“If I don’t know my options, I don’t have any.”
Diana Korte

 

A doula is a birth companion. A non-medical helper during birth. A coach. A reassuring presence during the most intense transition of your life. We provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to families from pregnancy through the postpartum period.

A birth doula can help you make a plan for your birth and help you achieve your goals. Although our support is non-medical, we use knowledge of physiological birth to suggest positions that help labor progress and provide hands-on comfort techniques. We support partners and prioritize protecting the birth experience for the whole family. Providing evidence-based information is the first step. This way, you can make informed choices that are right for you and your family.

 

What’s the big deal?

 

There are many benefits to hiring a doula for your birth. Families who hire a doula as part of their team are more likely to have a spontaneous vaginal birth and shorter labors, are less likely to need pain medications or other interventions during labor, have lower rates of postnatal mood disorders, and most importantly, are more likely to rate their experiences positively.

Bohren et al. published a Cochrane review in 2017 which supports these claims. According to the study, continuous doula support can:

  • Reduce cesarean rate by 28%
  • Reduce the use of pitocin (synthetic oxytocin) by 31%
  • Reduce requests for pain medication by 9% 
  • Increase the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth
  • Decrease the risk of newborns being admitted to a special care nursery by 14%
  • Decrease the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience by 34%

 

Does support end after the birth? 

 

No! The postpartum period is an adjustment for everyone involved. Postpartum doulas help you and your families after the birth to transition into your new roles. We continue to provide educational support to help you make informed parenting decisions. We offer support for parents and older siblings. We also offer lactation and bottle feeding support. Most importantly, we provide practical support such as helping with household tasks and meal prep so that you can spend those precious early weeks getting to know your new baby. Postpartum doulas also offer overnight support so that new parents can catch up on some much needed sleep in those early days.