'Sorry, you’re a what?'
'Oh... is that like a midwife?'
'Right... but if you're there for the birth, what about the partners?
As a doula, these are questions I get asked frequently.
First things first: A doula does not and cannot ‘take over’ the role of either the midwife or the partner. She is part of the birth team.
So who else is in the birth team?
It typically includes obstetricians, midwives, your partner, a family member or a friend and your doula. Depending on what kind of maternity care you are getting, you might not see your OB very often. They specialise in complications in pregnancy and birth, not necessarily normal and natural birth (there are many variations of normal) so although the OB plays an important role, they may not be present during your labour or birth unless needs be.
A midwife specialises in normal birth and will carry out medical examinations, procedures, check the baby’s heart rate and support the family within the limits of their hospital policy. They can be an enthusiastic and comforting presence.
There is nobody in the birth room who knows or loves you and your baby more than your partner. They offer love, support and familiarity; some important ingredients essential for a smooth and confident labour. Some birth partners attend a birth preparation workshop so they feel more able to physically and mentally support the labouring woman.
A doulas role is to support, encourage and reassure the mother. As she has given birth before, she can relate and understand what the mother is going through. She will help the parents gather evidence-based information so they can make an informed decision, suggest different comfort measures and help to ensure birth preferences are carried out, if possible.
What makes a doula different to a midwife is that a doula does not deal with anything medical, they are there for emotional and physical support. A doula has no other priorities other than the mother and will stay by her side throughout the whole labour. As much as a midwife would love to offer the same emotional support, she will have other priorities that will compete with the emotional wellbeing of the mother, such as other labouring mothers, shift changes, breaks, clinical responsibilities and hospital policy.
A doula helps to ease the pressure on the couple, working with the partner to offer emotional as well as physical support to the mother, ensuring all her needs are meet. Having a doula also allows the partner to participate at his own comfort level and to be more focused on the birth if he feels he has too much to remember or do. A doula will also run errands, take photographs (if time allows and if it is what parents want). If it is a particularly long labour, the doula will stay with the mother if the partner needs to rest. All in all, the doula will do all she can so you have a positive birth experience.
This week, to celebrate WorldDoulaWeek, our guest blogger is Maria Ruiz Flynn, a certified Gentlebirth Instructor, DONA International-trained doula, member of the Doula Association of Ireland and mother to three wonderful children. Find out more about her at Birthing with Confidence. #WorldDoulaWeek
