Really, What’s the Deal with Doulas?
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Little wonder, then, that doula use has doubled in the past decade, with hospitals themselves increasingly putting the “push coaches” on staff. Even the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has called doula support “one of the most effective tools to improve labor and delivery outcomes.”
Labor Savors
The key to working with a doula is pairing up with the right person (and, of course, being honest about your own personality—if the idea of having a near-stranger in your delivery room sounds too awkward or, indeed, frivolous, a doula might not be for you). First steps: ID local pros who’ve been certified by Doulas of North America International (DONA; dona.org), read reviews, then meet with two or three of your favorites. Your ideal labor coach is one who will support you whether you want a natural or give-me-all-the-meds birth, or something in between.
Once hired, after a couple of prenatal visits, she’ll be on call 24/7 the month before your due date to answer your pregnancy-or birth-related questions. When your contractions kick in, she’ll hightail it to your home to help labor progress as seamlessly as possible with massages, position changes, and tools like birthing balls, heat and cold packs, and breathing techniques. She’ll time your contractions, and together you’ll decide when it’s time to hit the hospital.
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Happier Birth Days
While your M.D. takes care of the medical side (fetal heartbeat monitoring, dilation checks), the doula continues to guide you through coping strategies. She’ll also act as an advocate, especially if things don’t go as planned. Say you were set on a vaginal delivery and your doctor starts pressing for a cesarean. A doula will help you stay calm and prompt you to ask questions like “Can I wait a bit?” and “What are all my options?” says Katy Kozhimannil, Ph.D., an associate professor of health policy and management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. (The process seems to be working: Women who use doulas have 80 percent lower odds of having C-sections.)
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Most physicians are pleased with this arrangement. “We can’t be in the room the whole time, but doulas can, which can help women feel more supported,” says Sindhu Srinivas, M.D., director of obstetrical services at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Most patients are satisfied too: In fact, in reporting this story, we couldn’t find an expert or mom who’d had a negative doula experience. And when mama’s happy…well, you know the rest.
To find out how to get certified as a doula, pick up the July/August issue of Women’s Health, on newsstands now.