Birth Doula services
The term
‘doula’ is Greek for a ‘woman servant’ but has come to mean a woman with
knowledge and experience of childbirth who provides emotional, physical and
informational support to the pregnant and birthing mother and her partner. She
is there to mother the mother, to support her and her partner before, during
and shortly after the birth of their baby. A doula trusts the birth process and
has confidence in the labouring woman’s ability to birth her baby, and wants
nothing more than for the mother to have a positive birth experience.
What does a birth doula do?
While the midwifes’ responsibility is foremost the health of the
mother AND her baby, the doula’s only concern is the emotional needs and
comfort of the mother. The doula stays at the head-end! Most doulas also meet with the mother and often also the
partner well in advance of the due date, so the couple already have a
relationship with their doula and trust has been built. From the conversations the
doula and mother have had leading up to the birth, the doula have a good
understanding of what the mother wants from her birth and any fears she may
have. The doula is often with the mother early on, while she is still labouring
at home, which often results in the mother waiting longer before going to the
hospital which has proven benefits to the labour duration and rate of
intervention. The doula can be a source of information and offer practical support through massages, positive affirmations and give suggestions of natural comfort measures throughout the different stages of labour.
Are there any proven benefits to hiring a doula?
The
scientific evidence of the many benefits of having an experienced female person
present, whose main aim is to support the labouring mother, is quite amazing. Researchers found that continuous doula support led to reductions in caesarean deliveries by
50%, use of forceps by
40%, requests for epidural analgesia by 60%, anda 25% decrease in labour length. More amazingly, the positive effects appear
to be long-term. Studies also show that mothers who have the support of a doula
have an increased chance of successful breastfeeding, a reduced incidence of
post natal depression, and behaves more affectionately with their babies than do the no-doula mothers, even months after the birth (See review in
‘Benefits of a Doula Present at the Birth of a Child’ by Martin T. Stein, John
H Kennel and Ann Fulcher. Pediatrics 2004; 114; 1488-1491)
What will you get from hiring me as a doula?
As a birth doula I will spend time with the expectant mother and her partner and/or support person at a least two or three informal meetings before the due date. I will be available for a minimum of four weeks (staying within an hour of my home), two weeks before and two weeks after the due date. One of the benefits of hiring a doula is that I will be able to come early on in the labour, and can be there to support the mother before it is time to go to the hospital/ birth centre. Typically a visit the next day and also a few days after that (typically one fo the first days after returning home) is included in a standard doula package. For more support outside of this I also offer postpartum doula services, which include breastfeeding support.
What does it cost?
The cost of hiring a doula will depend on the service included, travel distance and the number of visits etc. A standard 'package' which includes 2-3 visits prior to the birth, the birth and a visit within the first few days after the birth (to talk through the birth and breastfeeding in the early days) costs from $600. An initial meeting is recommended and free, and is a way of seeing if we connect. It is very important that you feel at ease with me as your doula. 50% of the fee is payable at out first scheduled meeting, with the rest due at least 2 weeks prior to your due date.
The idea of having an experienced woman at the side of another woman
in labour is as old as childbirth itself, across most cultures. It was, and
in many cultures still is, often the most experienced woman in the
village who took on the doula job. Although advances in obstetrics
have saved many lives, few can argue that as our culture changed birth from
being a family event to a medical event, we also lost a lot. The average
hospital birth in our western culture is a far cry from the calmer and more
‘normalised’ births we see in just about any other culture, cultures where, by
the way, terms like ‘post natal depression’ and ‘breastfeeding problems’, are
often unheard of. It is not certain what mechanism could explain the powerful
and long-lasting effect of doula support on the mother and baby, but it is at
least one step in the right direction, as we as a culture strive to merge the
benefits of medical advancement with a more ‘primitive’, natural and joyous birthing
experience. |
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Fordicia BIRTH 
