What is a doula?
Definition
Doulas are non-clinical professionals who provide birthing individuals and families with physical, emotional, and informational support.
Benefits
A meta-analysis of four randomized clinical trials found that having a doula can reduce labor time, cesarean delivery, and forceps use during delivery. Doula care can also decrease the risk of preterm birth and increase breastfeeding among mothers. In a cost-effectiveness study done in 2016, researchers found that doula care could save 58.4 million dollars a year for Medicaid due to the doula’s association with reduced preterm births and cesarean deliveries. Doulas have also been shown to improve patient satisfaction and self-efficacy (6,7,8). In 2008, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published a study evaluating 41 birth practices. They found doula care to be one of the most effective birth practices making doula care one of three practices to receive an “A” grade. The other two practices were training of birth assistants and birthing in an upright position. Additionally, in 2014, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine released a joint statement where they deemed continuous labor and delivery support “one of the most effective tools to improve labor and delivery outcomes” mentioning doulas specifically.
Types of Doulas
There are many different types of doulas. I am trained as a birth and postpartum doula with additional training in pregnancy and infant loss. Below is a list of a few types of doulas to be aware of:
Birth Doula: provide emotional, physical, and informational support to a person before, during, and just after childbirth. They offer continuous care to help individuals and families navigate the birthing process, offering comfort measures, advocacy, and guidance.
Postpartum Doula: assist families in the post-birth period, typically during the first few weeks to months after a baby is born. They offer practical support with tasks like feeding, baby care, household chores, and emotional support for the new parent(s). They aim to ease the transition into parenthood and promote well-being for both parents and baby.
Bereavement Doula: provide compassionate support to individuals and families experiencing pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or infant loss. They offer emotional support, validation of feelings, assistance with memory-making activities, and guidance through the grieving process. Bereavement doulas aim to provide comfort and solace during a profoundly difficult time.
Fertility Doula: support individuals or couples who are navigating fertility challenges or undergoing fertility treatments. They offer emotional support, information about fertility options, assistance in decision-making, and help in accessing resources such as support groups or fertility clinics. Fertility doulas aim to provide guidance and support on the journey towards conception or alternative paths to parenthood.
Accessibility
Doulas are instrumental in improving maternal health but they are a resource that is not often easily accessible. In a 2012 survey researchers found that only 6% of birthing women in the U.S. said they used a doula during childbirth. Of the women in the survey who did not utilize a doula, 27% said they understood the type of care that doulas provide and wished they had one during childbirth. Virtual doula services are an avenue that I have utilized to increase accessibility to doula services. Check out this page to learn more about my fully virtual doula services!
