Q&A
Though doulas have gained increasing popularity, there are still many questions around what a doula does and how she works Below are some commonly asked questions about birth and postpartum doulas.
What is the difference between a midwife and a doula?
A doula is essentially a mother’s maiden. The term, “doula” is an ancient Greek word defining the most important servant in the household who would assist the woman of the house with her childbearing. A doula focuses 100% of her energy toward enabling comfort, relaxation, ease of pain, and peace of mind to the mother. Her only concerns are that of the mother she is assisting. A midwife is trained to deliver babies as well as provides medical attention, medication, prenatal testing, etc. She is concerned with the overall well being of the pregnancy, whereas a doula is specifically focused on the mother.
Why would anyone hire a birth doula? Aren’t there nurses at the hospital who do the same thing?
Women who hire doulas tend to be researchers. They have done their homework, and know that most American hospitals cannot possibly provide non-stop care for a birthing mother! Hospital policies and staff shortages greatly contribute to what many have called an “anti-mother environment” in American hospitals. Nurses have many duties that must be attended to and your presence in their hospital does not make these duties go away. As much as we appreciate nurses, they simply cannot be everywhere at once.
But my hospital is really great…I’m sure I’ll get the best care possible.
It’s wonderful that you feel confident about the place you have chosen to give birth! This is really important for your comfort and level of trust as you are delivering. However, many women don’t think about some important factors that could frustrate them even in the best of hospitals, for instance:
The people you love and trust the most should absolutely be present if this is something you feel strongly about! I have been to births where only one birthing partner was present and others where several were in attendance! Both options are great depending on the mother’s wishes. However, keep in mind that people in the room have not been trained in labor support. They might be holding your hand and encouraging you, but most mothers need much more than that. Husbands are also wonderful people to share this experience with however, its important to remember that dads/ partners are intensely emotionally connected to you and the baby. Though they are playing a different role, they are intimately connected to the birth and all it brings, as well as the mother! Many dads leave their child's birth feeling that they have disappointed their partner because they were not able to provide the rock solid physical, emotional, and verbal support that their partner had expected from them.
Won’t a doula’s presence diminish that special moment of bonding between my husband and me?
I cannot stress this enough: a doula’s job is not to replace but to reinforce and guide a father as he works with the mother through labor and childbirth. I highly encourage the partner to get involved in the pregnancy and the birthing process. I welcome opportunity to work with birthing teams that have trained together and practiced ideas taught in methods such as Bradley (husband assisted birth), Hypnobabies, Birthing From Within, and the like. Having a doula allows you both to stay focused on what is truly important, the connection between you two and the creation of your new family.
I thought doulas only assisted at home births.
Doula’s support mothers in the decisions they make to create the birth they want. More and more mothers are choosing their homes and birth centers as their ideal location to birth yet the majority of women in American still deliver in hospitals. Doulas work within their client's ideal birthing space- wherever that may be.
Can my doula help me before or after the baby is born?
Doulas are available for consults before you give birth and once after. While every doula designs her packages differently, most are open to being hired for additional hours before and after your birth. However Amanda does provide a service that many other birth doulas do not; she is also a certified postpartum doula. This works out really well for her clients because they often find themselves overwhelmed by the newness of motherhood and the emotions involved in the process of giving birth. However, with Amanda as their doula, new moms have someone they trust to turn to for help. As a postpartum doula, Amanda will respectfully and calmly assist you around the house with the things that seem to loom over you, just waiting to get done. Many new moms realize that arranging their schedules and managing their time just isn’t as easy as it used to be, while experienced moms may need a little rest from the duties of caring for older siblings. With Amanda as your doula, these household management tasks can be taken care of without an ounce of worry on your part.
I just don’t have money right now to hire a doula, is there anything I can do?
Yes! Amanda can work with you to create a payment plan or if you are interested in a partial barter, let her know and that might be an option as well. If you are a low income family, a military mother, or a teacher, Amanda offers discounts as needed and expressed by the client.
Here are a few additional resources that I find helpful when answering questions about doulas.
Websites:
www.findadoula.com This is one of my favorite sites for finding out more about doula-assisted births. The site is user-friendly and easy to understand, yet well researched. It also has a wonderful reading list for expectant parents.
http://www.dona.org/mothers/index.php DONA’s site is another one with a lot of research related information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doula Wikipedia offers etymology, references, and additional links relating to doulas.
www.doula.com A very extensive site with several topics covered including how doulas affect fathers in the labor room, how doulas offer support in different birthing facilities, the various types of doulas.
Books:
Mothering The Mother: How A Doula Can Help You Have A Shorter, Easier, And Healthier Birth by Marshall H. Klaus
The Doula Advantage: Your Complete Guide to Having an Empowered and Positive Birth with the Help of a Professional Childbirth Assistant
by Rachel Gurevich
The Birth Partner, Third Edition: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, and All Other Labor Companions (Birth Partner: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, &) by Penny Simkin
The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth by Marshall H. Klaus, John H. Kennell, and Phyllis H. Klaus
Click here to schedule an appointment or ask Amanda a question
What is the difference between a midwife and a doula?
A doula is essentially a mother’s maiden. The term, “doula” is an ancient Greek word defining the most important servant in the household who would assist the woman of the house with her childbearing. A doula focuses 100% of her energy toward enabling comfort, relaxation, ease of pain, and peace of mind to the mother. Her only concerns are that of the mother she is assisting. A midwife is trained to deliver babies as well as provides medical attention, medication, prenatal testing, etc. She is concerned with the overall well being of the pregnancy, whereas a doula is specifically focused on the mother.
Why would anyone hire a birth doula? Aren’t there nurses at the hospital who do the same thing?Women who hire doulas tend to be researchers. They have done their homework, and know that most American hospitals cannot possibly provide non-stop care for a birthing mother! Hospital policies and staff shortages greatly contribute to what many have called an “anti-mother environment” in American hospitals. Nurses have many duties that must be attended to and your presence in their hospital does not make these duties go away. As much as we appreciate nurses, they simply cannot be everywhere at once.
But my hospital is really great…I’m sure I’ll get the best care possible.
It’s wonderful that you feel confident about the place you have chosen to give birth! This is really important for your comfort and level of trust as you are delivering. However, many women don’t think about some important factors that could frustrate them even in the best of hospitals, for instance:
- There will probably be other women in labor at the same time as you; you will not be the center of attention for anyone except for your doula and birthing partner.
- Hospital staff changes shifts. This means that you may have several nurses or doctors attending to you at the beginning of your hospital stay and then a whole new set of personalities will take over. Some women say that this is the worst part about hospital delivery because they will have bonded to a certain nurse or midwife and then they leave, only to be replaced by someone the mother does not “click” with as well. Who else but you doula is trained to stay at your side no matter how long your labor is?
- Often times the most modern and up to date hospitals really encourage hiring a doula. Studies overwhelmingly support doula-attended births. I had a nurse say to me once when she saw me arrive, “We love doulas! They do what we want to do but just aren’t able to with our workload. When we see a mama with a doula we know she is getting the best care possible!”
The people you love and trust the most should absolutely be present if this is something you feel strongly about! I have been to births where only one birthing partner was present and others where several were in attendance! Both options are great depending on the mother’s wishes. However, keep in mind that people in the room have not been trained in labor support. They might be holding your hand and encouraging you, but most mothers need much more than that. Husbands are also wonderful people to share this experience with however, its important to remember that dads/ partners are intensely emotionally connected to you and the baby. Though they are playing a different role, they are intimately connected to the birth and all it brings, as well as the mother! Many dads leave their child's birth feeling that they have disappointed their partner because they were not able to provide the rock solid physical, emotional, and verbal support that their partner had expected from them.
Won’t a doula’s presence diminish that special moment of bonding between my husband and me?
I cannot stress this enough: a doula’s job is not to replace but to reinforce and guide a father as he works with the mother through labor and childbirth. I highly encourage the partner to get involved in the pregnancy and the birthing process. I welcome opportunity to work with birthing teams that have trained together and practiced ideas taught in methods such as Bradley (husband assisted birth), Hypnobabies, Birthing From Within, and the like. Having a doula allows you both to stay focused on what is truly important, the connection between you two and the creation of your new family.
I thought doulas only assisted at home births.
Doula’s support mothers in the decisions they make to create the birth they want. More and more mothers are choosing their homes and birth centers as their ideal location to birth yet the majority of women in American still deliver in hospitals. Doulas work within their client's ideal birthing space- wherever that may be.
Can my doula help me before or after the baby is born?
Doulas are available for consults before you give birth and once after. While every doula designs her packages differently, most are open to being hired for additional hours before and after your birth. However Amanda does provide a service that many other birth doulas do not; she is also a certified postpartum doula. This works out really well for her clients because they often find themselves overwhelmed by the newness of motherhood and the emotions involved in the process of giving birth. However, with Amanda as their doula, new moms have someone they trust to turn to for help. As a postpartum doula, Amanda will respectfully and calmly assist you around the house with the things that seem to loom over you, just waiting to get done. Many new moms realize that arranging their schedules and managing their time just isn’t as easy as it used to be, while experienced moms may need a little rest from the duties of caring for older siblings. With Amanda as your doula, these household management tasks can be taken care of without an ounce of worry on your part.
I just don’t have money right now to hire a doula, is there anything I can do?
Yes! Amanda can work with you to create a payment plan or if you are interested in a partial barter, let her know and that might be an option as well. If you are a low income family, a military mother, or a teacher, Amanda offers discounts as needed and expressed by the client.
Here are a few additional resources that I find helpful when answering questions about doulas.
Websites:
www.findadoula.com This is one of my favorite sites for finding out more about doula-assisted births. The site is user-friendly and easy to understand, yet well researched. It also has a wonderful reading list for expectant parents.
http://www.dona.org/mothers/index.php DONA’s site is another one with a lot of research related information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doula Wikipedia offers etymology, references, and additional links relating to doulas.
www.doula.com A very extensive site with several topics covered including how doulas affect fathers in the labor room, how doulas offer support in different birthing facilities, the various types of doulas.
Books:
Mothering The Mother: How A Doula Can Help You Have A Shorter, Easier, And Healthier Birth by Marshall H. Klaus
The Doula Advantage: Your Complete Guide to Having an Empowered and Positive Birth with the Help of a Professional Childbirth Assistant
by Rachel Gurevich
The Birth Partner, Third Edition: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, and All Other Labor Companions (Birth Partner: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, &) by Penny Simkin
The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth by Marshall H. Klaus, John H. Kennell, and Phyllis H. Klaus
Click here to schedule an appointment or ask Amanda a question