I’m giving birth at a birth center. Do I really need a doula?
The doula question comes up often during our tours and childbirth classes. You’ve made the decision to deliver at a free-standing birth center under the care of expert midwives who believe in the body’s natural ability to give birth and offer plenty of support and emotional reassurance. Do you still need a doula?
We love having doulas as part of the support team at Andaluz, and we’ll tell you why below.
What is a doula?
A doula [“doo-la”] is a labor support professional. You can think of them like coach or guide. If you prefer a more poetic metaphor, they are your sherpa on the trek of labor.
Doulas provide support during pregnancy, continual in-person support during labor, and support during the first few weeks postpartum.
What is the difference between a doula and my midwife?
Midwives are highly skilled medical providers. During labor, their primary job is to ensue that both you and your baby are safe, healthy, and thriving. They frequently check your vitals, monitor the progress of your labor, and listen to the baby’s heart rate. After labor they ensure your baby is transitioning well to life outside of the womb and that your bleeding is within normal range. They’re ready to jump in and provide medical support whenever it may be needed.
Doulas are not medical professionals. They cannot do tasks like checking cervical dilation, placing IVs, or listening to your baby’s heart rate.
Doula support can be broken down into three components:
Educational support - Certified doulas have completed extensive training and can pass along the benefit of their knowledge and experience to you and your partner. They will meet with you several times before your baby is born to help you prepare.
Emotional support - Doulas are there to cheer you on, providing you with encouragement and normalizing the birth process.
Physical support - Doulas are skilled at many massage and counter pressure techniques and will provide you with continuous hands-on support to help you cope with labor.
What is the role of a doula for out-of-hospital birth?
One significant benefit to having a doula is that they can help you labor at home before you come to the birth center. This support during early labor can be critical, with doulas able to offer suggestions to encourage labor progress, suggestions for helpful positions and actives, and reminders to rest and nourish yourself.
An experienced doula is also able to help you gauge the progress of your labor and help you decide when it is time to head in to the birth center.
Once you arrive at the birth center, your doula continues to be a vital part of your support team. Because midwives have to be ready to intervene in case of a medical emergency, they are careful to protect their energy levels so they are always alert. This might mean, especially in the instance of a long labor, that your midwife may take breaks to rest. Your doula can stay with you continuously, and provide you with the kind of intense physical support you might desire in the form of counter pressure, massage, and positioning.
Will a doula come between me and my partner during labor?
Many people chose to give birth at a birth center because they value their privacy. They want their baby’s birthday to be an intimate experience, and they worry that adding another person to their support team will detract from that.
Doulas are very understanding of the importance of intimacy during labor and respect the bond you have with your partner. Doulas know a lot about labor, but your partner knows a lot about you.
A doula will work with your partner by educating them and giving them suggestions on how best to help you, so that even a first-time birth partner will provide expert level support.
If your labor is long, your doula can also provide your partner with much needed breaks for rest, food, and coffee, while ensuring your needs for physical and emotional support are still met.
Doulas can also provide support directly to your partner by helping to normalize the birth process, assuring your partner that you are safe, and providing context to what you are going through based on their experience .
Is the Andaluz Birth Assistant the same thing as a doula?
Your birth at Andaluz is attended by one of our midwives and one of our birth assistants. The birth assistant is there to support the midwife by helping with medical tasks, like charting and tracking vitals.
Our birth assistants provide a lot of support for clients, but they are not the same thing as a doula, since they do not meet with you before your baby is born, do not help you prepare for birth, and do not join you at home in early labor.
How do I find a doula?
Word of mouth recommendations are often the best way to find a trusted doula. Ask your friends, family, or even an local online parenting community!
If you don’t personally know anyone who has used a doula, you can also try searching DoulaMatch.net, take a look at our Community Resources page, or send an email to Callai at callai@waterbirth.net for referrals.
