Doula Dos and Don’ts
One of the most frequently asked questions about birth doula’s is simple: what do they do? Are they like midwives?
Unlike midwives, a doula’s role is not clinical. The big difference between the two is that midwives provide medical care, while the doula’s role is to offer physical and emotional support to the laboring mother. Doulas and midwives frequently work together as members of the birth team, however there are a lot of things that midwives do that are outside the doula’s scope of practice.
Doulas do:
1. Provide emotional support
Even doulas need doulas! Birth can at times be a very trying or emotional experience. A lot of women say “I can’t do this!” before their body proves them wrong. A doula offers unwavering support and encouragement during these times, and before. Birth looks different for different people. Past trauma can play a role in a woman’s beliefs about birth, and sometimes just having a space to talk about that can help the mother to process and improve their experience. Having that support person on your birth team provides an additional sense of comfort and safety.
2. Offer information and resources
Familiarizing yourself with the process of birth takes away a tremendous amount of fear: the unknown. When you are informed about the process, you can identify what is happening and the purpose behind it. A doula can help you feel more confidently prepared for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. They can give you the tools you need to be able to make informed decisions based on your family's needs. Doulas also familiarize themselves with what resources are available to their community. They can refer you to a prenatal yoga class, a chiropractor, or even a newborn photographer.
3. Advocate for the mother
In a hospital setting, doctors and nurses’ role is to tend to the physical process of birth. This can sometimes leave mothers feeling isolated in their experience, or like a passive participant in the birth. The doula takes time throughout the pregnancy to build a relationship with the birthing woman, getting to know them and their unique wishes or needs for the birth. When it comes time for the birth, the doula’s role is to help make it go as smoothly as possible. While they can’t guarantee everything will go according to plan, they can tend to the mother’s specific needs and help to communicate them with medical professionals.
4. Encourage empowerment
A doula can assist in writing a birth plan. Although some things may not go as planned, having your intentions mapped out can provide a sense of control. If there are things that you can do to work toward your desired outcome, taking those measures can help mothers feel more empowered in birth. By providing mothers with unbiased information, doulas give them the tools necessary to take their birth into their own hands, and to feel confident in their ability to bring their child into the world.
5. Assist with comfort measures
When birthing requires all of your attention, the doula is there to attend to your needs. A doula may apply heat, cold, or counter pressure. They can assist with positioning and breathing. Doulas can also manage the environment by dimming the lights, playing calming music, lighting candles, or just protecting the birth space from unwanted disruptions.
Doulas don’t:
Provide medical advice
Doulas are not medical professionals, therefore they can not diagnose their clients, prescribe anything to them, or perform clinical tasks. Medical advice is best left to trained professionals, such as a midwife, nurse, or doctor.
2. Make decisions on behalf of the mother
Doulas do not tell you what your birth should look like, or what measures you should follow. They provide you with information that can help you to make decisions that best suit your family’s unique wishes or needs.
3. Override medical professionals
Doulas are not in battle against medical professionals, they are simply a valuable addition to the birth team. As a doula, I respect the trained medical professionals that care for families during this time, and my goal is to work with them toward the same goal: a happy and healthy mother and baby.
4. Impose personal beliefs
There are a lot of different beliefs and opinions to be had about pregnancy and birth. It is okay to have them, but doulas understand that they are not attending their own birth. Every family should receive unbiased care and support. The doula’s job is not to promote their own personal ideals about birth, but to let the family guide based on their beliefs.
5. Guarantee specific birth outcomes
While doulas have shown to statistically reduce rates of birth via cesarean, it would be irresponsible to promise a family that it won’t happen. Doulas inform families about all birth outcomes, that way they have that sense of comfort if things don’t go according to plan. There are a lot of factors at play in the birth space, and no specific outcome is guaranteed. Preparing families for this possibility is important.
