- share resources & information pertaining to you
- help you formulate your unique Birth Plan
- assist with questions you may not feel comfortable immediately asking your care provider
- make referrals to local pregnancy-related resources as needed
- connect personally with you as a comrade through this journey
- visit with you during a scheduled prenatal meeting
- remain on-call 24/7 from 38 weeks of pregnancy onward
Physical Support
- provide comfort with pain-management techniques of your preference (massage, counter-pressure, etc)
- assist with water therapy
- apply hot/cold sensations
- ensure you are nourished by giving food & drink
- maintain the birth environment
- birth pool set-up/clean up
Emotional Support
- reassurance
- praise
- company
- encouragement
- mirroring
- help you keep perspective
- …and work through fears & doubts
Informational Support
- give early labor support via phone
- give reminders to eat & use the bathroom
- time contractions if desired
- explain medical procedures & options (not medical advice)
- suggest beneficial laboring positions (important even with an epidural)
- …movement ideas
- …breathing & relaxation
Partner Support
- assist partner by giving them a break without leaving you unsupported
- help partner interpret labor progress
- take non-professional photos as situation allows
Advocacy
- support without judgment
- hold space; your agenda is my agenda!
- facilitate communication between parents & birth team
- amplify your voice if it isn’t being fairly recognized
- empower you to ask questions & verbalize your position
- serve as a witness, providing peace of mind
- stay aware of intended procedures so parents have opportunity to give informed consent
- assist with beginning breastfeeding, if needed
- help explain birth place procedures
- help you get settled in your recovery room, if at the hospital
- visit with you during a scheduled postpartum meeting
- debrief the birth experience with empathy
- discuss risk factors and/or any concerning symptoms of postpartum mood disorders (100% shame-free; I’ve been there myself)
For Postpartum Doula support that extends beyond the scope of my Birth Doula engagements, click here.
- perform clinical tasks (vaginal exams, fetal heart monitoring, etc.)
- give medical advice or make diagnoses/prescriptions
- make decisions for you
- speak to birth staff on your behalf
- impose personal preferences upon you
- usurp the role of your partner (if applicable)
- attend intentional free-birth (planned unassisted)
- predict or guarantee any aspects of your birth
- bear responsibility for your birth’s outcome
- drive you (client) to the birth location
- catch your baby
As a doula, I do not provide medical care and cannot take the place of a midwife, obstetrician, or other clinical worker at a birth. However, I’m knowledgeable about an expansive number of medical aspects that may arise in childbirth, giving you a better shot at making informed decisions.
