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A Doula, what's that? by Tara Bungard

What a Difference a Doula makes, written by Tara Bungard.

When I tell people I am a doula, most of them have no idea what I am talking about! Yet more and more parents-to-be are employing the services of a doula, and with good reason; having a doula can really make a difference. Doulas provide often much-needed emotional and practical support during pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period. They are usually mothers themselves and will certainly be well-educated in pregnancy and birth matters and work to the best of their abilities to encourage a positive experience for the families they work with.

The role of a doula (pronouced “doo-la”) is not a new one. Traditionally, families lived relatively close together and a mother-to-be would frequently have had the support of her mother, sister or other female relative during her labour and early postnatal period. Nowadays, however, families tend to be spread far and wide so the need has arisen for someone else to fill this gap – the doula.

The role of a birth doula is to provide continual support during labour and birth. This support can be practical, such as offering massage or suggestions for positions to labour in, or it can be purely emotional; knowing that there is someone there who really cares to hold your hand if you need it can make a big difference. They will have met with the parents-to-be two or three times during pregnancy so a relationship of friendship and trust will have been established. These antenatal meetings are an opportunity to talk through the kind of birth experience the couple are hoping to have and to go through their options. Doulas often have a library of books and information that they are able to share and, if not, they will know where to access them.

Birth doulas usually go on 24-hour standby from 38 weeks of pregnancy and are able to come to you as soon as you want after labour starts. They will stay with you throughout your labour and birth, no matter how long it takes. This constant support is beneficial not just to the labouring mum but to the birth partner as well as it means they are able to take time out every now and then to pop to the bathroom or grab a cup of tea without worrying about leaving the mum on her own.

As far as the benefits to the woman in labour go, they are many and not insignificant! In 1993, a book called Mothering the Mother: How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier and Healthier Birth (by Klaus, Kennell and Klaus) was published, following studies including more than 2000 doula-supported women. In this book they reported that having a doula present during labour and birth had the effect of:

 50% reduction in the caesarean rate
 25% shorter labour
 60% reduction in epidural requests
 30% reduction in analgesia use
 40% reduction in forceps delivery

However, the support of a doula is not necessarily limited to birth. The postnatal doula can also make a positive contribution and many new parents are turning to them for help and support in the early postnatal period. A postnatal doula offers help where it is needed and tailors the kind of support they offer to whatever it is the new parents need or want most. They can can help with housework, cook a meal or walk the dog, help with an older child so the parents can spend some time with the baby or look after the baby so they can sleep.

Again, there are statistics to show that a postnatal doula can make a difference. In June 2009 the MIDIRS Midwifery Digest published an article based on the results of a nationwide doula survey undertaken by Valerie Goedkoop. Her results showed that 88% of women who had a postnatal doula were still breastfeeding at 6 weeks (compared with 21% at 6 weeks according to the Office for National Statistics Infant Feeding Survey of 2005) and 67% were still breastfeeding at 6 months (compared with 7% according to the survey).

Statistics aside, having a doula’s support can be invaluable to a couple as they embark on the journey to parenthood, whether for the first, second or tenth time. If you are pregnant or a new parent, then why not see whether a doula can make a difference for you.

Written by Tara Bungard, birth and postnatal Doula, Slough. Find tar's profile in our directory, click here

CranioSacral Therapy for babies. For birth trauma