11/15/2022
When I tell anyone I’m a birth doula, one of the main questions I get is “What does a birth doula actually do?”
At the most basic level, we provide continuous emotional, physical, and practical support to women during labor and birth.
What does that actually look like? We are trained to help assist you find the right positions to be in during the different stages of labor including pushing. We are also trained in ways to provide different comfort measures based on what the birthing person needs. We are trained in providing emotional support not only to the birthing person, but also to their partners. Whether it be counter pressure, affirmations, or breathing techniques, we’re always going to follow the mother’s lead and adjust accordingly. We are also here to answer your questions throughout your pregnancy and after birth, providing a true continuity of care.
In a published Cochran review including almost 16,000 women these statistics were found. I will provide links directly to the research and an article that makes the research a bit more digestible. Birth Doulas are evidence-based care.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28681500/
https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/
