What is a Doula?
“Doulas bring wisdom, compassion, and a deep understanding of the birthing process. Their presence can make all the difference in the world” Penny Simkin, Birthworker since 1968.
The word ‘doula’ comes from the Greek and means ‘female slave’ or perhaps more palatably ‘women who serve’! I love this definition. We are the women who serve women. In your hour of need, we are here to help you, to give you want you need in your most vulnerable moments - in that metamorphosis from woman to mother which begins in pregnancy and continues on… well, throughout motherhood I think! Pregnancy, birth and early motherhood especially, are times when you need extra help. Lots of cultures, and even here until relatively recently, recognise the importance of this time, that it is a time in which the mother and not just the baby needs to be nurtured and held. Doula’s help you do this.
Doula’s are non-medical people who provide emotional, physical and practical support to families during pregnancy, labour and after the baby is born.
In the period before the baby is born we can help you to decide how you want your birth and motherhood to look, we advocate for your choices and talk through your worries and concerns to try and ease any anxiety so that you can go into it feeling confident and relaxed.
During the birth, we provide emotional support to both the mother and the birth partner, or take on the role of the birth partner if necessary. We might suggest pain relief options, or positions, we might advocate for your choices. We can provide the consistency of care and nurturing support and a friendly face in the room.
Once the baby is born, we help with the baby when you need to sleep, we tidy up when you need to feed the baby, we make you food and help you heal from birth.
The role of the doula can vary quite a lot depending on what the family needs, but hopefully this will give you an idea of some of the things a doula does.
For an excellent explanation of what doula’s do, check out the Doula UK website - link below