Frequently asked questions

Your partner deeply cares for you and may be unfamiliar or alarmed by the natural birthing process. Your partner may wish to be very involved, or they may be uncertain of their level of desired involvement. A doula will assure that your needs and those of your partner are met, and offer support for you and your partner so that the laboring individual is continually cared for and their partner may be effectively involved in the manner that best suites the family. A doula will normalize the natural progression of the birth experience, ease fears, and remind you of your goals and strengths, no matter the type of birthing experience you desire.

Yes. Hormones associated with fear and anxiety can stall labor and inhibit the body's natural response to managing pain associated with childbirth. If the mother is continuously accompanied by a calming doula statistics indicate that the length of her labor can be reduced. Among women accompanied by a doula during labor there are fewer requests for pain medication and a decreased likelihood of the need for unwanted medical interventions and caesarean section.

The doula not only provides physical suppport when needed, but also emotional support. She will provide information so that you may advocate for yourself and make the best, informed decisions for yourself and your baby. Epidurals may not work to completely eliminate pain, may delay progress in labor, and may cause a cascade of interventions that may be alarming to mothers. Emotional support and reassurance will encourage feelings of safety and confidence, shorten labor, and create a more pleasant experience generally for the birthing mother to remember, regardless of her medical choices.

No. You will require a midwife or an obstetrician to attend to your medical needs during labor. A doula provides non medical support only, which includes emotional support and physical suggestions for non medical comfort measures. A doula is concerned with a mother's feelings of safety, comfort, and wellness. She does not attend to medical needs, make medical suggestions, or perfrom any medical procedures.