The joys of having a Doula

©2013 MyUtahDoula.com

In today's world there are many options when it comes to child birth.  There is the ability to simplify and birth a baby at home, surrounded by comforts and family, or there is the option to go to a birthing center and have baby enter this world in a warm tub, or there is the availability to go to a hospital and be cared for by many individuals and the newest techniques.  There are so many good birthing options today and having a doula present, no matter where baby is born, is another good option to consider in this life changing event. 

A birth doula, is a constant supportive presence for the laboring women and her partner, to help them gain education so they will be empowered to voice their desires. The doula’s role is to enhance the parent’s birth choice through physical, emotional, and spiritual care.

To quote DONA International Standards of Practice, “Doulas are well-versed in nonmedical skills and do not perform clinical tasks, such as vaginal exams or fetal heart rate or blood pressure monitoring. Doulas do not diagnose medical conditions, offer second opinions or give medical advice. Most importantly, doulas do not make decisions for their clients; they do not project their own values and goals onto the laboring woman.”

Some of the ways a birth doula may help enhance parent’s birth choices with physical, emotional, and spiritual care, are through the techniques she uses.  A birth doula will use many physical movements to help reduce discomfort and pain.  She will also show these techniques to the birth partner or other support persons to bring them into the comforting circle, which creates a special bond between those people. 

Massage is a wonderful method to send pleasant signals to the brain, which will keep a laboring women calm and comfortable.  Another physical movement is counter pressure.  As labor progresses more direct relief is needed.  Counter pressure is a technique used to release tension on the joints and muscles in the lower back, hips, and knees.  These and other methods such as hands and knees, walking, and swaying with a partner, will help achieve a person’s birth choice.  She will also be there to provide basic needs, such as giving the laboring mother a drink, or help her to the bathroom, or cool her off with a fan or a cold cloth.  One of the most important roles of a doula is through her constant emotional support.

Emotional care is very important during labor.  A women's laboring mind controls many aspects of her body’s ability to function optimally.  A doula’s responsibility as well as any others who offer support, is that they are there to give care and this is done according to the family’s birth preferences and needs.  A Dona certified birth doula has the obligation to follow her Code of Ethics at all times, which insures that the client is met with a knowledgeable, service oriented, and responsible birth doula.

There are many experiences during labor and birth that will change the way a women thinks and feels and that will in turn cause her body to react to those emotions.  With the right atmosphere and comfort measures, those fluctuating emotions can be calmed, allowing her body to accept the beautiful process at hand.  Some ways this is achieved, is by lowering lights and playing soothing music.  Aromatherapy or oils placed on objects or on parts of the laboring women’s body can mellow her mind.  At times in the labor process it is good to be joyous and talkative and at other times it is good to be quiet and calm.  There is also a time to be firm and a time to cry, all of these things can be good and help release tension in the mother.  Making sure it is the right time and place is very important and making sure that those methods are working well for the mother and not against her is an important task of the doula.

We are spiritual beings, with many different beliefs and dreams.  Finding the balance between those beliefs and dreams and the world around us can be a new and sometimes challenging journey.  Bringing in spiritual beliefs is not only welcomed but treasured.  A few ways this can be achieved is by praying, singing, and by performing rituals during the birth process.  A women who has strong spiritual backgrounds will fare well if she is comfortable to express those beliefs and use them as part of her birth experience. 

 
With all these techniques, having a doula to support the birth choice is not only comforting but has been proven to have a large impact on labor time, pain management, the health of mom and baby, bonding with baby, and a satisfaction with the birth as a whole.

As found in The Dona International Doula Position Paper, A 2011 study of over 15,000 women showed that having labor support such as a doula (or another person not on the hospital staff or apart of the women's social circle) made a significant positive impact on labor.

·                     28% of women were less likely to have a cesarean section

·                     31% of women were less likely to use synthetic oxytocin to speed up labor

·                     9% of women were less likely to use any pain medication

·                     34% of women were less likely to rate their childbirth experience negatively

These numbers do not just affect the pocket book, saving possibly thousands of dollars, but they also affect a person mentally, physically, and spiritually.  The experiences of birth can build one up to be stronger and a more devout parent.  A birth doula will strive to make the birth experience one that is filled with beauty and optimism giving the birth parents a memory that is enjoyable to look back on and excitement and confidence to live the journey’s that lay ahead.