Do You Doula?

by Lisa Cochran, from the August 2002 Newsletter

We just returned from a trip to Boulder, Colorado, where my daughter, Madysen was born. In celebration of her fourth birthday, we not only toured the Family Birth Center at Boulder Community Hospital where she was born, we also met up with Laurie Boyer, our doula.

Laurie had not seen Madysen since she was a week old, and Mady always wanted to know about that "other lady who helped me to be born" that she had seen in birthing pictures.

It is interesting how there is a dichotomy about doulas. On the one hand, almost every mom I have asked about using a doula says, "what's that?" On the other hand, type in doula on your Internet search engine and get about 55,000 responses!

My hardcopy Merriam Webster Dictionary doesn't even list the term, but the online version says: "(dl) n. A woman who assists another woman during labor and provides support to her, the infant, and the family after childbirth."

Indeed, doulas have been used since the dawn of woman. Today in America, it is an almost lost, but quickly reviving practice.

Like me, a growing number of women are finding that a professional doula (which is the Greek word for "woman caregiver") can be a valuable source of support. Doulas don't take the place of a partner, doctor or midwife—they just fill in the gaps, providing continuous support from early labor until after birth.

Though I had my good friend LuAnn with me to perform the duties of a birthing partner, Laurie provide able assistance during my birthing experience. This was because she had assisted in nearly 100 births, was knowledgeable about the labor process, and knew what my preferences for my own labor and birthing experience included. She also seemed to "read" my physical and emotional cues in such a way as to anticipate my needs.

Laurie worked with LuAnn to keep cool compresses on my head, to feed me ice chips, to work with breathing and movement during contractions, to use massage or pressure points to help me relax, and to offer different positions as my labor and delivery progressed.

But even more important was the fact that we had spent several hours over the last two months of my pregnancy discussing what I wanted my birthing experience to be like. In this way, she acted as my advocate for my preferences during a time when I was the least clear-headed.

Why are doulas a great asset to a single mom or couple? Besides making a woman feel more relaxed and confident, doulas can actually help make the labor progress easier and faster. Studies have indicated that the use of doulas can result in labors that are 25 percent shorter. Also, with doula assistance, requests for epidurals drop by 60 percent, and women are half as likely to undergo a Caesarean section.

"Mothers who labor alone or don't have a doula may have a great deal of anxiety, which produces substances like epinephrine and neurepinephrine," says Dr. John Kennell, a leading researcher on doulas and a professor of pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. "When levels are high, labor contractions become much less efficient or may even stop."

Even if mom has a partner, he or she may have difficulty remembering all the things covered in birthing classes. Perhaps they have been up all night and aren't thinking clearly, or have trouble anticipating needs. Extra emotional support for moms can be essential as well, as often the partner will have a hard time seeing her in pain and may have difficulty making decisions on the mom's behalf.

After my daughter was born, I remember the nursing staff thanking me for having a doula there. They were able to spend more time with other laboring women (who did not have this kind of support), and so it made the nurse's job so much easier.

And an added bonus was that Laurie came to visit me at home and was able to give me lots of tips on nursing, newborn, and postpartum care. Best of all, she gave me a story that she had written up on my behalf, which had all the details of the single most important event in my life (one that I remember as a vague haze). Each July, I take it out and reread it aloud, sharing this special story with Madysen, as together we celebrate the birth of our family.

To find out more about doulas, you can call Nancy Draznin at Motherwise at 208-224-6965. You can also call Doulas of North America, (206) 324-5440; the International Childbirth Education Association, (612) 854-8660; or the National Association of Postpartum Care Services, (800) 45-DOULA.

Some excellent Web sites can be found online at the Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators or Doulas of North America.

Lisa Cochran is a longtime Moscow resident who writes on family issues.

Copyright: Copyright on articles and recipes are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective authors, except were otherwise noted.

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