heartbeat. So, if you can have both a doula and a midwife…go for it, you will never regret it!” M.V. NMC Client
Will we feel comfortable having a stranger at our birth?
Well, by the time you have your baby I really should not be a stranger, I should be someone that has built a warm and trusting relationship with you and your partner prior to labour. I will be familiar with you, your preferences, your fears and your concerns, and you will have a good sense of me as a caregiver and as a person. Your doula is a supporter of the team (you and your partner), and encourages and expects that your labour and birth will be a loving experience between the mother and her partner.
What doesn’t a doula do?
Doulas do not perform medical tasks such as vaginal exams or fetal heart checks. Doulas do not speak to the medical staff on your behalf. Doulas do not make decisions for you.
Isn’t my partner my doula?
No. Your doula has training and experience above and beyond what your spouse may learn from a prenatal class. No matter how much experience your spouse has with childbirth, the birth experience can be stressful and confusing, and the presence of a doula frees your partner from the heavy responsibility of being your only support person. Your partner is now free to be loving, supportive, responsive and emotionally involved in the thrill of the birth of your child. Your doula in no way replaces the presence of your partner; she enhances it.
How does a doula help my partner?
Your doula is there to support both you and your partner. From simply letting your partner take a break to reassuring them that what is happening is normal, your doula takes a lot of pressure off of birth partners, who may sometimes feel overwhelmed. Partners may also feel unsure about what to do. A doula will make suggestions, helping them help you.
Do doulas help single moms?
Yes! Birthing alone can be scary and confusing because it can be very difficult to focus on bringing your baby into the world while still trying to communicate with your caregivers. While your doula never makes decisions for you, she can be a great help with explaining what is happening.I believe that every woman should have at least two support people at her birth, and will work with any friend or family member you invite. Alternatively, we encourage single moms to use two doulas for the birth at no extra charge.
Do I need a doula if I'm planning to have an epidural?
A doula's goal is to help you have the best birth experience possible, however you define it. If using pain medications is important to you, your doula can educate you about all of your options so you can make an informed choice about what's best for you and your baby. She will help you avoid further intervention, support you and your partner in the early stages of labour when you may still need to utilize other coping techniques before the epidural can be started, and later through the pushing stage.
What if I have a cesarean birth? Do I still need a doula?
If you have planned a cesarean birth, a doula is a great help. Your doula will help you be as informed as possible about the surgery and the post-partum recovery. She can also assist you with breastfeeding and/or pumping after the birth.If your caregiver suggests a cesarean at some point during labour, your doula may be able to guide you in asking questions that will help you gather necessary information about the reasons your caregiver recommends a cesarean, the risks and benefits relative to your particular situation, and any alternatives you may have. In this case, you will likely make an informed decision and will therefore be more satisfied with a surgical outcome.She will also help to reinforce that even though a cesarean may not have been your goal, you are still giving birth. She will celebrate with you, facilitate closeness between the new family, and can photograph the baby's first moments for you.Other ways in which a doula might help with a cesarean birth, planned or unplanned, include:
- Assisting in relaxation during the administration of the spinal or epidural;
- Recording or photographing the birth if circumstances permit;
- Facilitating closeness between the new family;
- Staying with mom while the surgery is finished when baby and mom's partner go off to the nursery;
- Relaying information to mom about the baby;
- Helping mom with the initial breastfeeding;
- Sharing information about recovery
Can a doula help me avoid a repeat cesarean?
Absolutely! Doulas are especially important if you are planning a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) because she helps you avoid the interventions that increase your likelihood of having another cesarean birth.
If I don’t have a doula, what do I need from my support people?
Your support people need a basic knowledge of physical comfort techniques, and the ability to remember them under pressure. Also, you need to be able to get a hold of your support people at any time, because labour can start unexpectedly. Your support people must be able to drop everything, leave work in the middle of a shift, get up in the middle of the night, and find childcare on a moment’s notice. Your support people must be willing to commit to be with you though your whole labour, which in some cases can be days. Your support people should know what you are looking for from your birth and be willing to support you in any decisions you make, even if those decisions are different than what they would want for you. These are all standard aspects of doula care.
How can I hire a doula?
Speak with your Midwife and see if she can suggest a good match for you and your family. Also check out our resources online for a list of all the Doula's in Prince George.
At what point in my pregnancy should I contact a doula?
The earlier the better! The sooner you meet your Doula the better she will know your wishes for your upcoming delivery & you will get to know her as well. You'll have someone you know that you can call on with those "Is this normal?" or "What does this mean?" sort of phone calls throughout your pregnancy. As well, the longer you have known your doula, the more of a relationship you will build. Furthermore, some Doula's end to book up very quickly, so it is a good idea to contact a Doula soon so you can see if you are a good fit and have a Doula available that your comfortable with. That being said, don't assume you're too far along, give a Doula a call. . Give me a call, and we'll figure it out.
What fees do Doula's Charge?
Your Doula provides you with a professionally trained expert in childbirth to support you throughout the entire childbirth process. Having a birth doula, or labour assistant, at your disposal during your last few weeks of pregnancy is a great way to prepare for your child's birth; You'll be able to call your doula with questions no matter what time of day (or night) and meet with your doula for prenatal visits filled with information and hands on learning.
Most Doula's charge their fees on a sliding scale (please be sure to ask your Doula what they charge at your first meeting). Their fees range from $350-550, most ask you to pay what you can afford and what you think the services they provided to you are worth. Need financial assistance? NNCC has funding to provide Doula's to clients at the clinic as needed, please talk to Jane to discuss this option.
What you can expect from your Doula
- Pre-natal visits for birth preparation and preference planning
- Emotional support and advice during pregnancy, we are just a phone call away
- Explanation of medical procedures and interventions
- Physical suggestions to make pregnancy and childbirth more comfortable
- Discussion of your birth preferences and guidance creating a sheet for your caregivers
- Facilitation of communication between members of your birth team
- Massage, non-pharmacologic pain relief measures, aromatherapy, and other comfort techniques
- Positioning suggestions and assistance during labour and birth
- Encourage and instill confidence in your partner to get involved in your labour and birth support
- Help avoiding unnecessary interventions
- Assistance with breastfeeding at the hospital, and at home
- Attendance during your entire labour and hours postpartum
Make sure your Doula has references of clients who are happy to provide references regarding the care and services your Doula provides.
