With the advancements in technology, childbirth no longer requires women to go through the standard hospital experience. Apart from opting for a midwife, pregnant women can now rely on the support of a Doula during childbirth. Doula is a Greek word that translates to “woman servant.” A doula is a person who offers physical and emotional support to the woman and her family during pregnancy, allowing the pregnant women and her partner to have a satisfying pregnancy experience.

Why Women Need Doulas

Women have complex needs during pregnancy and in addition to requiring physical support and obstetrical care, they require emotional support as well, someone to provide them love and companionship during the painful hours ahead. A doula provides continuous encouragement, reassurance and comfort. A doula tends to the needs of non-clinical aspects of care during childbirth, which is usually overlooked by medical professionals as well as midwives.

Some important jobs of a Doula include:

• Providing the woman and her partner birth education
• Creating written birth plans or birth preference documents
• Providing the woman and her family constant reassurance and encouragement
• Suggesting positions that might help soothe or ease the pain for an effective labor experience
• Improving the environment according to the needs of the mother which may include using aromatherapy or music
• Capturing pictures and videos to create timeless memories

Rest assured, apart from helping the mother remain calm, a doulas is professionally trained in birth support, which means they have a keen eye and intuition to identify what the mother might need. This helps the family to bond and make the most of the wonderful experience.

Mimi Rothschild is a veteran homeschooling mother of 8, writer of a series of books called Cyberspace for Kids, and passionate advocate for children and education that is truly worthy of them. In 2001, Mimi and her late husband founded Learning By Grace, a leading provider of online Christian homeschooling Academies.