why choose a doula?

In our modern society, the Doula’s role has evolved as families have begun to live remotely from one another and are less accessible to one another. As parents and siblings are less able to share their wisdom and experience with the new family, a void has been created and the new family is more isolated in facing the daunting challenges and profound transition they find themselves in. The postpartum Doula can facilitate the new family’s transition and can fill the void that their families might have provided.

The arrival of a baby is like no other experience in life. No amount of study and practice can truly prepare a person for parenthood. Dealing with the challenge of sleep deprivation, hormonal fluctuations, lack of knowledge on infant care, lack of coping skills for meeting the parent’s needs and their infant’s needs, affects the parents ability to handle the daily challenges in coping with their new life. It is clearly known that the way a woman perceives her transitions into motherhood has a direct impact on the success of her long term role as a mother. The Doula as a model, a teacher and advocate, can, through unconditional support, enhance the long term relationships within the new family.

what is a doula?

The translation of the word Doula is based on the European concept of”one who mothers the mother”.

A Doula today is known as a woman who gives continuous emotional support, physical comfort, guidance and educational support to the mother and her family. She sets a reasurring tone with her presence.

 As a non-medical professional, she offers physical, emotional and informative support, in a calm nonjudgmental way. She comes to each family non-scripted, with no expectations for the new family other than to create a positive experience for them. Her role may begin during the prenatal period, assisting in organizing the home to meet the new family needs, or post-birth, in the hospital, supporting the new breastfeeding experience, or at home, working days or nights or around the clock. Through nurturing and caring during the postpartum period, the Doula helps the family ease through the adjustments and the changes a new baby brings. This support instills empowerment and a growing feeling of confidence in their new roles.

Every family is unique.  Each dynamic contributes to creative challenges. The transition for a single mother or for a couple experiencing challenges in their relationship, or for a household requiring both parents to work fulltime, or for a gay or lesbian family, or for the family facing hardship, requires an open mind from the Doula. She needs to think outside the box for these families, to provide resources that enhance their unique set of circumstances. These processes’ is a constant reminder of the importance of being a good listener, of slowly and quietly building trust, of trusting my intuition to understand my role with each family, of fostering confidence so that the new family will ultimately be able to function autonomously.

 

WHAT IS DOULA SUPPORT? Support is Unconditional…It is Listening…Not Judging, Not Telling Your Own Story. Support is Not Offering Advice… It is Offering a Hankerchief, a Touch, a Hug…Caring. We are Here to Help Woman Discover What They are Feeling…Not to Make the Feeling Go Away. We Are Here to Help a Woman Identify Her Options…Not Tell Her Which Options  to Choose. We Are Here to Discuss Steps With a Woman…Not Take  the Steps for Her. We Are Here to Help a Woman Discover Her Own Strength…Not to Rescue Her and Leave Her Still Vulnerable. We Are Here to Help a Woman Discover That She Can Help Herself…Not To Take That Responsibility For Her. We Are Here To Help a Woman Learn to Choose…Not to Make it Necessary to Make Difficult Choices. -Anonymous *DONA: What is Support / 2002