A midwife is primarily concerned with assisting a mother during the birth event itself and is not generally involved much before or beyond that time. A Doula however, can be involved for as much or as little of the process as you desire (see Types of Doulas for more details).

So, for example, maybe you didn’t have a Doula for the birth but during the postpartum period you find yourself needing more assistance and hand’s on care. A good postpartum Doula can help you with any of the issues/challenges you are experiencing.

In addition to deciding what type of Doula you need, another thing to consider is the personality, motivations and characteristics of your potential Doula. It is especially important to find someone who desires to get to know you and what’s important to you, as well as provide respect and support for the desires you have for your process and family. It might also be helpful to find someone who compliments your personality.

What type of Doula you want and/or need will depend upon your personal situation, needs and desires. You may find yourself wanting a Doula that has multiple abilities and specializations to cover all of your needs.

Here are some of the different types of Doulas and their specializations:

• Birth Doula: Provides planning and resource assistance during the pregnancy in preparation for the birth experience as well as support during the birth itself. Usually Doulas that focus solely on the birth will provide minimal assistance after the birth. For more information about my Birth Services, click here.
• Postpartum Doula: Provides assistance during the postpartum period. This can range from assisting with problems with lactation, digestion or sleep, helping both mother, baby, partner and family to the new living situation as well as helping to prevent or mitigate postpartum depression and anxiety. Postpartum Doulas can also be very instrumental in helping families build healthy habits and routines essential for positive growth. For more information about my Postpartum Services, click here.

• Lactation Doula: A Doula that specializes in lactation issues will be able to assist both mother and baby in learning how to feed and eat. Although hospitals provide some support for learning to breast feed, many lactation issues aren’t discovered until after mother and baby have returned home and need additional support, resources and tips to ensure proper nutrition. Lactation Doulas will also be able to advise on what types of food the mother can add or eliminate in order to promote proper digestion, overall health and good sleeping habits for the baby. For more information about my Lactation Services, click here.
• Sleep Doula: A Doula trained in infant sleeping techniques will be able to best assist families in developing the proper nutrition and environment to promote healthy sleeping habits in their infants. This support can either be preventative, creating the proper patterns early on to avoid problems in the future, or reactive, helping to reverse habits, dietary and environmental factors that prohibit good sleeping paterns. For more information about my Sleep Services, click here.
• Multiples Doula: A Doula that specializes in assisting families with multiple births (twins, triplets, etc.) has additional experience to assist with this most unique challenge. Additionally, multiples have greater incidences of sleeping and lactation problems so a Doula thatspecializes with multiples will be able to greatly minimize the number of problems experienced as the multiples begin to grow. For more information about my Multiples Service, click here.

Women that utilize the experience and wisdom of a Doula repeatedly report feeling much more confident, comfortable and satisfied with the overall birth experience. Women that have worked with a Doula are also highly likely to utilize a Doula for future births and beyond.

Women that choose a Doula report the following:

• Decreased Labor Times
• Increased Satisfaction with Birth Experience
• Reduced Use of Pain Medications
• Reduction in Forceps Delivery
• Reduction in Cesarean Rate
• Decreased Use of Epidural Requests
• Improved Mood and Confidence
• Decreased Incidence of Anxiety and Postpartum Depression
• Longer Duration of Breastfeeding
• Positive, healthy routines and patterns for newborns

In reality, every woman and family can benefit from the practical experience and knowledge base that the right Doula provides. The type and amount of assistance you will need will depend upon your individual situation, desires and needs.

Here are some reasons why women choose to have a Doula:

• To have assistance with the planning and preparation of a desired birth plan.
• To be empowered and educated on how to advocate for themselves with their caregivers regarding their wishes, questions and desires.
• To learn more about all options available for birthing including both traditional and alternative resources.
• To offer physical, emotional and informational support during the pregnancy and/or postpartum periods.
• To assist the birth partner with their questions, concerns and role during the pregnancy, birth and beyond.
• To assist with postpartum challenges including lactation techniques, sleeping issues and addressing potential PPMD (Postpartum Mood Disorder) and related issues.
• To assist with the practical issues and challenges associated with the birth of twins, triplets and multiple births.

The word “Doula” is pronounced “doo – lah.”

A Doula assists expecting mothers, partners and families with all non-medical aspects of planning for, delivering and adapting to the newest member, or members, of the family.

A Doula’s role can vary depending upon the individual family’s needs: from planning for and assisting during the birth, to assisting with postpartum issues including sleeping, lactation, depression and more.

Historically during the time of birth, women have been surrounded by other women who have experienced birth and are able to offer physical, practical and emotional support. The role of the Doula continues this tradition by offering years of experience to help you make the most of your birth experience and beyond.