What is a doula?
“Doula” comes from a Greek word meaning “a woman who serves” and is used to refer to a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother prenatally, during labor, and shortly after birth. They help mothers prepare for birth and facilitate comfort techniques during labor.
Why should I hire a doula?
Numerous studies, such as outlined here and here, have found that births that have the continuous support of a doula are:- Less likely to have labor induced by the use of pitocin.
- More likely to give birth spontaneously rather than via forceps, vacuum, or cesarean.
- Less likely to have a baby with a low Apgar score.
- Tend to have a shorter labor.
- Less likely to have negative feelings about labor.
- Less likely to make requests for pain medication and epidurals.