When she became pregnant, Rachel Rambach knew she wanted a doula [DUE-luh] by her side during delivery. As a first-time mother, she was daunted by the process of labor, yet determined to have an epidural-free birth. She turned to Janet Tolley of Gentle Touch Doulas in Springfield.
“Janet was a calming force from the moment she met us at the hospital,” Rambach said. “She clearly explained everything as it was happening – from those early contractions, to pushing, to after the baby’s arrival when she got us off to a successful start with breastfeeding.”
A doula is a professionally trained companion who provides emotional and physical support to a mother before, during and after the birthing process. A doula’s services include giving reassurance and encouragement to the mother and her partner, making suggestions to help labor progress; helping with comfort measures such as breathing, relaxation and position changes; and administering massage and other non-pharmacological pain-relief measures.
A doula is not a medical professional; she will not provide medical advice or perform any clinical tasks, nor does she deliver the baby. A doula also does not replace the birth partner.
Rather, the doula provides support both to the mother and the birth partner during the delivery process. As Springfield doula Andra Grable explained, “Doulas help take the responsibility of remembering all the things they learned in class or from books off the partners so they can be truly present with their loved one and provide the love and support laboring women need.”
Historically, birthing women labored at home, attended by women in their family who have had experience with childbirth and are able to perform these tasks. In the 21st century, however, women often live far away from their female relatives, and more than 97 percent of births take place in a hospital setting, subjected to institutional routines, lack of privacy, bright lighting and medical personnel who are strangers.
A doula buffers these factors by her continual presence in the delivery room. Springfield doula Alice Hendricks explained: “In a hospital room, people come and go often. When a nurse’s shift ends, another person is then inserted into the situation. Having the constant support from a doula can make those other changes much easier.”
A doula specializes in fostering a supportive environment for the laboring mother. Grable noted, “We have a lot of experience with ways that can help a laboring mom cope with intense sensations or unexpected events during labor and birth. We help create a safe, supportive environment in which mom can labor as she desires, whether that is with or without medication. We are also there prenatally and postpartum to answer any questions they may have which many find very helpful.”
There are statistical benefits to engaging the services of a doula. According to Mothering the Mother: How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth, doula-attended births have a 50 percent reduction in Cesarean sections, 25 percent shorter labors, 40 percent reduction in use of Pitocin, 40 percent reduction in forceps deliveries, 60 percent reduction in requests for epidurals, and 30 percent reduction in requests for pain relief.
However, doulas do not just attend women who are seeking a natural (epidural-free) birth. Tolley explained, “If a mother chooses to have pain medication, that is her choice, the same as mothers who choose to not have any medication. A doula will support the mother in a way that preserves her birth vision.” Doulas can even assist women having a planned or unplanned Cesarean section by providing information, support and reassurance.
A doula’s services generally run $500-$1,000 and many offer sliding scales or payment plans. These fees cover several meetings before birth, for the doula to get to know the client, her partner and her birth plan; continual presence through delivery; and assistance in comfort and breastfeeding after delivery.
Doulas may also be engaged to provide postpartum services such as providing breastfeeding tips, and assisting with baby care, household activities and meal preparation.
To parents who balk at the thought of adding another expense to the mounting costs of bringing home a new baby, Tolley responds: “The most common statement parents make is that it is the best money they have spent to allow them this type of support … . Invariably at the end of the labor and delivery the fathers exclaim that they never realized how much support they needed and that the price is not nearly enough for the support they received.”
Rambach agreed. “I could go on and on about the benefits of having a doula, but my husband, who was skeptical at first, said it best: ‘Thank God for Janet.’ Because of her, we had exactly the birth we’d hoped for, and will most definitely have her by our side the next time around.”
Erika Holst is curator of collections at the Springfield Art Association and mom to a lively 2-year-old.
This article appears in Capital City Parent April 2014.
