Birth Doula Services

~ Frequently Asked Questions ~

What is a Doula?

A Doula provides a mother (and father) with emotional and practical support during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postpartum. She can enable and empower a woman to have a more positive and satisfying experience through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. A Doula has experience and knowledge in supporting mothers through labour and birth.

Is there any evidence to show that Doula support can help?

Research has shown that mothers who receive continuous emotional and physical support from a Doula rate childbirth as a less painful and less difficult experience than mothers who do not have the support of a Doula.

The benefits of continuous support provided by a Doula during childbirth have been found to include:

• Shorter labours
• Lower rates of caesarean birth
• Lower rates of forceps and vacuum extraction deliveries
• Reduced rates of medical induction
• Reduced need for analgesia

Mothers who are supported by a Doula have been found to have:

• Lower anxiety scores
• Higher reports of positive feelings around the birth experience
• Higher rates of successful breastfeeding
• Decreased rates of depression
• Improved levels of self esteem
• Increased rates of exclusive breastfeeding

Reference: Scott, Klaus, Klaus, 1999.

Does a Doula replace the support of my partner/husband?

The support offered by a Doula is different to the support offered by your partner.

During pregnancy and labour you and your partner are on an emotional journey together and will soon be meeting your new baby. A Doula is there to offer her experience and wisdom in how to best support the mother through labour and birth.

Sometimes dads can feel a little worried or concerned that a Doula might leave them without a role. In my experience, fathers who experience Doula support at the birth of their children commonly report feeling relieved that the Doula was there to support them as well. A Doula can help dads to understand that what is happening during labour is normal; they can help fathers support the mother through her surges and experience less feelings of stress and anxiety.

During labour Dads can take on many different roles. Some Dads give the back rubs and lots of verbal encouragement; others prefer to have more practical roles like pumping up and filling the birthing pool. Each couple have their own dynamics and boundaries therefore, the roles that Dads take during labour can vary greatly.

The support roles taken on my your partner and your doula are discussed during your pregnancy. I find that this ensures that as your doula I will support you in a way that will complement the support provided by your partner.

Will you give me advice?

As a Doula, I do not offer advice. I offer you information so that you can consider your options and then make your own choices. Your labour and birth experiences are your own and as your doula I support you to make your own decisions. The decisions you make need to be made for what is right for you and your baby.

Do you have insurance?

Yes

Will you support me if I don't birth my baby at home?

I can support you birth you baby at home, in hospital or at a birthing centre. Where you prefer to birth your baby is your decision, as your doula I am supportive of you making your own choices. During our sessions the pros and cons of different birthing environments are explored so that you can come to your own decision about where is the best place for you to birth your baby. Birth is not 'one size fits all' and it is important to find the right options that make you feel most at ease and comfortable.

If a mother who has hoped for a home birth requires a change of plan during labour, I continue to support during the transfer and stay with her throughout the duration of labour and birth, wherever that may be.

Can You Support me if I plan to have a caesarean section?

Some mothers choose to have an elective caesarean and some mothers may need to have a planned caesarean section for medical reasons. I can support mothers to prepare for the birth of their baby and support them during the birth of their baby if they wish. If you are going to birth your baby by caesarean section it may be wise to consider the support of a postnatal doula as this could assist you greatly during your recovery in the early postpartum.

After I have birthed my baby, how long will you stay for?

After you have birthed your baby and then your placenta, I continue to support you until you are settled and feel ready for me to leave. It is usual for me to be around for sometime after birth to help with breastfeeding (if needed), to help you get to the shower and settled into bed. I will also make sure you have something to eat and drink.

If I book a Birth Doula do I still need a Midwife?

A Doula provides practical and emotional support; she does not replace the need for the medical and clinical skills of a midwife. A Doula does not have a clinical role.

I am planning to free birth, can you still support me?

Members of Doula UK do not encourage free birthing. Free birthing can be very risky for mother and baby and members of Doula UK cannot knowingly attend a planned free birth.

What types of births have you attended?

I have attended many home water births and have also supported mothers who have birthed breech babies naturally. Some of my clients have birthed their babies in hospital with a small number of those clients having had an induction of labour. I am experienced in supporting mothers who have have experienced previous birth related traumas and who would like to achieve a more natural and gentle birth experience.

What Doula Training and Qualifications Do You Have?

The first thing I would like to say here is that there is no such thing as a 'qualified' doula. There is no 'doula qualification'. A doula becomes knowledgable by learning through experience and extending her knowledge through attending worshops and courses on relevant topics.

I completed my first doula course with Michel Odent and Lilliana Lammers in 2007. Over 2007 and 2008 I completed a Doula and Birth Educator course with Birthing Wisdom. Both of these courses are recognised by Doula UK.

Additional courses and workshops that I have attended have covered more in depth topics such as Optimal Foetal Positioning, how to support survivors of childhood abuse, supporting mothers and families who are expecting twins or multiples and I have also completed workshops with Birthing From Within.

I have attended local sessions on Postpartum Depression awareness and training through the Unicef Breastfeeding friendly Initiative.

What other skills do you have?

I can offer a range of other skills which are supportive during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum. I offer Massage, Reiki, Flower Remedies and EFT. These can all assist to provide greater relaxation during labour. From July 2011 I will also be incorporating aromatherapy for pregnancy labour and the postpartum.

Placenta encapsulation is offered to support new mothers in the postpartum.

How Does the on-call period work?

The on-call period usually begins two weeks before your baby’s estimated birth date. From the beginning of the on-call period my life revolves around you - my mobile phone is always turned on and it never leaves my side! I stay in the local area and am ready to travel to you when your baby decides it is time to be born.

If it is common for mothers in your family to give birth early or if you had a previous baby who arrived early, this can be discussed and taken into consideration when setting on-call dates. If you birth your baby before the on-call period begins I make every effort to be by your side.

For mothers who decide not to have dating scans, we agree on an on-call start date based on cycle dates.

How do you guarantee that you will be there when I’m in labour?

I go on-call for only one mother at a time. This means that my focus is on my one client and there is no risk that I will need to attend two births at the same time.

When two mothers who are expecting their babies to arrive around a similar time are both insistent on booking me to be their Doula; priority is given on a first come first served basis. It would be highly unlikely that two clients would birth at the same time but it’s possible. In this situation a back-up doula would be arranged to cover any overlap of on-call time.

When is the right time to book a birth doula?

There is no right or wrong time to book a Doula. Some mothers book during their last trimester while others start to explore their options in their first trimester. It can be a good idea to get in touch early to discuss availability around your baby’s estimated birth date and to ask any questions you may have.

I think you might be the right doula for me but I'm not sure because we haven't met. What happens next?

After we have a chat on the phone we can arrange to meet for an informal chat. I can visit you at home or we can meet elsewhere. This visit is free and it gives you a chance to meet me in person. We can discuss your expectations and hopes for your prgnancy and birth and you can ask me further questions and start to get a feel for whether or not I am the right doula to support you and your family. After our meeting I suggest you take some time to talk things through with your partner before making a final decision.