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A 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 the entire labor. provides
emotional support, physical comfort measures, an objective viewpoint
and assistance to the woman in getting the information she needs to
make good decisions. facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and clinical care providers. perceives her role as one who nurtures and protects the woman's memory of her birth experience.
How else do doulas help?
Numerous clinical studies have found that a doula’s presence at birth:
- tends to result in shorter labors with fewer complications
- reduces negative feelings about one’s childbirth experience
- reduces the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing drug), forceps or vacuum extraction
- reduces the requests for pain medication and epidurals, as well as the incidence of cesareans
*DONA, 2008
More information:
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