Should I Hire a Doula?
Should I Hire a Doula?
Pregnancy is a physically and mentally challenging time for all mothers-to-be. While Birth Center Stone Oak is here to take care of you during this time through our exceptional midwifery care, seeking out additional supplemental services like counseling, chiropractic care, and doulas can provide you with everything you might possibly need.
Your friends and partner are indispensable when it comes to forming an emotional support system. However, there are times where you and your partner can benefit from having some extra hands around. In such cases, we highly recommend hiring a doula!
What Are Doulas?
A doula is a professional who is trained to provide emotional and physical support along with reassurance to expectant parents. They provide their services throughout pregnancy from prenatal to postpartum periods. Overall, a doula is someone that is trained to make pregnancy, labor, and postpartum feel a little less overwhelming for all parents.
There are two types of doulas: a birth doula and a postpartum doula. A birth doula assists parents during different aspects of pregnancy, labor, and childbirth. A postpartum doula helps the family during the postpartum period; to better take care of the mother and baby and help you during that healing time.
Difference Between Midwife And Doula
A midwife can be a certified nurse-midwife or a certified midwife. They are trained and qualified to provide medical care to expectant mothers. They can order tests, prescribe certain medications, and assist labor in low-risk pregnancies.
A doula, on the other hand, isn’t qualified to provide medical care. Their role is to solely provide emotional care, assistance, and reassurance to mothers and their families.
Why Do I Need One?
You don’t necessarily need to hire a doula if you feel like you don’t need one. Your nurse and midwife will answer any questions you might have. However, if you want to have someone there to provide you with constant attention and motivation as you progress through labor, doulas are wonderful! While your care provider will be focused on helping your baby progress and monitoring your health, your doula will be that warm, friendly hand-holding you and pushing you on.
You might want to hire a doula if:
- You have decided on having a natural birth at home or a stand-alone birth center
- You and your partner feel overwhelmed with pregnancy
- You want additional emotional support around you during your pregnancy
- It’s your first baby and you want to try to avoid medical interventions
How Do I Know If It’s Right For Me?
Preference for a doula can vary from person to person. While some are strong advocates for hiring a doula, others might not be entirely sold on the idea. Before you hire a doula, we suggest:
- Interview some prospective doulas, see if you like interacting with them, and ask them what they bring to the table in terms of care and your overall expectations
- Speak to mothers that have had experience with hiring doulas before; get references if possible
- Ask your health provider for recommendations
After the initial few interactions and testimonials, if you feel like you might benefit from hiring a doula, go ahead! If you feel like you won’t feel entirely comfortable having someone else around, then don’t. It’s all up to you and your partner.
At Birth Center Stone Oak, we provide pre and postnatal counseling and would be happy to answer any other questions you might have about hiring a doula or other pregnancy-related topics.