“Doula (noun) | dou·la
A person trained to provide advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a birthing person before, during, and just after childbirth”
What does a doula do?
Birth is the beginning to every life here on earth and labor support is not new. Birth doulas are trained professionals who provide continual support to pregnant folks and their birth partners during labor. They provide not only physical and emotional assistance, but also evidence backed information, encouraging clients to make informed decisions when it comes to their bodies, babies, and births.
Studies have shown the many benefits of continuous labor support; Increased likelihood of spontaneous vaginal birth, decreased likelihood of Cesarean, higher APGAR scores, decreased need for pain medications, shorter labors, and decreased risk of being dissatisfied with labor experience. If you would like to learn more about the research behind the benefits of doula support, I highly recommend reading this article from Evidence Based Birth.
I work with clients through their pregnancies to help them prepare mentally and physically for labor and postpartum. During pregnancy, we start building your birth team. We train as a team and prepare for labor by discussing birth preferences, comfort measures and positions for labor, as well as postpartum planning to help your family feel prepared. During labor, I provide ongoing support to pregnant people and their birth partners through the use of various comfort techniques and assist in creating a comforting, non-judgmental birthing environment. If you would like to learn more about my birth doula services please reach out to me through the button below!