This article is out of Australia, but it applies to the U.S. and is a good overview to explain why we are going this direction with Rowan's sister.
DONA (Doulas of North America) explains how doulas fit into the birth team:
“Women have complex needs during childbirth. In addition to the safety of modern obstetrical care, and the love and companionship provided by their partners, women need consistent, continuous reassurance, comfort, encouragement and respect. They need individualised care based on their circumstances and preferences. The role of the birth doula encompasses the non-clinical aspects of care during childbirth.”
Despite doulas being fairly unheard of in Australia, they have been actively supporting women for a very long time and are fast growing in popularity, as a result of positive word of mouth and the need for increased support.
Doulas are trained and experienced in childbirth and are usually mothers themselves. They have a good knowledge and awareness of female physiology, but a doula does not support the mother in a medical role – that is the job of the midwife or doctor. She works on keeping birth normal and empowering, and should the birth become complicated and require medical assistance, a doula will still remain by your side and help in any way she can. She will not make the decisions for those she supports, but she assists them through the decision making process and provides balanced information so the couple can make their own choices.
This is my biggest reason, I would do anything not to go through a c-section again, and VBAC (vaginal birth after cecarean) tend to be longer labors :
Many women consider doulas to be a must for those giving birth in a hospital, due to the over-medicalisation of birth – unnecessary inductions have skyrocketed and are partly to blame for the 1 in 3 Australian babies now born by caesarean section. In Australia, some hospitals have caesarean section rates as high as 50% and higher. This is a terribly high statistic, well above World Health Organisation recommendations, which makes us amongst the highest in the world. Given the long term emotional and physical effects this can have on the mother, her partner and baby, a doula to me is like an ‘insurance policy’ – which can help protect you from a disempowering, disappointing experience or unnecessary procedures and intervention. With a doula, you know that someone is always on YOUR team, holding the space for you and your family. She works for you and has your best interests at heart, unlike hospital staff who have to abide by policies, which are not always best for a birthing woman, but best to avoid legal issues and to keep things running as a business.
She has been a wealth of info already! My best chance for a natural birth will start with baby in a good position which is already affected by the front laying placenta we know I have. And she has exercises I can do starting now to encourage her into an ideal spot before she's bigger and cramped. She has extra training in VBAC birth. We've had 2 visits with her so far and she is available for any questions I have. Our whole family is excited to involve her, Doug is a fan and Rowan practically crawled on top of her on her first visit.
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