After nearly 20 years in practice, witnessing hundreds of stories of births from our patients and personally hiring a doula, we couldn't agree more with Dr. Kennell's thoughts "If a doula were a drug, it would be unethical not to use it". At Eagle Acupuncture we often say Doula's = Their Weight In Gold.
Doulas help women birth. They use many techniques to help a women while she is in labor using different positions, breathing techniques, birthing balls, massage, aroma therapy and emotional support to ease labor. She can help facilitate a more active role for the father or birthing companion, giving help to those new to birth.
We know that women are less likely to need pain medication, less likely to have a c-section and overall have better birth outcomes. This is critical to us in that we have wept with out patients, worked fiercely to help patients who couldn't get pregnant, finally have a baby. We want their birth experience to be beyond expectations, as they have suffered enough.
Studies have proven these experiences too. Women reported having a more positive childbirth experience when hiring a doula. Other studies have shown that having a doula
as a member of the birth team decreases the overall cesarean rate by
50%, the length of labor by 25%, the use of oxytocin by 40%, and
requests for an epidural by 60%. Although often necessary, the last thing a woman wants is a c-section. The recovery is brutal often taking up to a year to recover fully. What a gift to reduce a major surgery.
That being said, we do understand that not all patients want to hire a doula and we respect that choice. Some want their husband's to be the only one. They have gone through Hell and back to conceive and this moment alone, they want to experience together. Other's have sisters or mothers or they just want to do this on their own. They want to feel they can do this!
Postpartum doulas are quite skilled as well. Today, many of us have lost our villages and the brunt of the challenges and burdens that come with the gift of child-rearing fall mostly to the new mother. Add in an unplanned or emergency c-section, unexpected postpartum sadness or even depression and it can be difficult to start off your dream, stable. Postpartum doulas allow the new mother to rest, heal and not feel so alone. She will often tend to everything baby from cradling, rocking, changing and holding your baby as you catch a much needed nap. They will often cook, clean and massage the new mother too. They are a god send when family can't or won't step in to help.
This week we celebrate the gift of doulas and commend them in their difficult but rewarding jobs.
