With the right doula, no matter the outcome of your baby's birth, you will come away from it feeling well supported, with no regrets or self doubt.

If you've ever entertained the thought of having a doula attend your birth, chances are you know generally what a doula does. I want to reach the parents-to-be out there whose knowledge of doulas is based mostly on assumptions. There are women out there who think having someone knowledgeable about childbirth would be wonderful to have with them throughout labour, but when they bring it up to their spouses or partners, they are often told that extra help isn't necessary.

If you search through the internet, you will find a lot of information surrounding doulas and their role, a lot of myth debunking, defensive doulas trying to convince people they won't be replacing spouses in the delivery room. You may have read it before, but I'll say it again. It is very important to do the research on your doula. Meeting your doula and making sure your personalities and goals match is extremely important, but it's also crucial to know your doula's training background and experience. With that said, with the right doula, no matter the outcome of your baby's birth, you will come away from it feeling well supported, with no regrets or self doubt.

A doula's role is vast, but here are six summed up ways a doula can help you:

Get You Through Those L

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Help You Avoid Labour Induction or Augmentation
Experienced doulas know that the position of your baby has a lot to do with when labour will start and how it will progress. Most doulas will discuss fetal positioning during a prenatal visit, or provide you with a handout or website link with information and suggestions for you. It is important to be sure that a scheduled induction is actually medically necessary, and that it has more benefit to you or your baby than waiting for labour to occur naturally. Due dates can be off by a couple of weeks, and a mother must weigh the possibility of having a baby who has immature lungs, and may require a stay at the special care nursery. A doula can help you make informed choices by providing you with factual information regarding your specific situation and the possibility of medical induction.

Be a Knowledgeable, Familiar Face in the Delivery Room
Labor and birth can be like a roller coaster with long slow climbs, quick turns, and plummeting falls. Doulas work with you during the last few weeks of your pregnancy to get to know your birth preferences, fears, anxiety and general concerns about birth. When these issues come up during your labor, they are not as much of a surprise and your doula has ways to help you address and overcome them. You may not have the caregiver you have been seeing throughout your pregnancy at your labour and birth, and your nurse will mostly likely be a new face. A doula is a continuity of care provider, so you will build a relationship and establish trust with her that will last throughout this experience and beyond your baby's birth.

Provide Non-Pharmacological Pain Relief
Every trained doula is versed in physical comfort measures and positioning during labor. She will have suggestions for you based on your pain location, can use counterpressure, relaxation massage, hot and cold therapy, breathing techniques, water therapy, music therapy and more. Some doulas are also trained in other areas, such as aromatherapy, herbalism, accupuncture, massage therapy, and reflexology which come in handy when seeking natural pain relief. When you are interviewing doulas, be sure to ask if they have any additional training which may help you during your labour.

Help You Remember
Depending on what has happened during your birth, you may feel foggy, or just unable to recall events in a certain timeframe. Even if your doula has supported you through an unmedicated birth, you may feel like you can't remember much from the time you went into transition until delivery. At your postpartum visit, she can help you remember what happened and give her perspective on what was going on. Chances are your partner was "with you in the moment", and will have problems recalling things exactly as well.

Ease Your Transition Home
If you've had a hospital birth, you are coming home as a larger family for the first time. Things will be different and if your doula offers extended postpartum services, she can help you establish your routine at home. Though services vary by provider, often anything from light housework, to breastfeeding support, to assistance with newborn care are offered. Take advantage of this availability of help, especially if you are away from family and friends, or if family is only around briefly.

Sonya D. has been a labour and birth doula in Canada for four years and is married with two childrenast Weeks
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