frequently asked q’s
What exactly is a doula?
A doula [doo-luh] is a trained companion who is not a healthcare professional and who supports another individual through a significant experience, such as childbirth. A doula may also provide support to the client’s partner, family, and friends. The word “doula” comes from ancient Greek, meaning “woman’s servant.”
What is the difference between an obstetrician/midwife and a doula?
Obstetricians and midwives (care providers) provide medical care much like a doctor for you during pregnancy, birth, and in the postpartum period. Doulas provide you and your family with emotional, informational, and physical support during pregnancy, birth and in the postpartum period. Many care providers also offer emotional support, information, and physical comfort during pregnancy and birth, but her first priority will always be the physical health and safety of you and your baby. Throughout the prenatal period, your care provider will order tests, take measurements, and perform clinical tasks. They will manage your labor and delivery. A doula does not perform clinical tasks. A doula can give you information about exams, but only a care provider can order the tests and carry out your clinical care.
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Care providers check on clients in early labor and assess its progress. Often, a care provider does not stay with you until you are in active labor. If you desire support and comfort in early labor, a doula will be there as soon as you request their care. A doula will stay with you throughout your labor and birth experience. Should complications arise while you are giving birth, your care provider will be focused on maintaining you and your baby’s physical health. Your doula will provide physical comfort, emotional support, and information. Doulas can explain what is happening, so you and your partner can better understand. Your doula can help you to remain calm and comfortable. If your care provider presents options that were not included your original birth goals, your doula can provide evidenced-based information and tools so that you can make the best decision for you and your family.
Do doulas work well with care providers?
Yes! Our goal is to work as a team with you and your care provider. Your care provider can tell us helpful information like what position the baby is in which can help us in knowing what positions and tools to use to help your labor progress. Care providers often ask for the doula’s observations on the birth since the doula is with the laboring woman for multiple hours and providing continuity of care. Doulas are trained to provide comfort measures like counter pressure, massage, and breathing techniques. The presence of a doula can help the family feel emotionally supported and we often serve as a bridge of communication between women, partners, and their care providers so that they can make the best informed decisions for their families.
Do doulas replace the partner?
Absolutely not. As your doulas, we will never take the place of your partner. We support not only you, but also your partner. By having us as your doulas, your partner can focus on you and worry less about what is going on in the background. During your prenatal meetings, we will discuss how involved you would like for your doula and your partner to be and how we can work together as a team to help you with your birth goals.
There are 5 doulas in Holistic Heritage… so who will be my doula?
Two of the five doulas in our group will support you during pregnancy and one of them will be at your birth. One of these doulas will meet with you for a virtual consult. You will later meet this same doula in-person, and you’ll also have the opportunity to meet with the second doula in-person as well. Having two doulas on call for you gives you reassurance that a doula you know well will be you during your birth. In the event of an unlikely emergency, if both doulas you met with during pregnancy are not available, one of the other doulas in our team can support you.
Why should I hire a doula?
Science has shown that women who receive continuous support during pregnancy and labor from a doula can experience:
40% decrease in the use of Pitocin (synthetic oxytocin)
50% decrease in the risk of cesarean delivery
12% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth
9% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief
14% decrease in the risk of newborns being admitted to a special care nursery
34% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience
25% decrease in the length of labor
40% decrease in the need by forceps
68% of women still breastfeeding at 6 weeks postpartum
Is a doula worth the investment?
We understand that investing in birth doula services is a large financial commitment. From the time that you hire us, we are available to you via phone, text, and email. From 37 weeks gestation until you give birth, we are “on-call” for you 24/7. We only take a limited number of doula clients each month so that we can fully commit ourselves and focus on you and your family through your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period. Being on call 24/7 means that we are available to you day or night.
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When you go into labor, you are our top priority - we arrange childcare and sometimes miss holiday gatherings and other planned events to come to you because we am committed to being with you for one of the most important moments in your life. Between prenatal and postpartum visits, we’re available for questions, resources, and support. The peace of mind that comes with having a professional and committed doula on call for you is priceless.
By hiring a trained and certified doula, you are hiring someone that has taken committed steps to never stop learning and is alway seeking ways to expand her education and knowledge to better support you. We are required to keep a certain number of CEUs (continuing education units) to maintain our doula certifications.
What do you bring to a birth?
We bring our ‘bag of tricks’ with many options to provide physical pain relief and also create a warm and calm environment for you and your partner. We each carry varying things in our doula bags some of which could include a TENS unit, rebozo, heating pad, battery-powered handheld fan, essential oils and a diffuser, LED candles, white string lights, honey sticks, among other things. We can also help facilitate background music if that’s something you desire.
What are the rules with doulas and visitor policies?
As of current, all local hospitals in the Piedmont/Triad area of North Carolina are allowing at least 2 visitors for Labor & Delivery (some hospitals are allowing more). This means that your support person will count as one visitor and you will have the option for who fills that second visitor spot. If you hire us as your birth doulas, then the doula on-call for you will be counted as one of your visitors. The only hospitals this does not apply at is the Women's & Children's Center at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, NC, and Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington, NC (we are not counted toward the visitor policy at those hospitals). Please check with your place of birth about their current visitor policies.
