What is a Doula?
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What is a Doula? An educational look at the doula profession in Nova Scotia by the Nova Scotia Doula Association (Amy MacAulay and Kylie Field)
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What is a Doula?
- 1. What is a Doula and How Can They Help Me? Presented by Amy MacAulay CD(DONA) and Kylie Field PCD(DONA) June 2012
- 2. What is the NSDA? The NSDA is a Canadian non-profit association that supports the growth and education of the doula profession in Nova Scotia. We are dedicated to providing educational opportunities for doulas, as well as increasing awareness to the public and healthcare communities about the positive effects a doula brings to both the childbirth and postpartum experience. We strive to make the presence of a doula during labour, birth and the postpartum period, a common occurrence in Nova Scotia.
- 3. Birth Doulas A doula (pronounced doo-la) is a trained, experienced childbirth attendant who provides information and continuous non-medical support, including physical and emotional comfort measures, to a mother or couple before, during and immediately after birth. Prenatal Education Support during entire labour and immediate postpartum period Postpartum Support
- 4. Birth Doulas: Prenatal Education • Information is empowering - anxiety about birth is often based on the unknown • Helps you to learn about all of your options • Gives you time to practice, get clear on your intentions and envision yourself succeeding • Provides you with a reliable source for information and resources
- 5. Birth Doulas: Support during entire labour and immediate postpartum period • Someone knowledgeable, with whom you have built a trusting relationship, supporting your intentions for your birth experience • Someone who will be your advocate and help you navigate your way through the medical system • Someone familiar who will be by your side for your entire labour and delivery • Someone who is trained in various comfort measures (emotional and physical) and is able to help find what works best for you as your progress through labour
- 7. Benefits of continuous support as outlined by The Cochrane Review: Less likely to: • have an epidural or other "regional" analgesia • use any type of pain medication (including narcotics) • give birth by cesarean section • give birth with vacuum extraction or forceps • be dissatisfied with or give a negative rating to their childbirth experience (Hodnett and colleagues 2004).
- 8. Birth Doulas: Postpartum Support • Continuity of care • Continued comfort and support during 3rd Stage and also if there is any suturing required after delivery • Trained professional to support your efforts with breastfeeding
- 9. Postpartum Doulas A postpartum doula is a trained, experienced professional who provides non-medical emotional, informational and practical support to a mother or couple during the postpartum period. Postpartum Doulas often have expertise in breastfeeding support.
- 10. Role of a Postpartum Doula • Provides non-judgmental emotional and practical support • Provides breastfeeding support • Provides evidenced-based information on newborn care • Is a source for information on Community Resources • Provides household organization and light errands (light cooking, laundry etc.) • Helps ensure a smooth transition with the new addition to your family
- 11. Families who hire Postpartum Doulas: • Feel more secure and cared for • Have greater success with breastfeeding • Have greater self-confidence confident parents = confident kids • Have less postpartum depression
- 12. Resources Print: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn, Penny Simkin, Janet Whalley, Ann Keppler The Birth Partner, Penny Simkin The Baby Book, Dr. William Sears, Martha Sears HRM Birth, Prenatal & Postnatal Family Resource Guide Breastfeeding Basics, Public Health Servies. NS Health Promotion. Breastfeeding Made Simple, Kathleen Kendall Tackett, Nancy Mohrbacher. Dr. Jack Newman’s Guide to Breastfeeding, Dr. Jack Newman, Teresa Pitman Online: www.novascotiadoulas.ca www.nbci.ca www.dona.org www.cappacanada.ca www.askdrsears.com www.lamaze.org www.childbirthconnection.org