Birth doulas are trained and experienced birth professionals providing you non-medical support during your pregnancy, labour, childbirth.
Doulas support you with personalized one-on-one care and are just a text or phone call away. Want help preparing for labour and creating a birth plan? Your doula is there for you. Awake at 2 AM and wondering if you’re actually in labour? Your doula is there for you. Still have questions after leaving your midwife or OBGYN’s office? Your doula is there to listen and support you.
Here are 5 reasons why you should hire a birth doula:
1. Doulas Are All About You
During your pregnancy a doula’s number one priority is to make you feel supported. Whether that be answering your 1, 10 or 100 questions or by being accessible via e-mail, call or text, a doula will ensure that you feel safe, respected and heard. During your labour while the rest of your team of healthcare practitioners work on keeping the baby safe, your doula’s focus is on you and your comfort supporting you physically and emotionally during your time of need.
2. Calming Energy
Labour can be a period filled with unknowns and questions that can lead to uncertainty and anxiety. When you have a doula, they are there to help normalize what you are experiencing, answer questions, and calm your anxieties. They can provide guided meditations, prompt you to repeat affirmations, or just hold your hand. They are your support system and continue to be throughout your entire birth experience.
3. Proven Benefits Of Having A Doula
Studies have shown that when doulas attend births, labours are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily. In fact doulas are so important, the World Heath Organization has recommended that every mama-to-be have a birth companion. Read the report here.
A Doula’s support can:
– shorten labour by about 1.5 hours
– decrease chance of cesarean birth by 51%
– decrease the use for pain medication by 36%
– reduce the need for pitocin by 71%
– reduce the need for forceps by 57%
– help partners participate with confidence
– facilitate mother-baby bonding & breastfeeding
4. Support For Your Partner
Birth can be a challenging time for your partner too. They will have questions and concerns, wondering how best to support you. Your doula plays a crucial role in helping your partner become involved in the birth to the extent they feel comfortable. A doula will not replace the support of a partner. A doula supports your partner with information and encouragement equipping them to support you more fully. They can answer your partner’s questions, provide reassurance and they can ease any fears allowing you to concentrate on you and your little one.
5.Your Doula Will Be Your Personal Resource Guide
One of your birth doula’s most important roles is to offer education, answers and resources to you. They, along with your healthcare provider, can be your point person for questions. This removes the anxiety of late night googling for answers.
Birth doulas undergo extensive training and have experience attending births. They are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth. They also have vast networks in the birth world, so if they can’t answer your question, they will know someone who can. Whether you have questions in your pregnancy, during labour or in your postpartum period, your birth doula is a trusted confidante and resource to support you.
We have been providing nurturing doula care services in Toronto since 2012. We are proud to be partnered with some of Toronto’s best birth doulas and postpartum doulas.
Whether you are just a few weeks pregnant, or expecting your baby in just a few weeks, we are here for you.
What you can do next:
1. Fill out our Doula Care Contact Form here and our team will respond back to you within 24 hrs on how to proceed with interviewing a doula.
2. Want to speak with someone one on one about doula care? Click here.
