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Should You Consider Using a Doula?
For thousands of years, women have had a friend or family member offering physical and emotional support during delivery. For most of that time, it was a mother, sister, or good friend who provided this support. Today, labor support professionals called doulas (pronounced DOO-lahs; Greek for "woman who serves") are trained to provide the comfort and care women need during labor. They essentially are mothering the soon-to-be mothers.
The services that a doula provides can include:
- Explanations of medical procedures
- Emotional support
- Advice during pregnancy
- Suggestions to make pregnancy more comfortable
- Help with preparation of a birth plan
- Massage and other nonpharmacological pain relief measures
- Positioning suggestions during labor and birth
- Support for partners and other family members during labor
- Communication with the obstetrician to avoid unnecessary interventions
- Help with breastfeeding
- A written record of the birth
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I had a doula and it was the best decision I made for my whole pregnancy! If you have any doubts, questions, concerns, they are there to help you. If the cost seems like too much -- it isn't! They spend so much time with you before the birth and then are there throughout labor and after to check-in on you and the baby. It's worth every penny! The emotional support and massage/accupressure during labor was priceless.
3/31/2010 12:20:00 PM Report Abuse