Frequently Asked Questions
Answering all Your Questions
What is a Doula?
The word doula is a Greek word meaning woman caregiver. In modern-day the word is used to speak to a trained and experienced labour companion who provides the mother and their partner with continuous emotional support throughout, advocacy by assisting clients in obtaining information before during and after the birth, and physical comfort.
How will hiring you affect my partner’s role during the birth?
My support as a doula is meant to extend to both the mother as well as their partner if they should choose. Birth & the postpartum period is a key life event for both parents and can be a transformational experience for each in it's own way as well. If you wish to have your partner present during the birth as your active birthing partner, I will support both of you emotionally, and physically during labour and help to facilitate an environment that allows for the beautiful and natural intimacy and bonding that can occur between couples at this time. I am personally very passionate about supporting and empowering partners so they can feel confident in advocating for and supporting their partner, as well as in their new parental role.
What are your interactions with medical staff like?
As a doula our job is to foster "maximum self-determination on the part of her clients". Therefore we ensure that we do not make any decisions for our clients rather, we help you by reviewing symptoms, exploring outcomes, and calling the care practitioner for further advice. The client-caregiver relationship is an important relationship and it is not the job of a doula to question medical authority or advice. Our advocacy position lies in empowering our clients by supporting the mothers decisions, reminding her of her birthing plan, and answering any questions within our scope of knowledge. Birth is a key life experience & as a doula I prioritize the protection of the mother's memories of the experience in my practice.
Do you perform any physical examinations?
No. By definition a doula does not perform any clinical tasks nor provide any clinical advice. Doula's are non-medical. This means we do not provide vaginal exams, fetal heart rate checks, blood-pressure monitoring, or any other clinical tasks required before & after childbirth. This applies even upon the clients request. A doula's scope does not extend past the non-clinical information we learn in our training and continued education. Clients are to seek out their medical care professionals for any additional clinical assessments or care.
If you still have questions, please contact me and I’ll be more than happy to answer them!
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Dona International. (2016, September). Code of ethics: Birth doula . Dona International. Retrieved September 29, 2021, from https://www.dona.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/DONA-COE-SOP-Birth.pdf.
Dona International. (2020, August 10). Code of ethics: Postpartum doula. Dona International. Retrieved September 29, 2021, from https://www.dona.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/COESOP-2020-FINAL-Postpartum.pdf.