Contributed by Taylor Walker Sinning, HypnoBirthing Educator, Pre/Postnatal CES, Childbirth Doula, and Mama of 2
What Are The Benefits of Working With a Doula?
A doula is a trained, non-medical professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to women and their families through pregnancy, labor, childbirth, and the postpartum period. That support measurably benefits both body and mind: across decades of clinical trials, women with continuous labor support are more likely to have spontaneous vaginal births and shorter labors — and less likely to experience birth fear, request pain medication like epidurals, or have a cesarean. Their babies are also less likely to have low Apgar scores, the quick health check providers use right after delivery.
Whether you're pregnant, postpartum, or grieving a loss, a doula can be one of the most powerful forms of support during these life-changing times, and the role reaches well beyond the delivery room — from bereavement doulas who help after the loss of a loved one to sibling doulas who support older children through a birth.
10 Ways Doulas Support Physical and Mental Health
#1 - They create a calmer environment
Bright lights, loud noises, and disruptive routines can lead to tension and fear which can slow down the labor process for some moms. Birth doulas can act as a buffer, help the birthing and support persons make informed, calm, and empowered decisions, and create an environment supportive of physiological birth. They can also effectively support a home birth or birth center birth seamlessly.
#2 - They offer support for pain
Doulas offer continuous support and can utilize acupressure, massage, and other tools to help manage pain. When these tools are combined with continuous support and guidance for the partner, women are less likely to request epidurals and pain medication which ultimately decreases the risk of intervention.
#3 - They provide birth education
Doulas are birth educators. Doulas can answer questions before, during, and after labor. Many of them offer continuous support throughout pregnancy, hold one-on-one information sessions before delivery, and home visits after delivery to ensure holistic care of the mother.
#4 - They support Black mothers
We have very poor maternal mortality outcomes in this country. Some of the worst in the world. With black women being three times more likely to die during childbirth. A support person like a doula can have a life-or-death impact on a woman’s birth experience.
#5 - They provide resources
You want to have a physiological or unmedicated birth. You wouldn’t run a marathon without training first, so why give birth without training for it? A doula can help you prepare for the biggest fitness event of your life. They can educate you and guide you to the right resources to have the best labor, delivery, and postpartum experience possible!
#6 - They even support partners!
Doulas help your partner get involved. Sometimes partners get lost in the shuffle. A doula can be a great support for the partner by helping or encouraging interactions with the mom and running errands like getting ice chips or snacks so your partner doesn't have to. Doulas encourage the partner to be as involved as the couple wants them to be and teaches them exactly how to help.
#7 - They set the tone of the labor space
The birth environment sets the tone for labor. A calm, serene environment can help moms feel at ease. Doulas can help make this happen by making sure to lower the lights, bring aromatherapy, light candles, or play calming music.
#8 - They provide positive feedback
Sometimes it can be overwhelming for a laboring mother to know what to do in certain circumstances. When things get intense, doulas can stay positive and share how the laboring mother is progressing by sharing hallmark signs of labor or helping them understand the need for an intervention. Ultimately, they can help the parents use their “BRAINS."
Doulas, Labor, and B.R.A.I.N.S.
When I say BRAINS, I mean B.R.A.I.N.S., an informed consent and decision-making framework that helps patients collect information and make decisions. It covers:
- Benefit and Risks: Your care team provides both information around the general benefits and risks informed by their clinical experience and the latest research, as well as pertaining to your unique situation.
- Alternative: You're allowed to determine if there are alternatives available and the benefits and risks of each one.
- Nothing: When appropriate, is it possible to do nothing? What are the benefits and risks of continuing the current course? Are there safety considerations if you defer interventions, even if for a few hours?
- Second opinion: Time to discuss further or engage a second opinion.
We can use this framework prior to labor and delivery, while discussing your birth plan, or in labor when considering care prodecures.
#9 - They serve multiple roles
Consider us the Swiss Army Knives of the labor room. Doulas can take photos and videos, bring you food, get ice chips, and so much more! A doula can and should also be there to do things to help keep the family connected. Errands like getting ice chips and water, or becoming a photographer/videographer of the birth, are very much part of the job.
#10 - They prioritize mom
Because you need postpartum support. After delivery, mom sometimes becomes the “discarded vessel”. A doula can be for childbirth, but there are also doulas who specialize in postpartum support and the transition from pregnant person to parent. The postpartum doula is someone who takes care of mom. They can do everything from helping to take care of the baby, aiding in healing, cooking nutrient-dense/healing foods, light cleaning, and taking care of business to help mom to rest, heal, and recover. Essentially, a Postpartum Doula is there to mother the mother.
The Bottom Line
As a mother of two kids under four, I look back to both of my in-hospital HypnoBirthing water births as two of the most magical and powerful days of my life. When I decided I wanted an unmedicated water birth and decided I wanted a doula I went to a “speed dating” session with a group of doulas in my area. When interviewing doulas, you want to make sure that your personalities are similar. Don’t be afraid to interview multiple times. You want someone who matches your energy, listens more than they talk, and really hears and supports your vision for birth.
My first doula was my soul sister. I remember us doing this birthing dance when she met me in active labor. She coached my husband all the way through, and when I was in transition, she massaged me with warm oil and helped me to breathe my baby down. We were silent and connected on almost another worldly level. When we were admitted to the hospital, she set the tone. She eliminated a loud nurse from the space and had our backs the entire time. We were a team and that experience led me to the birth work I do today.
Because of that experience, my husband really was able to take charge the second time around.
It was him and I in tandem. Hip squeezes, light touch. And oxytocin-fueled connection. He was my biggest advocate when all I wanted was intermittent monitoring and it was a completely different level of trust and intimacy we created in that space. Our second doula took on a more supportive role. She took pictures, got ice packs and really just let us do our “thing”. There was space for both, and it truly helped me to understand that support can be there in many different ways and I would not have changed a thing.
If you are considering hiring a doula for any facet of your pregnancy or postpartum journey, I cannot recommend it enough. If cost is an issue, explore options like reaching out to your insurance company, using a Healthcare Savings Account, or reaching out to a new doula or doula in training using Facebook to join Midwife, Doula or birthing groups in your area. Some major cities like New York now even offer free Doula Support programs! It may take some work, but when you find the right one, it will be well worth the reward.
