What is a Doula? If you’re a first time mom or looking for birth alternatives, you might be asking the question; What is a pregnancy Doula? Many women ask me about getting a Doula to help with their deliveries.
In this video, I interviewed Tiffany Hardegree, a successful pregnancy Doula, who shares her years of experience with new moms. We cover many practical tips to help during deliveries too! Enjoy the episode.
Planning for your delivery? So many things to think about.
What is a Doula? Is it a Good Option for me?Â
Doulas have been assisting women in deliveries. A pregnancy doula can be the extra support you are needing. Although a doula has not had the medical training that a midwife has received, the role of a doula can provide so much in your delivery. Doula does not replace your birth partner, but can provide emotional and physical support to both of you.
             Doulas can assist in home births, in hospital. Commonly, women think that doulas are only helpful for vaginal deliveries without epidural. However, a doula can help women in any type of birth, including preparing for Caesarean
Prenatal doula visits can answer questions and explain what may happen in the labor and delivery process. They can also provide ways to manage pain more naturally.
             In the midst of the birthing event, they provide another level of support as nurse shifts may change, but your pregnancy doula remains through the delivery and even for a short time after delivery.
Women often report having a more positive birth experience when having a doula present.
The Pregnancy Doula Decision
             In the situation when there’s a change of events and a decision needs to be made, often mom and birth partner need someone to explain the options and help weigh the pros and cons. Still not sure, what is a Doula can be remembered using the BRAIN acronym:
             B Benefits, what are the pros?
             R Risk, what are the cons?
             A Alternatives, what are my options?
             I Intuition, what is my gut saying?
             N Nothing, what if we do nothing?
Still not sure if a doula is for you? You can interview a doula and see if your personalities click and see if they provide a service that would help you during your delivery.
Here some additional links to help you understand more about a Doula and how they can help you:
- https://americanpregnancy.org/labor-and-birth/having-a-doula/
- https://www.webmd.com/baby/what-is-a-doula
