- Doctors and hospital staff have a load of tasks to complete and obligations to fulfill to other patients. Even if your doctor and hospital staff are completely on board with your birth plan, you will find that they have little time to spend with you as you labor. A doula fills in this gap and provides constant care to the mom and her birth partner.
- Generally, your medical staff is trained to tend to your medical needs. Somewhere in the shuffle of tending to these needs, as a laboring mom, your emotional and mental well being can be easily overlooked. Ironically, your emotional and mental state is the most critical factors in not only having a positive outcome but a safe outcome as well. A doula by trade does not overlap or interfere with the medical staff's performance. Her number one goal is to tend to the mom's overall well being.
- Studies have proven that having a doula (in conjunction with your caregiver) will:
- reduce the likelihood induction will be needed
- reduce the likelihood that you will ask for pain medication -which leads to a healthier outcome
- reduce labor time by 25%
- reduces your risk of cesarean by up to 50%
- increases the rate of satisfaction a mom has with her birth
- increases the rate of breastfeeding success
- decreases the rate of postpartum depression
There is a quote by John Kennel that says, "If a doula were a drug it would be unethical not to use one." If you find a doula that you click with, that is has your best interests at heart and that is professional. There really are no down sides to your decision to include her in your birth experience.