 A doula is a trained and experienced labor companion who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth.
Additionally, a doula supports a woman’s partner and family so that they in turn know how to best support her during labor.
A Labor Support Doula:
- Recognizes birth as a key life experience that the mother will remember all her life.
- Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor.
- Assists the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth.
- Stays by the side of the laboring woman throughout her entire labor.
- Provides emotional support, physical comfort and an objective viewpoint.
- Provides assistance to the woman in getting the information she needs to make informed decisions.
- Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her health care provider(s).
- Perceives her role as one who nurtures and protects the woman's memory of her birth experience.
- Practices confidentiality.
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