What is a Doula?
A Doula is professional birth support, trained and experienced to support women and couples in pregnancy and childbirth.
What does a Doula do?
A Doula primarily provides continuity of care during pregnancy, labour and the early postnatal period.
Importantly, a Doula assists a woman to manage labour with love; by preparing and supporting her to use the resources she has available to birth in a calm, respected and truly supported way.
Having a Doula at your birth is a personal choice. Benefits of a Doula include:
What does a Doula do?
A Doula primarily provides continuity of care during pregnancy, labour and the early postnatal period.
Importantly, a Doula assists a woman to manage labour with love; by preparing and supporting her to use the resources she has available to birth in a calm, respected and truly supported way.
Having a Doula at your birth is a personal choice. Benefits of a Doula include:
- Continuity of care throughout pregnancy, labour and post birth
- Pregnancy information and birth planning and education
- Labour preparation which may include relaxation, meditation, wholistic therapy
- Labour support at home and hospital
- Emotional and physical support
- Support for the whole family
- A Doula encourages self responsibility and self care
- Provides support for your personal labour needs.
What a Doula Doesn't do!
A Doula has training in the physiology of birth but is not medically trained, and will not provide medical care. A Doula provides one-on-one care, up to date pregnancy and childbirth information, physical support and emotional support. A Doula seeks to understand and work with you on your own birthing needs, and will provide continuous and individual labour care.
A Doula has training in the physiology of birth but is not medically trained, and will not provide medical care. A Doula provides one-on-one care, up to date pregnancy and childbirth information, physical support and emotional support. A Doula seeks to understand and work with you on your own birthing needs, and will provide continuous and individual labour care.
The Initial Visit
Your initial visit will be a chance for us to get to know each other, talking about where you are at with your pregnancy and with your family, what your birth vision is, what thoughts you have around this and importantly, what you really want and need from your Doula.
How often do Doulas meet with you and what is involved?
There are no set rules for when and how long a Doula will meet with couples during the pre-natal period. What is important is that you have the time to build rapport and you feel completely safe with your Doula. Doula visits may include:
What is the Doula’s role in Labour?
A Doula provides personal and individualised care for couples during labour. A Doula is present with couples through the labour and birth process. It is a consistent, trusting and gentle support, which is non interventionist and not interfering.
A Doula maintains a calm and warm birthing space for couples, by knowing their needs and wants and working with these.
A Doula can also be a quiet (or suitably strong!) reminder that birth is natural, that there is nothing to fear and that ‘you can do it’. Support includes physical nurturing (massage and natural support options); relaxation and breathing, emotional support, discussing options, and very practical assistance where required.
The Doula will normally stay with the couple for a few hours after the birth, as required, and can assist with initial breastfeeding and settling. Doulas also provide some post partum support.
Benefits Doula Service FAQs
Your initial visit will be a chance for us to get to know each other, talking about where you are at with your pregnancy and with your family, what your birth vision is, what thoughts you have around this and importantly, what you really want and need from your Doula.
How often do Doulas meet with you and what is involved?
There are no set rules for when and how long a Doula will meet with couples during the pre-natal period. What is important is that you have the time to build rapport and you feel completely safe with your Doula. Doula visits may include:
- Birth planning, labour and birth options
- Preparing for birth
- Relaxation techniques, breathing, guided meditations and massage
- Provision of emotional support for pregnancy, birth and family
- Fear release techniques, visualisations and one-on-one support for your needs
- Up-to-date information and resources; including wider support networks
- Friendly and informal chats
What is the Doula’s role in Labour?
A Doula provides personal and individualised care for couples during labour. A Doula is present with couples through the labour and birth process. It is a consistent, trusting and gentle support, which is non interventionist and not interfering.
A Doula maintains a calm and warm birthing space for couples, by knowing their needs and wants and working with these.
A Doula can also be a quiet (or suitably strong!) reminder that birth is natural, that there is nothing to fear and that ‘you can do it’. Support includes physical nurturing (massage and natural support options); relaxation and breathing, emotional support, discussing options, and very practical assistance where required.
The Doula will normally stay with the couple for a few hours after the birth, as required, and can assist with initial breastfeeding and settling. Doulas also provide some post partum support.
Benefits Doula Service FAQs
