Doulas have been around for a long time, so why don’t more people hire them? While many people couldn’t imagine not having a doula for their birth and postpartum, there are still lots of people who have never heard of a doula or don’t realize the importance of having one. 

    If you are new in your search to find out more about what a doula is and what they do, here’s a run-down to provide you with more knowledge that could seriously change your life. Doula is a word from Greek-origin meaning “woman servant.” There are doulas that specialize in different areas from birth to postpartum. Birth doulas educate and empower moms and their families during pregnancy. They can help you create a birth plan if you desire one, help you prepare your nursery, birthing area (if not in a hospital), and birth bags, teach you ways to cope with the physical and emotional feelings during labor, provide comfort measures, be with you during your whole birth experience, and more! Pregnancy is a vulnerable time in life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t feel empowered and in charge of your emotions and your birth plan. 

    I’ve heard people ask why a doula is any different than confiding in a partner, friend, other family member, or group birth preparation meetings. The answer is simple: doulas provide unbiased, educated, and evidence-based care. We’ve gone through training and learned the ways to help your pregnancy, labor, and birth go as you imagine it (to the best of our ability). That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also talk to those people if you choose to - it simply means there is someone who will listen non-judgmentally and will know how to help. Whether you’re having one baby or multiple, doulas are there for extra support in any way they can give. 

    In addition to birth doulas, postpartum doulas specialize in your recovery process and you and your family’s adjustment to your new life. What people sometimes seem to forget is how much moms and their families go through when bringing a new life (or lives!) into the world. Postpartum doulas focus on moms with their physical and emotional recovery, families adjusting to this new chapter in their lives, and, of course, their beautiful babies. They aid in breastfeeding, babywearing, finding a routine, doing light housework, meal planning/prepping, managing pain during the recovery process, and more. Typically speaking, postpartum doulas offer anywhere from 4-8 visits, some overnights in the 4-8 weeks after you deliver your baby(ies), sometimes longer. Some doulas also offer placenta encapsulation, whether they do it themselves or they take care of sending your placenta to a trusted place for encapsulation so you don’t have to worry about it, and still get to reap the benefits. 

    Now that you know the basics of what a doula does, you can make an informed decision to either have one or not!