Should I Have a Doula If....

I sometimes get questions from prospective clients about different birthing experiences and whether or not they would need/want a doula in that situation. Here I am going to answer those and explain why a doula is useful and valuable in any situation.

Should I Have a Doula If.... I am having a home birth/birth center birth with a midwife? 
Yes!!! Although at times the roles of doula and midwife overlap, they still have distinct areas of focus. The midwife is primarily focused on the health of the mother and baby, and the clinical aspects of birth. She needs to monitor heart rates and blood pressure, catch the baby, and all that comes along with that. If in a birth center, the midwife will also have other clients and will not be able to stay with the laboring mom at all times.

The role of the doula is the same in every birth situation: to focus on the emotional well being and physical comfort of the mom. The doula doesn't have any other clients to focus on, and does not need to address the medical aspect of birth. She is there solely to encourage, support, and take care of mom and partner. She helps keep mom relaxed and provides physical comfort in the form of massage, hot/cold packs, hip squeezes, & gentle touch. She knows the relaxation techniques and birth preparations the parents have done and helps them employ them. (i.e. Hypnobabies, Lamaze, etc).

Here is a great excerpt from this article: "The doula is concerned with the mother’s emotional experience first and foremost. The midwife must be concerned with the health and safety of the mother and her baby first and foremost. The doula is a peer, like a new friend with experience in birthing."

Should I Have a Doula If.... My supportive and loving husband/partner is going to be there? 
Yes!!! The doula is not there to take the place of the mom's partner. To the contrary, the doula is there to support both the mother and the partner. Birth can be a long process! Some ways the doula can support the partner are by letting them take a break for a nap or meal, making sure they are also staying calm and are doing well emotionally, and helping them support the mom by showing them techniques to try.. to name a few.

The other difference between the doula and partner is that the doula is a trained birth professional. She has experience in the physiology and process of birth. She knows all the tips and tricks to comfort mama, positions to try to make labor go faster, and can help explain procedures. She has experience and has been at several other births. She knows the different methods of childbirth preparation and can help remind mom and partner of what they learned in their childbirth class. 

A doula knows that the husband/partner knows and loves mom and baby the most! She is there to support the whole family unit so that everyone can have a beautiful experience. 

Should I Have a Doula If.... This is my second, third, fourth child? 
Yes!!! Every single birth experience is different. Every baby has a unique passage to birth and the mama should have support every.single.time. Things might occur in your third birth that never happened in the first two. You may have different wishes for subsequent births. You may be giving birth in different settings. You may have different emotions this time around. Your baby may be in a different position. Each new birth is a new adventure!

Bottom line, loving support is an essential ingredient in every birth.