 |
Our Favorite Links
(a chapter of the Childbirth Collective)
|
|
Labor and Postpartum Support Professionals
We promote labor and postpartum support by educating families and the birth community about the role of the doula, providing ongoing education for doulas, and helping families locate doulas.
We are a chapter of the Childbirth Collective (www.childbirthcollective.org), a Minnesota non-profit serving birthing families. The Childbirth Collective is a tri-state (Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota) birth network of over one hundred doulas and other birth professionals who support families and each other.
We have endorsed the CIMS Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative and use it as a mission statement for our organization. Take some time to read this important document at www.motherfriendly.org.
For more information: contact us at DoulasRRV@hotmail.com, 218-329-2253, or call a doula member
ATTENTION ONCE AGAIN: Starting in February, we will be holding our Parent Topic Night meetings at Ristreto Coffee & Tea (5050 13th Ave SW; Fargo). Please select the Parent Topic Nights link to the left for further details.
WHAT IS A DOULA?
Doula is an ancient Greek word meaning "woman caregiver." Today, doula care provides the mom with support that women in many cultures have historically valued.
A Birth Doula (Professional Labor Coach) is a woman experienced in providing continuous physical (non-medical), emotional, and informational support to the mother (and her partner) before, during, and after childbirth. She serves families who are planning an unmedicated birth, epidural during labor, vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), or cesarean birth. She specializes in non-medical skills and does not perform clinical tasks, such as vaginal exams or fetal heart rate monitoring.
A Postpartum Doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
DOULA ROLES
Download our Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics MS Word file
A BIRTH DOULA...
-recognizes birth as a key life experience that the mother will remember all her life
-assists the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth
-understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
-provides continuous emotional support and physical (non-medical) comfort measures to the mother throughout labor
-gives an objective viewpoint and assists the woman and her partner in getting the information they need to make informed choices
-compliments rather than displaces the partner and clinical care provider(s)
-assists with breastfeeding
A POSTPARTUM DOULA...
-helps mom and baby establish a satisfying breastfeeding relationship
-provides newborn care/instruction
-discusses memories of the birth
-"mothers" the mother
-provides family and household support
Myths About Partners and Doulas
Partner and Doula: A Supporting Team
Myth 1 - If a woman has her partner, the doula becomes redundant.
Reality - The doula may be the only person at the labor besides the partner who is there solely for the emotional well-being of the woman. The nurse, the doctor, the midwife have other priorities that compete with the emotional care of the woman: for example, breaks, shift changes, clinical responsibilities, office hours and hospital policies. The doula has few or no other priorities. She stays through shift changes, and until after the baby is born. She is not just another stranger with the couple. She has the woman's needs as her sole priority. In some cases, the couple will bring several other friends or family members into labor with them. Sometimes these people can be uncertain of how to help which leads to confusion and actually adds to the woman's stress. The doula can direct and coordinate the efforts of a group of people, giving them all some-thing useful to do, so they work as a team on the woman's behalf.
Dad Bonding with Baby
by Penny Simkin, PT
Father Bonding with His Unborn Child
Myth 2 - The doula "takes over", displacing the partner and interferes with their intimate experience.
Reality - The doula can actually bring the couple closer. By making sure that the partner's needs are met (food, drink, occasional back rubs, and reassurance), the woman and partner can work more closely together. The doula allows for the partner to participate at his own comfort level. Some partners prefer to be there only to witness the birth of their child and to share this experience with the woman they love. They may not want to play an active role and do not want to be responsible for the woman's comfort and emotional security. The doula can fill in and allow the partner to participate as he wishes, without leaving the woman's needs unmet. When the partner chooses to be the major source of emotional support, the doula can supplement his or her efforts by running errands, making suggestions for comfort measures, and offering words of reassurance and comfort. During a long tiring labor, she can give the partner a break for a brief rest or change of scene. While the doula probably knows more than the partner about birth, hospitals, and maternity care, the partner knows more about the woman's personality, likes and dislikes, and needs. Moreover, he loves the woman more than anyone else there. The combined contributions of partner and doula, along with a competent, considerate and caring staff gives the woman the best chance of an optimal outcome.
In summary, the doula helps make the birth experience to be as rewarding and satisfying as possible. As one father said, "I heaved a big sigh of relief when she (the doula) walked in. I hadn't realized how much pressure I had been feeling. She not only calmed my wife, she calmed me down."
