KonzaBaby Doula Services are available to families in our local area prenatally, during labor and for postpartum care. The term doula is Greek for slave or servant. Doulas provide emotional and physical support during pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum. They call themselves many things including: Childbirth Assistant, Labor Support Professional, Birth Assistant, Birth Companion, etc.
 | Recognizes birth as a key life experience that
the mother will remember all her life...
| Understands the physiology of birth and the
emotional needs of a woman in labor...
| Assists the woman and her partner in preparing
for and carrying out their plans for the birth...
| Stays by the side of the laboring woman
throughout the entire labor...
| Provides emotional support, physical comfort
measures, an objective viewpoint and assistance to the woman in getting the
information she needs to make good decisions...
| Facilitates communication between the laboring
woman, her partner and clinical careproviders...
| Perceives her role as one who nutures and
protects the woman's memory of her birth experience.
|
|
| explanations of medical procedures
| emotional support
| advice during pregnancy
| exercise and physical suggestions to make
pregnancy more comfortable
| help with preparation of a birth plan
| massage and other non-pharmacological pain
relief measures
| positioning suggestions during labor and birth
| helps support the partner so that they can love
and encourage the laboring woman
| avoid unnecessary interventions
| help with breastfeeding preparation and
beginnings,
| written record of the birth
| many other possibilities that vary from doula
to doula | |
According to Mothering the Mother, How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier and Healthier Birth, by Kennell, Klaus, and Kennell (1993), having a doula can give you a:
| 50% reduction in cesarean rates
| 25% shorter labor
| 60% reduction in epidural requests
| 40% reduction in oxytocin (pitocin) use
| 30% reduction in analgesia use
| 40% reduction in forceps delivery | |
| Does she provide prenatal and/or postpartum
visits?
| What can you expect during these visits, if
offered?
| How many births has she attended?
| Can she provide references?
| What form of training has she had?
| What types of births has she witnessed
(Cesarean, epidural, intervention free, VBAC, teen birth, etc.)?
| Her fee?
| Has she ever worked with your care provider or
at your place of birth?
| Does she has back-up arrangements available?
| What will her role be in early labor?
| Will she provide labor support at your home
prior to going to the place of birth?
| Is she familiar with many methods of
childbirth?
| How does she define her role during labor and
birth? | Does her fee include postpartum doula care and
does she offer these services? | |
We offer prenatal, labor and postpartum doula services. For more information, please contact us.
Updated 10/17/2002
Copyright 1998-2000 KonzaBaby. All Rights Reserved.