If you are wondering what (or, more appropriately, who) a doula is, you have come to the right place. More and more families are using the services of doulas during and after births, both at home and in a hospital setting. The following is a brief explanation of who doulas are and what they can do for you.
A doula is a trained professional who provides useful information as well as physical and emotional support for a pregnant woman during or after the birth of the baby. There are birth doulas and postpartum doulas, and each provides services during the period of time that their name would imply.
A birth doula can help you create a birth plan. That same doula can be there to support you as you work through it when the time comes. Doulas can help you to be more comfortable during labor and delivery because they know techniques that can be useful in different situations to help ease various types of discomfort during labor. Your partner may enjoy having a doula be a part of your family’s birth experience so that they can participate at their own level of comfort while knowing that your needs are being tended to by an experienced professional. Birth doulas can also help to facilitate communication among the any medical personnel and family members who are present at the birth.
Postpartum doulas help with newborn care, family adjustment, and sometimes even cooking and light housework. They can be a valuable source of information about how to deal with situations like breastfeeding problems and balancing baby care with self care and taking care of the home.
Doulas are very, very helpful people. If you think that you may benefit from the services of a doula, why not go online and check out whether there are any doulas offering services in your local area.
Photo by xenia on morguefile.com.