Seeking Birth Support
What Is A Doula?
Doulas are experienced birth companions who provide physical and emotional support before, during and after the birth. Our doulas are perinatal community health workers who not only specialize in birth and postpartum support, but also offer in-home visitation and community referrals for the families we serve.
Doula Support
The Doula Foundation firmly believes that every family, regardless of their financial means, deserves emotional, physical and informational support before, during and after the birth process. We provide the following services that ease the physical and emotional challenges of childbirth, encourage the bond between parent and child, and provide a sense of empowerment to new and soon-to-be parents.
What is a Community-Based Doula?
A Community-Based Doula is a Perinatal Community Health Worker (PCHW) who provides support before, during, and after childbirth. Our purpose is to help women have a safe and empowering birthing experience.
How Can Doulas Help?
Prenatal Support
Whether you’re a first time mother or are having your fifth baby, the support of a trained community-based doula can make your birth and postpartum experience a more positive and empowered one.
Doulas assist the mother and partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth.
Labor and Birth Support
A birth doula is a professional who provides compassionate, continuous physical, emotional and informational support to a mother (and her partner) before, during and after childbirth to help her achieve her birth goals, and have the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible.
Studies have shown remarkable improved physical and psychological outcomes for both mother and baby when a doula is present in her care and part of her birth team.
Doulas make an impact on the increased well-being of the entire family!
Postpartum Support
Postpartum doulas are there to walk alongside families as they move into their new roles as mothers, fathers, and siblings.
They are trained to understand just what new babies and new mothers need, from companionship to baby care to help around the home.
The doula helps with soothing techniques, breastfeeding or bottle-feeding support, explains normal newborn characteristics, behavior and development and so much more!
In this initial postpartum period, it is important to foster a healthy mother-baby bond and relationship, which will provide a strong foundation for the years to come. The quality of emotional care received after going through the challenges of birth is one vital factor that can strengthen the emotional ties between mother and child.
All members of the family benefit with having a postpartum doula on their team!
What Specifically Does A Doula Do?
Prenatal Support
Postpartum Support
Birth and Labor Support
Our Certified Community-Based Doulas provide:
What are the Benefits?
Women receiving services are:
Studies have shown these results when a Community-Based Doula and PCHW are present:
What about the partner’s role when using a doula?
A doula doesn’t replace the partner’s role, but rather compliments it and enables them to become involved in the birth to the extent they feel comfortable. As doulas, we support the entire family through pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. With a doula present at a birth, mothers can have the best of both worlds with her partner’s care and attention, along with the doula’s knowledge of the process and guidance through the stages of labor.
Click here for some great resources.
Very Important Partner Checklist
Whether you’re a first time mother or are having your fifth baby, the support of a trained community-based doula can make your birth and postpartum experience a more positive and empowered one.
A birth doula is a professional who provides compassionate, continuous physical, emotional and informational support to a mother (and her partner) before, during and after childbirth to help her achieve her birth goals, and have the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible. Studies have shown remarkable improved physical and psychological outcomes for both mother and baby when a doula is present in her care and part of her birth team. Doulas make an impact on the increased well-being of the entire family!
Postpartum doulas are there to walk alongside families as they move into their new roles as mothers, fathers, and siblings. They are trained to understand just what new babies and new mothers need, from companionship to baby care to help around the home. The doula helps you with
soothing techniques
breastfeeding or bottle-feeding support
explains normal newborn characteristics, behavior and development
and so much more!
In this initial postpartum period, it is important to foster a healthy mother-baby bond and relationship, which will provide a strong foundation for the years to come. The quality of emotional care received after going through the challenges of birth is one vital factor that can strengthen the emotional ties between mother and child. All members of the family benefit with having a postpartum doula on their team!
To read more on how doulas can help improve outcomes please visit www.dona.org
Labor and Birth Support
Stay by the side of the laboring mother throughout the entire labor
Provide emotional support, physical comfort measures, an objective viewpoint, and information to make informed decisions during birth
Facilitate communication between laboring mother, partner, and clinical care providers
Post Partum Support
Companionship
Breastfeeding / bottle-feeding support
Breastfeeding Support
Our community-based doulas and perinatal community healthcare workers are trained breastfeeding peer counselors. In addition to our providing in-depth breastfeeding education through our monthly childbirth class series, our doulas give real-time, individualized breastfeeding support to mothers and families in their homes and via phone support. Our doulas support breastfeeding mothers by giving:
Tips on getting a good start to breastfeeding
Assistance with correct latch and positioning
Help with overcoming common barriers to breastfeeding
Encouragement for proper nutrition and hydration for lactation
Help with breastfeeding concerns, including referrals to lactation consultants
Ideas on how family and friends can give support
Education on breast care, feeding patterns, working breastfeeding into their busy life, pumping and storing milk, baby’s cues, and more
IBCLC services are available by appointment.
Baby Care
Explain normal newborn characteristics, behavior and development
Walk alongside families as they move into new roles as mothers, fathers, siblings to foster healthy bonds and relationships to form a foundation for the future
Educational and emotional support during early parenthood
Health assessment screenings
Connection to vital resources
Prenatal Support
Whether you’re a first time mother or are having your fifth baby, the support of a trained community-based doula can make your birth and postpartum experience a more positive and empowered one.
Doulas assist the mother and partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth.
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Labor and Birth Support
A birth doula is a professional who provides compassionate, continuous physical, emotional and informational support to a mother (and her partner) before, during and after childbirth to help her achieve her birth goals, and have the healthiest, most satisfying experience possible. Studies have shown remarkable improved physical and psychological outcomes for both mother and baby when a doula is present in her care and part of her birth team. Doulas make an impact on the increased well-being of the entire family!
Post Partum Support
Postpartum doulas are there to walk alongside families as they move into their new roles as mothers, fathers, and siblings. They are trained to understand just what new babies and new mothers need, from companionship to baby care to help around the home.
What about the partner’s role when using a birth doula?
A doula is supportive to both the mother and her partner, and plays a crucial role in helping a partner become involved in the birth to the extent he/she feels comfortable.
What does a community-based doula cost?
Our mission is to serve all women and their families and we do not want financial need to make services inaccessible to families who desire them. The bond that is created at birth lasts a lifetime and we want everyone to be able to protect that sacred memory. Contact Damaris Glitz, Family Care Specialist, at 417-832-9222 for sliding scale fees and information on financial assistance.
What role does the doula play during birth?
Physicians and nurses are responsible for monitoring labor, assessing the medical condition of the mother and baby, and treating complications when they arise. However, childbirth is also an emotional experience with a long-term impact on a woman’s personal well-being. A birth doula is constantly aware that the mother and her partner will remember this experience throughout their lives. By mothering the mother during childbirth, the doula supports the parents in having a positive and memorable birth experience.
What effects does the presence of a doula have on birth outcomes?
Studies show that the presence of a doula results in shorter labor, a reduced need for pain medication, and improved outcomes for both mother and baby.
In addition, long-term benefits of labor support include:
What effects does the presence of a community-based doula have on babies?
Studies have shown that babies born with community-based doulas present during and in the time surrounding their birth tend to have shorter hospital stays with fewer admissions to special care nurseries, breastfeed more easily and have more affectionate mothers in the postpartum period.
Does a doula make decisions during labor?
A doula does not make decisions for clients or intervene in their clinical care. She provides informational and emotional support, while respecting a woman’s decisions. A doula can provide the information to help parents make appropriate decisions and facilitate communication between the laboring woman, her partner and medical care providers.
Will a doula make the support partner feel unnecessary?
No, a doula is supportive to both the mother and her partner, and plays a crucial role in helping a partner become involved in the birth to the extent he/she feels comfortable.
What is the difference between a community-based doula and a midwife?
Community-based doulas do provide emotional and physical support for the laboring woman and her family and/or postpartum care of the mother and baby, and connection to valuable resources. Doula care has been shown to improve outcomes for both moms and babies in many studies
I’m planning to have an epidural; why should I use a doula?
A doula’s support is not only focused on managing pain during childbirth. She is your advocate throughout your labor and birth helping you and your family with any questions or concerns that may arise, helping you understand what your care providers are saying, and attending to your comfort and needs.
Since pain medication and/or anesthesia don’t always arrive at the exact moment you are ready for it. You may benefit from having a doula support you during contractions until you get the relief you are planning on receiving. Once you have received anesthesia, although you may not be feeling the intensity of the contractions, you are still having a baby.
Your doula will remain with you throughout the birth, as well as the immediate postpartum period to support you and ensure that you and your family’s needs are being met.
I’m planning to have a c-section; why should I use a doula?
Having a cesarean section is still having a baby. Your birth doula serves as support and is an advocate throughout the preparation for surgery. Depending on hospital policies, she may be able to support you in the operating room as well. She will be at your side in the recovery room, can help initiate breastfeeding, and will assist your family with any questions or concerns that may arise, helping you understand what your care providers are saying, and attending to your comfort and needs.
Does a doula replace the nursing staff?
No. Doulas do not replace nurses or other medical staff. Doulas do not perform clinical or medical tasks such as taking blood pressure or temperature, monitoring fetal heart rate, doing cervical examinations, or providing postpartum clinical care. Birth doulas are there to comfort and support the mother and to enhance communication between the mother and medical professionals.