Frequently Asked Questions
What is a doula?
- Doula comes from Greek and means “woman who serves”. A doula is a non-medical professional that comes alongside the birthing woman to support her during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. A doula provides information for birth preparation and planning. She comes with knowledge about birth and the various interventions that can be used. She offers emotional support to be a listening ear that won’t judge. She can also offer physical support in the form of comfort measures during labor and birth. She is a continuous form of support from the start of pregnancy to a few months postpartum. She comes with all sorts of resources to aid in your birthing and parenting experiences.
Do you “replace” my husband/partner?
- No. A doula does not replace any one role in the birthing room. Rather, she supplements as needed. If your partner desires to be more hands on I can teach him the best comfort measures or get ice refills or wash cloths. If he wants to be more hand off I can do physical support while he does emotional support. If you don’t have a partner, I can provide those roles. Primarily I allow your partner to focus on you however that support may look.
Do you deliver babies?
No. As stated above, I do not replace any role and that includes your care provider. I am a non-medical professional. While I am trained in the process of birth and interventions, I am not trained in medical care and will not be performing such tasks. I am informational, emotional, and physical support.
What if I don’t want a natural birth?
That’s fine! I support all births whether that’s planned to be natural, with medications, a cesarean or if unplanned things occur or if you just want to figure it out when we get there. A doula is for any kind of birth and can be necessary or desired under all circumstances.