• Home
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Appalachian Midwife
  • Services
    • Home Birth
    • Childbirth Classes
    • Prenatal Coaching
    • SneakPeek Clincal
    • Resources
  • Contact
  • Blog
Sage Roots Midwifery
  • Home
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Appalachian Midwife
  • Services
    • Home Birth
    • Childbirth Classes
    • Prenatal Coaching
    • SneakPeek Clincal
    • Resources
  • Contact
  • Blog
Picture
Blog - a place for news, information, & personal thoughts.

So, What Exactly is a Doula?

6/4/2016

0 Comments

 
​A doula is a non-medical professional who assists a woman during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. The word “doula” comes from the Greek and means “a woman who serves.”
Picture
To break it down, a birth doula provides:
  • Information on pregnancy 
  • Birth information and preparation 
  • Birth planning (including a written document)
  • continuous labor support
  • Massage and other comfort measures
  • Understanding about natural labor progression
  • Reassurance and encouragement 
  • Emotional support--a listening nonjudgmental ear
  • Aromatherapy, music meditation CD's, etc.
  • Facilitates communication between you and your provider (doctor or midwife)
  • And more

A postpartum doula provides:

  • Breastfeeding support
  • Bonding support
  • Birth debriefing
  • Light housework/Meal Preparation 
  • Older child care
  • Settling/sleep help with baby 
  • And more

A doula is there to be your companion and guide throughout your journey to motherhood. Doulas aren’t just for mother’s wanting non-medicated or “natural” births, either. Even if you choose to get an epidural or cesarean a doula has the knowledge and resources to support you.
A doula does not:
  • Replace your partner – Your partner/spouse is still a valuable member of your birth team and postpartum support. A doula will simply help them better support you.
  • Speak for you – A doula helps facilitate communication between you and your doctor/midwife. This means she gently reminds you to ask questions for yourself, she doesn’t ever presume to speak for you.
  •  Make decisions for you – Only you can decide what is best for you.
  • Pass judgement – A doula is not biased and does not take things personally. For example, you don’t have to worry about disappointing your doula or hurting her feelings if you aren’t quiet as calm as you’d thought you’d be during birth.
  • Catch/”deliver” babies – A doula is not a midwife and does not perform any clinical tasks that a nurse, doctor, or midwife would do such as administer medication or do vaginal exams/checks.

More questions? Ask me via email or in the comments below. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Laura

    I'm the owner of Sage Roots. Woman, wife, mother, midwife, doula, writer, bookworm, hiker, gamer, & Christian. 

    Categories

    All
    Babywearing
    Beginnings
    Birth
    Birth Stories
    Breastfeeding
    Doula
    Dreams
    Education
    FAQ
    First Trimester
    Guest Blog
    Journey
    Know Your Options
    Labor
    Life
    Midwifery
    Motherhood
    News
    Postpartum
    Pregnancy
    Waterbirth

    Archives

    February 2025
    October 2024
    September 2022
    February 2022
    April 2021
    September 2020
    February 2019
    November 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016

"But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy." - James 3:17

Services

Home Birth​
Classes
​Coaching 
SneakPeek Clinical
Resources

Company

About
Services
Blog

Support

Contact
FAQ

Sage Roots Midwifery

606.344.9023
​[email protected]
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Picture
  • Home
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Appalachian Midwife
  • Services
    • Home Birth
    • Childbirth Classes
    • Prenatal Coaching
    • SneakPeek Clincal
    • Resources
  • Contact
  • Blog