Frequently Asked Questions About Doulas:
What is a doula?
"Doula" is a Greek word meaning woman caregiver. Today it is used to describe a trained and experienced birth companion who provides a woman and her partner with continuous emotional support, physical
comfort, and assistance in obtaining information during pregnancy, labor, and birth.
What does a doula do?
Many studies have shown the benefits of using a doula during labor and birth. Analysis of six separate research studies shows that use of a doula results in:
Other findings show that the presence of a doula can increase the likelihood and length of breastfeeding, increase the parents' positive feelings about their birth and baby, and decrease the occurrence of postpartum depression.
I am planning to have an induction / epidural / cesarean / VBAC. Should I still have a doula?
Yes!! While it is true that a woman who is planning a natural, drug-free birth will benefit the most from having a doula (because doulas are experts at helping women cope with the pain of labor), all women and families can benefit from the support and guidance that a doula
provides. If you are planning an induction, epidural, or cesarean, or you have a high-risk pregnancy, a doula can be especially helpful to you. All of these situations will require more interventions, and a doula can help you to understand these procedures, prepare for them, and avoid the ones you do not want, as well as minimizing the risks associated with them. We can also provide the support and encouragement that other birth professionals and even loved ones cannot offer at that time; for example, a doula can often stay in the operating room with you after a cesarean, while your partner follows your baby to the nursery.
VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) moms have a special challenge ahead of them. It is harder for a VBAC mom to find a supportive caregiver and birth place, and harder for her to relax and trust her body during labor, because she has never had a natural birth before. My first two babies were born by cesarean, and I had two subsequent vaginal births after that, so I am well-informed of the special emotional and informational needs of a woman in that situation. VBAC is my passion, and I attend VBAC births frequently.
A doula's patience, nurturing, and expertise can help you to achieve a safe and satisfying birth experience no matter what the situation.
What about my partner? Will he feel left out if I have a doula?
Some dads want or need to keep their distance from their partner when she's laboring, for personal or cultural reasons. That's okay! As a doula, I can step in and help to provide your loved one with the support she needs.
More often, however, men are concerned that a doula will take their place as the mother's main source of support during their child's birth. A doula does not take the place of the father. Only a partner can provide love, but a doula has the experience and knowledge about birth that most partners lack. A doula assesses each birth and family separately, and finds the ways she can best serve the woman and her partner. A doula helps the baby's father provide support, and offers insight from the training she has completed and her experience in helping laboring women. She can help the mom and her partner to understand medical procedures and birth options, help with comfort measures for lessening pain, and can encourage the partner in his role, including suggesting ways that he can best help the laboring woman, and providing him with a break when needed. It is often the fathers who tell me they could not have made it through labor without a doula! Here's what one of the dads I worked with had to say:
"Chandra allowed my wife and me to feel more relaxed during our labor. We wanted to labor at home as long as possible and I personally felt more confident doing that with her present. We felt more free to focus on the experience rather than spending too much time worrying about what was normal, what was not, and when we needed to think about heading to the hospital. We trusted Chandra's knowledge in that regard. We also found her very helpful in terms of her ability to encourage. My wife's labor was very slow starting and almost 26 hours long. Chandra had suggestions to keep the labor active that I'm sure allowed it to be shorter than it otherwise would have been. When labor got harder near the end, she had helpful coping and encouragement techniques. Overall, I appreciated the fact that she enabled me to be my wife's best support. She was very helpful, but remained more in the background and allowed me to be my wife's primary labor partner, which is what we both wanted. I'm so grateful for her presence and it definitely helped provide the amazing, beautiful, and 100% natural birth we desired."
For more information about doulas and dads, please read this Lamaze paper on continuous support during labor!
Click here to watch a great 15 minute film about doulas - what they do and why they are important! If you are looking for information about the specific doula services I provide, and what my fees are, please see my Doula Services page.
What is a doula?
"Doula" is a Greek word meaning woman caregiver. Today it is used to describe a trained and experienced birth companion who provides a woman and her partner with continuous emotional support, physical
comfort, and assistance in obtaining information during pregnancy, labor, and birth.
What does a doula do?
- Helps a woman and her partner prepare for and carry out their plans for the birth, including helping them learn what options they have
- Stays by the side of the laboring woman throughout her entire labor
- Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
- Provides emotional support and an objective viewpoint
- Helps a woman and her partner get the information they need to make decisions that are right for them
- Uses her knowledge of positioning, massage, breathing, relaxation, and other comfort measures to help speed and ease labor
- Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner, and clinical care providers
- Assists with the first breastfeeding experience and mother/baby bonding
- Knows that childbirth is a key life experience that the mother will always remember
Many studies have shown the benefits of using a doula during labor and birth. Analysis of six separate research studies shows that use of a doula results in:
- A decrease in cesarean sections by 50%
- A decrease in length of labor by 25%
- A decrease in the request for epidurals by 60%
- A decrease in forceps and vacuum extractor use by 40%
- A decrease in pitocin use by 40%
- A decrease in narcotic (IV pain medication) use by 30%
Other findings show that the presence of a doula can increase the likelihood and length of breastfeeding, increase the parents' positive feelings about their birth and baby, and decrease the occurrence of postpartum depression.
I am planning to have an induction / epidural / cesarean / VBAC. Should I still have a doula?
Yes!! While it is true that a woman who is planning a natural, drug-free birth will benefit the most from having a doula (because doulas are experts at helping women cope with the pain of labor), all women and families can benefit from the support and guidance that a doula
provides. If you are planning an induction, epidural, or cesarean, or you have a high-risk pregnancy, a doula can be especially helpful to you. All of these situations will require more interventions, and a doula can help you to understand these procedures, prepare for them, and avoid the ones you do not want, as well as minimizing the risks associated with them. We can also provide the support and encouragement that other birth professionals and even loved ones cannot offer at that time; for example, a doula can often stay in the operating room with you after a cesarean, while your partner follows your baby to the nursery.
VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) moms have a special challenge ahead of them. It is harder for a VBAC mom to find a supportive caregiver and birth place, and harder for her to relax and trust her body during labor, because she has never had a natural birth before. My first two babies were born by cesarean, and I had two subsequent vaginal births after that, so I am well-informed of the special emotional and informational needs of a woman in that situation. VBAC is my passion, and I attend VBAC births frequently.
A doula's patience, nurturing, and expertise can help you to achieve a safe and satisfying birth experience no matter what the situation.
What about my partner? Will he feel left out if I have a doula?
Some dads want or need to keep their distance from their partner when she's laboring, for personal or cultural reasons. That's okay! As a doula, I can step in and help to provide your loved one with the support she needs.
More often, however, men are concerned that a doula will take their place as the mother's main source of support during their child's birth. A doula does not take the place of the father. Only a partner can provide love, but a doula has the experience and knowledge about birth that most partners lack. A doula assesses each birth and family separately, and finds the ways she can best serve the woman and her partner. A doula helps the baby's father provide support, and offers insight from the training she has completed and her experience in helping laboring women. She can help the mom and her partner to understand medical procedures and birth options, help with comfort measures for lessening pain, and can encourage the partner in his role, including suggesting ways that he can best help the laboring woman, and providing him with a break when needed. It is often the fathers who tell me they could not have made it through labor without a doula! Here's what one of the dads I worked with had to say:
"Chandra allowed my wife and me to feel more relaxed during our labor. We wanted to labor at home as long as possible and I personally felt more confident doing that with her present. We felt more free to focus on the experience rather than spending too much time worrying about what was normal, what was not, and when we needed to think about heading to the hospital. We trusted Chandra's knowledge in that regard. We also found her very helpful in terms of her ability to encourage. My wife's labor was very slow starting and almost 26 hours long. Chandra had suggestions to keep the labor active that I'm sure allowed it to be shorter than it otherwise would have been. When labor got harder near the end, she had helpful coping and encouragement techniques. Overall, I appreciated the fact that she enabled me to be my wife's best support. She was very helpful, but remained more in the background and allowed me to be my wife's primary labor partner, which is what we both wanted. I'm so grateful for her presence and it definitely helped provide the amazing, beautiful, and 100% natural birth we desired."
For more information about doulas and dads, please read this Lamaze paper on continuous support during labor!
Click here to watch a great 15 minute film about doulas - what they do and why they are important! If you are looking for information about the specific doula services I provide, and what my fees are, please see my Doula Services page.