A postpartum doula’s role is primarily focused on supporting the birthing parent and family during the postpartum period. The doula’s scope of practice primarily focuses on providing non-medical, emotional, physical, and informational support to the mother and family during the … Read More
A Volunteer-Driven Resource for Doulas Everywhere Did you know there’s an entire website dedicated to doula laws in the United States? It’s called the Doula Law Project. While it was created years ago, it hasn’t been updated in quite some … Read More
Nowadays, most people have at least heard about doulas. But there are still many misunderstandings about what they actually do when serving a laboring family. Here are some of the top misconceptions we have heard. Misconception about doulas #1: Laboring … Read More
I often describe the role of a doula by first describing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This is a concept that is taught in my course. It can be depicted like a pyramid with physiologic needs and safety at the bottom … Read More
We know that a quality doula will provide support for her client in whatever choices she makes. Whether or not she agrees with those decisions should not affect her care. That said, it is not uncommon for negative emotions to arise in connection with a choice her client makes, either towards her client or the care providers.
One of our students prepared a birth plan for a client who would be dealing with anemia (a deficiency of red blood cells typically resulting in weariness) during her labor. With our student’s permission we are reproducing her plan on … Read More
When you are pregnant, your body produces 1250 mL more blood volume than before you are pregnant. You are also obviously gaining weight All that tends to push fluids out of our blood vessels (where they belong) and into … Read More
Even though epidurals are a very effective way to control pain during labor (though that does not mean they relieve suffering or anxiety), nearly 16% of epidurals are not effective. Sometimes women cannot even get them before their baby is … Read More
As doulas, it is important that we understand why women make the decisions they do. Understanding how women make decisions during labor and birth helps us to move away from our own biases during birth, and move into the world … Read More
Pregnancy can be uncomfortable, and often women wonder if the discomforts they feel are normal or if there is something they can do about them. While there usually isn’t a cure, it helps to know what to expect. New Beginnings … Read More
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