WHAT IS A DOULA The word ‘doula’ (pronounced ‘doo-la’) is a Greek word meaning ‘woman servant or caregiver’. More recently, it refers to someone who offers emotional and physical support to a woman and her partner before, during and after childbirth. A doula (also known as a birth attendant) believes in ‘mothering the mother’, enabling a woman to have the most satisfying experience that she can, from pregnancy and into motherhood. This type of support allows the whole family to relax and enjoy the experience too. WHAT DOES A DOULA DO? A doula may provide some or all of the following, dependent on her training and skills (she may be more than just a doula – some doulas are also qualified in other therapies): •Birth education and preparation •Birth planning (including creating a written birth plan/birth preferences document) •De-briefing previous births •Massage and other comfort measures •Optimal foetal positioning •Suggest positions and changes to help ease pain and facilitate a smoother, more effective labour •Provide reassurance and encouragement •Talking through emotional blockages which may come up in labour •Keep your ‘environment’ going – aromatherapy, music, candles etc. •Assisting you with negotiation of your preferences for birth if what you want and the hospital wants differs •Photography and/or video if you wish to have momentos of your partner supporting you, the birth itself and those precious first moments as a family, together •So much more For more info on Doulas and Hypnobirthing courses contact Anna Marie Doula Song at [email protected]
Posted on: Mon, 15 Jul 2013 07:20:44 +0000