What Is A Doula And How Can They Help My Growing Family?
Doulas provide a range of support and knowledge to the birthing person and their family.
Beginning Your Birthing Journey
Doulas, midwives, lactation consultants, nurse-midwife, and OB/GYNs. There are many terms and prenatal care practitioners that you’ll hear about throughout your fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum journey. While having all of the information helps you make a decision, it can feel overwhelming when you’re not sure where to start.
At Fearless Wellness Centre, our team of practitioners includes doulas, social workers, counselors, lactation educators, and registered massage therapists. For many of our clients, the first person you’ll meet and book with is our Fearless owner, Anna, who is also a full spectrum doula.
What Is A Doula?
According to DONA International, a doula is a “trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a [birthing person] before, during, and shortly after childbirth to help [them] achieve the healthiest and most satisfying experience possible.”
We like this definition but we think it could be better!
At Fearless, a doula is someone who:
Knows about you, your needs and wants, birthing plan, and past experiences
Offers emotional support by empowering the birthing person
Encourages you and your family throughout your journey
Helps you understand situations throughout your fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum journey
Can share information on medical options and procedures
Offers physical support such as massage, reflexology, rebozo techniques, and counter pressure
Helps create a calming birthing environment and experience
Can suggest birthing techniques including positions, movements, relaxation techniques, and much more
Provides support to your partner and encourages the role of your birth partner in your birth
Can help you advocate by encouraging you to ask questions, ask for what you want, educate you about your options, and support your decisions
Our team is here to help support you and your family throughout your birth and support all your birth choices.
Evidence To Support A Doula’s Involvement
There is a growing amount of evidence that supports the involvement of a doula or care person in the perinatal and postpartum experience.
In 2017, a study combined the results of 26 trials and included more than 15,000 people. This study compared support during labour and delivery by a member of the hospital staff, women who were not part of the hospital staff or the birthing person’s social network (such as a doula), a female from the birthing person’s social network, and no continuous support (for example a partner not being in the delivery room).
Individuals that receive continuous support were more likely to experience a:
25% decrease in the risk of Cesarean delivery
8% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth
10% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief
Shorter labour by 41 minutes on average
38% decrease in the baby’s risk of low five minute APGAR score
31% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience
As well, there was no evidence for negative consequences to continuous labour support.
This study also compared if the person who provided continuous support made a difference. The study found that the best results happened when someone who was not on the hospital staff or part of the birthing person’s social network - such as a doula - provided continuous care!
How Can A Doula Support Me And My Growing Family?
This is a great question and we wish more people asked it! There are a lot of options to consider when deciding your pregnancy and birth plan.
Examples of items to consider in your birth plan include:
A medicated or unmedicated experience
Vaginal or Cesarean (C-section) delivery
Birthing at home, at a centre or in the hospital
Using specific birthing positions
The use of medical interventions
Chestfeeding or formula feeding
Who you’d like to have with you during your labour and/or delivery
A doula can help you understand these options and determine what your preferences are. This plan can change and a doula will help you advocate for your wants. It’s important to remember that no choice is the wrong choice because it’s your body, decision, experience, and family. Our team is here to support your decisions.
Doulas may also have additional training and certifications. You may see doulas have training in:
Reiki
Reflexology
Massage therapy
Lactation
Prenatal education
Rebozo
Spinning Babies
Pelvic floor and core health
Cloth diapering
Counselling
Bereavement/loss support
We recommend researching doula agencies, such as Fearless Wellness Centre, to help you take advantage of multiple practitioners and services under one centre. Working with a doula agency means you can find the right doula to support your journey, family, and the type of experience you’re looking for while accessing additional services offered by other practitioners at the same centre.
How Are The Fearless Doulas Different?
Our Fearless doulas are more than just your average doulas! Our team carries multiple certifications and works together as a team to support you, your family, and each other.
Learn more about our team and what services we offer.
The Fearless doulas are experienced in all types of pregnancies including surrogacy journeys, multiples, hospital births, and home births. We provide full spectrum care and support from pre-conception through the postpartum period including bereavement and pregnancy loss support.
Fearless Wellness Centre also works as a doula agency so our families receive more support. Through our agency model, our Fearless families have support at all points of their fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum journey.
This means you:
Always have a doula available
All of your prenatal and postpartum services are provided under one centre
We work as a team and use our different educations and experiences to provide you with the best possible support
Don’t need to tell your story multiple times - our team knows you, your family, and your needs
Your doulas also have support
We can offer better birth and postpartum care support as we provide support together
Ready to work with our fantastic team of Fearless doulas? Apply for a doula now!
