A doula is a certified childbirth assistant whose purpose is to give comfort and aid to parents. (Interestingly, the word doula is derived from an ancient Greek word meaning “servant.”) This person does not give any medical assistance; she helps the expectant couple get through the process of labor and delivery as smoothly as possible.
A doula can also be a great resource in your search for the best primary health care provider for you. An experienced doula is likely to have worked with many health care professionals in your area and will know who are the best and who are most likely to agree to your birth plan requests.
Unlike a physician and even some midwives, the doula stays with the expectant mom unceasingly throughout the labor and delivery. As an ever-present companion, she will shape, guide, protect, and encourage your efforts to make this most important day one that meets your needs and desires.
While the delivery staff is focusing on the baby’s progress and health, the doula can be the one person who can best advocate for your green birth plan decisions. She will know ahead of time exactly what you desire. So if you deliver in a hospital or birthing center, for example, she might bring the organic cotton sheets and gown and exchange them for the facility-issued ones. She might remind the staff about your desire to avoid unnecessary medical intervention, even if the rules consider a procedure “routine.” She is there to provide the pure soaps and cleansers you may have requested, and she will be the one to handle any disagreements regarding your green requests—allowing you to focus on the task of giving birth to your baby.
Research has shown that having a doula present during labor and delivery can indeed reduce invasive and often unnecessary medical interventions. A combined analysis of eleven clinical trials found that when a doula was present throughout labor, there was a 50 percent decrease in cesareans, a 36 percent decrease in the need for pain medication of any kind, a 70 percent decrease in the use of Pitocin, and a significant decrease in the length of labor.2
Doulas offer a wide range of services, including prenatal visits, labor and delivery coaching, and even family visits after the baby’s birth. Their fees, therefore, also vary widely depending on their experience and how much time they actually spend with you; most are not covered by health insurance policies.
If you would like more information about doulas, contact:
• Doulas of North America (http://www.dona.org )
• National Association of Postpartum Care Services (800-45-DOULA)
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