Why a Doula?
“…Continuous support [in labour by a doula] was most effective when provided by a woman who was neither part of the hospital staff nor the woman’s social network…”
–The Cochrane Collaboration, 2017
Whether you have a midwife or a doctor, your doula is the only person on your support team whose sole role is to be by your side calming you down when you feel afraid or anxious, suggesting ways of coping in moments when you don’t know what to do, asking questions to help you learn what decisions you feel most comfortable with and taking care of your extended support so that you can bring your full mind to your birth experience.
In a sense, your doula is like your labour and postpartum Sherpa. She is your guide through the big change that is childbirth and becoming a parent.