A doula collective serving the greater philadelphia area
What is a doula?
A birth doula is a trained and educated assistant who offers continuous support throughout labor and delivery. A doula can help an expecting family in many ways, including acting as a resource of knowledge, offering assistance in creating a birth plan, and providing referrals to valuable resources in our area. During labor the doula assists with emotional, physical and informational support and encouragement, comfort measures, position suggestions, and can facilitate communication between you and your care provider. A doula does not replace the woman’s partner, rather she provides additional support and guidance to both mother and partner. In short, a doula can empower a woman to give birth the way that she desires.
Evidence-based research demonstrates the many benefits of having a doula. The Cochrane Systematic Review is a case study of over 15,000 women indicating that continuous labor support is beneficial for both the mother and child. In addition, the updated review concluded that continuous labor support produces the greatest benefit when provided by someone who is neither a member of the hospital staff nor a person in the woman’s social network, such as a doula.
The benefits of having a doula include:
- greater satisfaction with your birth experience
- shorter labor
- lesser likelihood of an epidural
- lesser likelihood of a c-section
- lesser likelihood of vacuum extraction or forceps
- lesser likelihood of postpartum depression
- enhanced breastfeeding
For more information, please visit the Childbirth Connection website.