The Surprising Benefits of Hiring a Doula
There are a lot of things to think about when creating your birth plan. Hell, there are a lot of things to think about during your pregnancy, period. But navigating the process doesn't have to feel so daunting, quite the opposite, in fact.
You have the power to make your pregnancy anything you want it to be, and hiring a doula can be the best decision you make for you and baby in the early days. Surprisingly to many, the benefits of hiring a doula go way beyond just holding your hand during labor.
A Doula's Role
First, let's talk about what doulas do because it's hard to see the benefits of hiring a doula if you are unsure of their role. Generally speaking, as companions, their job is to provide continuous physical and emotional support during labor and birth. How can this really benefit you – especially if you have a partner?
A support outside of the medical team.
Your medical team will perform clinical tasks, examinations and provide medical advice. A doula on the other hand is someone who continuously cares for your comfort during labor using various methods such as assisting with water therapy, helping you to and from the bathroom, and creating a calm environment by adjusting music, lights and temperature.
Emotional Companionship.
Doulas hold space for the birthing person and allow them to feel cared for, which heightens their sense of self-esteem and empowerment. Caring for the mother's emotional health can enhance the ability to have positive birth memories for both the mother and their partner. They also provide you with non-bias, non-judgmental information in easy-to-understand terms so you feel more empowered to make decisions as they come up.
Empowering you in your new role.
Labor and delivery may be a time and place where you and your partner already feel stress and uncertainty. A doula is there to help you advocate for yourself and give you more confidence in the moment to make decisions about your own body and baby.
The surprising medical benefits of hiring a doula
Now that you have an idea of the kinds of things that a doula can do, you’re probably wondering if that kind of support is really necessary, and if it really provides value to your birthing experience.
Well, the proof is in the pudding friend. When continuous labor support is provided by a doula, mothers experience major enhancements to their labor and delivery experience:
The risk of Cesarean decreased by 39%.
Spontaneous vaginal births increased by 15%.
The use of medications for pain relief decreased by 10%.
On average labor was reduced by 41 minutes.
The risk of a low Apgar score was decreased by 38%.
When mothers experienced continuous support provided by a doula (not hospital staff) there was a 31% decrease in the risk of dissatisfaction with the birth experience.
But what does this actually mean? Looking deeper into the benefits of hiring a doula and past the statistical evidence, what are doulas doing to help achieve these outcomes?
The ins and outs of a doula’s role in your pregnancy and birth.
Every birth experience is personal but striving for a positive experience tends to be a major goal for most mothers and their partners. And of course, having a safe and healthy baby.
The biggest benefit of hiring a doula is that it dramatically increases the likelihood of a positive birth experience that results in a healthy, happy baby AND new parent. Let’s take a deeper dive into what doula’s do exactly to help make that happen.
Emotional support for you and your partner.
A lot is going on during labor, and pregnancy hormone fluctuations (and those feelings that go right along with the hormones!) can sometimes be overwhelming for our partners.
A doula can hold space for you and your partner and help you both navigate that space beyond what your partner can do alone. A doula provides you both an opportunity to just BE with your feelings. Having that non-judgmental ear to listen and express yourself will be a pivotal – and greatly appreciated - part of the process.
Birth preparation help.
Then there is the birth prep. Whether this is your first birth or fifth, a doula will sit with you to provide information and plan out the things you need and desire for your pregnancy and birth.
Navigating pregnancy can be both exciting and intimidating, so having a knowledgeable doula to give you tips, tools and advice, greatly eases the mental and physical strain of preparing for birth.
Advocacy.
Let's not forget about having that someone in your corner to teach you how to advocate for yourself. This doesn't mean they make decisions for you, but when you are wrapped up in the moment and need to make some pretty important decisions, having someone there to be your guide is comforting. This can mean explaining options in an easy digestible way that makes sense to you in between contractions.
Let's face it, during labor we are pretty focused on the process happening inside of our bodies, so having someone calmly explain options is very reassuring. Most doulas are great for amplifying your preferences when not everyone is listening because they have been supporting your family for months and have grown to deeply understand your preferences. Supporting your decisions reduces your stress and allows you to focus on your labor.
Provides physical comfort.
As I touched on at the start of this post, doulas do wonders at providing that physical support. They understand what you prefer and what you desire in your space during labor and make all the adjustments you need, such as modifying light and sound levels, using soothing language and touch.
These are things that many people in labor need and some partners don't necessarily know how to do. It leaves one less thing for partners to have to worry about, so they can focus more on their own emotions and on providing you with the love and support they know how to give. Or for more hands-on partners, a doula may provide suggested techniques to try. Doulas support partners, too. #worktogether
Amazingly, in today's climate, having a virtual doula can still offer almost all of these benefits! From educating you about your options, prompting your partner, to providing emotional support, to guiding you through advocating for yourself and your desires, a virtual doula experience is totally possible and growing more and more popular.
Looking for more information on the benefits of hiring a doula? Sign up for my free pregnancy & birth resources here!