Dou-what? What is a doula?! The word doula has become more commonly known in recent years but it still stumps many people when I say it is my occupation! To be clear, according to Doula UK, “doulas provide continuous support for the whole family through pregnancy, birth and in the early days of parenthood.”

With a healthcare system that’s under more pressure each year, a doula can offer continuity of care which is proven to have beneficial outcomes to women at this transformative time of their lives.

So how exactly do doulas help you towards a more positive birth experience? 

Personalised Emotional Support

You know when someone really listens to you, not just nods along waiting to interject with the next comment that suits their agenda (ahem…many medical appointments that I’ve attended spring to mind)? That’s what your doula should do. Not a box ticking exercise in sight, doulas are there to acknowledge your hopes and fears around pregnancy and birth and give you personalised suggestions to work towards your dream birth.

And in the birth room they’re listening to you in a different way – reading your body language, noticing changes in your behaviour, your breathing, the way you’re managing the pain. A continuous presence, not always needing to intervene but getting the balance just right between watchful attendance and hands on practical and emotional support.

For most women there’s going to be moments of panic and fear in labour, and that’s completely ok. What we want is for your birth team to know which tools will work for you to get through those moments, to be able to pick up on your mindset and help guide you back to the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the beauty of working with a doula who has gotten to know you over the months before your birth rather than just turning up to meet midwives who, as experienced as they may be, don’t actually know you and your preferences.

When we feel truly supported we can take on whatever challenges come our way.

Informed Decision-Making

There’s no doubt about it, knowledge is power and without doing your homework on the options available to you in birth you could fall into the trap of agreeing to whatever medical intervention is thrown at you in labour.  With time pressures often coming in to play it can be easy to say yes to whatever is suggested without fully understanding the consequences.  This is why it is imperative that you and your birth partner are clued up beforehand on medical procedures and interventions if you are birthing within the NHS.   Your doula is there in the birth room to remind you of the pros and cons, to remind you that often you have time to make a decision and to give you a nudge to check on the alternatives available to you.

A doula will work with you to ensure you understand the physiology of birth, that you understand the benefits and risks of interventions, pain relief options and birth place choice.  When you understand your choices you are then able to make informed decisions with confidence, you are then more likely to process your birth more easily if you understand why certain decisions were made.

You know when someone really listens to you, not just nods along waiting to interject with the next comment that suits their agenda…That’s what your doula should do.

Physical Comfort Measures

Don’t get me wrong, modern medicine is incredible and we are extremely lucky to live in a country where we have so many pain relief options available to use. But there is nothing wrong with our body in birth, as intense as it may be, the body is doing exactly what it needs to do.

There are so many alternatives to pharmacological pain relief which do not cause harm to mother, baby or the potential desire to breastfeed when baby arrives. Often midwives are aware of these non-pharmacological alternatives but they simply do not have the time during antenatal appointments to talk through these options.

And until the final stages of labour they do not have the time to stay with you and provide hands on support. That is where a doula comes in – they are with you continuously throughout labour until you birth your baby. They will not leave your side, they will encourage you into different positions, they will massage you, use acupressure, heat therapy or whatever it is that you need – they adapt to your ever changing needs (you don’t forget the tone of a woman who asks you to stop massaging when she’s suddenly decided that she now hates being touched! And that is absolutely her prerogative!)

Enhanced Partner Involvement

Your birth partner is the one who knows you best, the one who knows how you respond to pressure and pain, how you handle authority and being the sole support to their loved one can be a huge amount of pressure to handle.  Hiring a doula gives them a teammate, someone to take over when they need to take a minute, someone to guide and remind them of how important they are and how they can provide essential support.

Improved Communication with Medical Staff

Doulas do not replace medical staff, they are not medically trained.  It is more their role to bridge the gap between parents and healthcare providers.  They are there to advocate for the birthing person’s preferences when they may be lost in labour land and unable to fully communicate themselves.

Doulas can also provide a clear understanding of medical situations so that informed choices can be made and they will always support the parents, no matter how far the journey to birth may stray from the original preferences voiced in pregnancy.

So whether it’s emotional or hands on support, informed decision making, improved support for your birth partner or enhanced communication with staff, doulas really can transform your pregnancy and birth experience.

If you’re not sure whether doula support is right for you, I get it, it’s not the norm (even though I strongly feel it should be!) but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for it… after all John H. Kennell, MD said “if a doula were a drug it would be unethical not to use it”.

If you’ve got an inkling of a feeling that a doula would help you towards a positive birth experience (and there is plenty of scientific evidence to show that) then do get in touch for a obligation-free chat.  Isn’t it always better to have that conversation than to wonder…what if?!

Want to know more? Learn more about how I can support you as your doula >