What is a Doula?
Doula is a Greek word meaning “a woman who serves”. In regards to labor, a Birth Doula is a person that serves and supports the laboring mother by providing emotional support and physical comfort measures. The goal of the Doula is to help a woman achieve a safe and satisfying birth in accordance to the Mother’s birth hopes and preferences.
Welcome to Earthy Births and congratulations on your pregnancy! In addition to providing helpful links and references (see our Resources page), we provide Birth Doula services along with Pre/Post-Natal Yoga and Massage services.
Clinical studies* show that having a doula for your birth can...
- reduce the length of labor
- reduce the use of pain medication and epidural anesthesia
- reduce the need for obstetric interventions, like pitocin, forceps and vacuum extractor
- reduce the incidence of cesarean section
Further research* finds that mothers who have doulas for their births...
- are more satisfied with their birth experiences
- adjust better to motherhood
- experience less postpartum depression
- have greater success with breastfeeding their new babies
- experience greater self-esteem postpartum
* Source: Position Paper: The Birth Doula’s Contribution to Modern Maternity Care
http://www.dona.org/PDF/BDPositionPaper.pdf
