A birth doula also helps with:
Many studies have shown that the addition of a doula to a woman’s birth team can benefit the mother in numerous ways.
A Cochrane review updated in 2012 compiled data from 22 trials of 15,000 women whose birth experiences included women who had different kinds of continuous support during labor or none at all.
The results? Women who had continuous support, especially from a doula, were more likely to have spontaneous vaginal births and less likely to have any pain medication, vacuum or forceps-assisted births, c-section, or negative feelings about childbirth.
If interventions are medically necessary, a doula can help support the mother emotionally so she can have a positive birth experience despite changes in her birth plan. She also can find ways to make it more natural in the midst of interventions.
A midwife is a trained medical professional educated and trained in a clinical setting and certified (in the US) through MEAC (Midwifery Education Accreditation Council). She can typically provide family planning, infant care, women’s health care, prenatal, and birthing care as well as prescribe some medications and give yearly gynecological exams. In a birth, midwives typically stay with the mama once she’s in late/active labor or in transition and delivers the baby.
A doula, on the other hand, is with you from the onset. Unlike a midwife, a doula is a childbirth professional that does not necessarily have medical training (though some do), but is trained in the physiological process of childbirth. Her scope of practice is limited to emotional, physical, and informational support, which means she is available to focus on mothering the mother instead of clinical tasks.
Doulas don’t take the place of partners during birth. Instead, they can work with your partner to give you support. Your doula can massage your back while you lean on your partner, or she can take their place when they need to rest, eat, or use the bathroom.
Some families may choose to include a doula in their team so that the partner/dad isn’t the main birth coach. Doulas can be helpful during the pushing phase if dad plans to catch the baby. She can also provide a wealth of information based on her experience attending previous births, which can aid both mama and papa.
Many doulas will set up a payment plan, or sliding scale for those who can’t afford it. Also, your insurance company may cover the cost (considered preventative care) since the presence of a doula can reduce your risk of a C-section.