An Introduction to Doulas
March 28, 2024
Welcome to our very first blog post! As the last day of World Doula Week, I’d love to start with one of our most commonly asked questions, “What is a doula?”. It always makes for fun conversation at parties with those not in the birth world and I always tell folks that it’s the oldest job in the world. The simplest way that I can describe what we do is that we support families as they transition through their journey into parenthood. That includes prenatal education, birth support, and postpartum support.
Oldest job in the world you say? Yes! Although some may think that using a doula (you may hire a doula, be paired with one through community programs, or even barter for services!) is a newer thing or a fad, the truth is that we are simply filling in the gaps that used to be filled my grandmothers, aunts, sisters, neighbors, friends, etc. We live in a global society and Atlanta in particular is a very transient city with many of our clients not having the established roots and supports in place they deserve as they grow their family. That’s where we come in!
Prenatal education includes childbirth education, planning for the birth you want, choosing the right provider for your family, and planning for a supported postpartum. We LOVE when families hire us early in the second trimester because we have that much more time to form a meaningful relationship and share resources throughout the entire pregnancy. We focus on things like optimal fetal positioning (shout out to the Spinning Babies workshop Courtney and I took in 2023!) and comfort measures for labor as well as how you want to feel during labor (supported, informed, powerful) and your birth preferences and intentions (also referred to as a birth plan but we believe that Birth Preferences and Intentions opens up for deeper conversation and reflection).
Birth support throughout labor includes being available to join you 24/7. We offer virtual support through calls, text, and even video chat until we join you physically at your birthing location. One of the first things we do when we arrive is a visual scan of the room, a vibe check, and gather information on how the birther is coping and progressing with labor. Every doula is going to be a little different but we tend to set up some twinkle lights, a galaxy light, and a diffuser with a scent to match (or change if needed) the vibe of the birth space. We also find out what all the light switches control and where things like linens and towels are located. Depending on family preference we can add to or edit our setup to include a birth altar, music, affirmation cards, photos, etc. Making a hospital room more comfortable to be in and feel less hospital-like is a big deal! It feels good but also acts as a non-verbal communication to all who enter the space that we’re doing something special in here.
Physical support is our specialty, whether we’re hands on or not. We have a big focus on optimal fetal positioning so we will always have an eye on how the birther is moving their body instinctively to gather clues on baby’s position. Doulas make suggestions that vary depending on the stage of labor, what we know about baby’s positioning, and how the birther is coping. In addition to getting the birther into different positions to help move labor along effectivly, we offer hands of comfort measures through massage and counter pressure.
Educational and informational support throughout labor looks like helping you weigh your options on different medical and non-medical interventions, when is the best time to get an epidural or another type of labor pain management, and most importantly creating the space to take a pause before making non-emergent decisions. We help you advocate for yourself and your baby and ask the right questions. This is a big reason why birth partners love having a doula - we act as a translator of the medical jargon so they can fully focus on being present for their loved one.
Postpartum support begins with postpartum planning! We bring postpartum planning into almost all our conversations throughout your pregnancy journey. Postpartum is everything that happens after delivery and includes your plans for infant feeding. Before we leave the birth space after delivery we like to make sure that the parents and baby have all had a chance to eat. We also pack up all your belongings to prepare you to move to your postpartum room before we go so that the new family has uninterrupted bonding time.
The true healing begins once you come home from your birthing location. We work with families to identify their rings of support (family, friends, place of worship, local, far away) and determine who can help in areas of supported healing, feeding the new parents through meal prep and meal trains, pet sit, offer guidance, childcare for older siblings, etc. Other ways to prepare for the logistics of living on interrupted sleep include setting up bills on auto-pay, scheduled deliveries of food and home supplies, automatic deliveries of diapers and wipes, utilizing a laundry service, lawn care team, etc. Everyone’s plan will look different depending on family and friend support, budget, and personal needs - but we’re here for all of it!
Setting up rest nests throughout your home where you plan to spend longer periods of time is also helpful. As is a well stocked tiered rolling cart so that your baby and feeding supplies can follow you around the house. We help identify the best spots and stock your cart with you!
In addition to the support of postpartum planning, a doula is available to come to your home postpartum and help during shifts to fill in the gaps, support healing and infant feeding, meal prep, do laundry, restock supplies, process the birth experience, and help trouble shoot where needed. How each family will utilize a doula is a personalized experience based on needs that day.
The part of being a doula that can’t be defined by lists of the things we do is the absolute love we put into our role. Building a meaningful relationship with our families brings trust to the birth space and sets the stage for long term relationships. As of today, we have had 15 repeat families as a doula team! The honor it brings to be invited into the intimate and transformative space of birth within a family, especially more than once, it really something special.
I hope this has helped to answer “What does a doula do?” for all those who were still unsure! In the simplest explanation there is, I’ll leave you with the answer my 7 year old son gave: “My mom holds the mom and tells her she’s doing a good job so she knows that she can have the baby. Kind of like a soccer coach but for having babies.”
