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What is a Doula?
The word, "doula," is a Greek word referring to a woman who is experienced in the process of childbirth who provides continuous physical and emotional support for a woman before, during and after childbirth.
A Doula… ♦ Recognizes childbirth as a key life experience that the mother will remember all her life… ♦ Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor… ♦ Assists the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth… ♦ Stays by the side of the laboring woman throughout her entire labor… ♦ Provides emotional support physical comfort measures, an objective viewpoint and helps the woman get the information she needs to make good decisions… ♦ Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and clinical care ♦ Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of her birth experience
The Importance of a Doula… Throughout history, women relied on other women as well as their partners for encouragement and support before, during and after childbirth.
Today, the birth of technology has meant that many women experience birth in unfamiliar settings without constant reassurance. The support and encouragement that a doula provides plays a vital role in childbirth.
Studies confirm that the presence of a doula for labor and delivery resulted in:
*Klaus, Marshall H., M.D., Phyllis Klaus, M.Ed., and John Kennell, M.D., Mothering the Mother. NY: Addison-Wesley, 1993 |
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Sara Marcus ▪ 949 285 3193 ▪ sara@makewomb.com