Doulas
Suzanne Arms
A doula (meaning a woman who mothers the
mother) cares for the emotional and normal
physical needs of a birthing woman. Unlike
the husband or woman's chosen friend or relative,
she is comfortable with labor and confident
(even within the hospital system) to play
the role of advocate for the birthing woman,
when that is called for. Labor and delivery
doulas specialize in attending labor continuously;
this makes them especially valuable in hospital
settings, where one-to-one care is absent.
A doula's unique role is to encourage the
woman's self-confidence, help her find positions
that are most comfortable and effective, protect
her privacy, and to create a bubble around
her that does not permit outside distractions,
pressure, or fears from inhibiting the natural
rhythm and progress of her labor.
Proven effectiveness
A highly respected series of studies done
by pediatricians Marshall Klaus and John Kennell
have proven that the routine use of labor
and delivery doulas is safe, effective and
cost-effective. Moreover, women who have been
attended by a doula are far more satisfied
with their care, less likely to sue, and more
confident in their own ability to make decisions
after birth. Most doulas work for little or
no pay today because they are committed to
creating normal birth in the hospital setting.
As Dr. Kennell has said, "If a doula
were a drug, it would be malpractice not to
use it." John Kennel as quoted by Christiane
Northrup in the video Giving Birth: Challenges
& Choices.
Postpartum doulas attend the new family at
home after the birth. They are invaluable
supports to a new mother in a society that
consistently disregards and neglects the physical
and emotional needs of new mothers. They offer
help in a wide range of tasks which include:
getting breastfeeding established; caring
for the baby while mom takes a shower or a
nap; keeping the house clean; doing laundry;
helping out with siblings; and generally protecting
the privacy of the new family while enlisting
support from friends and relatives.
Doulas fill the gap
America has no system for providing routine
one-to-one labor support by nurses in hospitals.
Obstetric and maternity nurses are fighting
for their jobs today in our new "managed
care system." America has no system for
providing routine one-to-one postpartum care
for mothers and babies in their own homes.
Until such time as we move to a midwifery-based
system of care, doulas will be increasingly
important in America. It is time they get
the attention and the financial remuneration
they deserve.
Becoming A Doula
Doula training is available across North
America. Birthworks (www.birthworks.org) and
the Association of Labor Assistance and Childbirth
Educators (http://www.alace.org) offer excellent
training. Also contact DONA, the Doula Oganizations
of North America at www.DONA.com for information
on certification as well as DONA training,
or for how to find a skilled doula near you.
Internationally acclaimed author, photojournalist,
visionary and activist, Suzanne Arms has been
the acknowledged leader of the natural birthing
movement and midwifery advocate in the United
States for over 25 years. Her second book
"Immaculate Deception": A New Look
at Women and Childbirth stirred a national
social change movement and became a New York
Times "Best Book of the Year" in
1975, when her daughter Molly was four years
old.
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