Many people think that birth doulas only promote or only attend non-medicated, intervention-free births. 

Studies show that doula support does help women have fewer interventions, but every woman deserves a doula. Whatever you choose, it’s your birth!

A doula’s focus is on you. Midwives and doctors care for you as a clinician, they come and go in a birth as they attend to multiple birthing women at once. Nurses change shifts and are not a constant presence at a birth and you don’t have the benefit of getting to know one another prior to your labor beginning. DoRI doulas work for their clients, not a facility or a provider. Our concentration is on the families we support, emotionally, physically and without judgement.

A doula’s presence enhances the birth experience, encircling the birthing mother and any others she invites into her birth with nurturing support. Wherever your labor leads you, whatever path your birth takes, a doula can provide comfort, guidance, encouragement, options and experienced support.

This Cochrane systematic review, Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth, concludes that overall, women who received continuous support were less likely than women who did not to:

  • have regional analgesia;

  • have any analgesia/anesthesia;

  • give birth with vacuum extraction or forceps;

  • give birth by cesarean;

  • have a baby with a low 5-minute Apgar score;

  • report dissatisfaction or a negative rating of their experience.

Women receiving continuous support were more likely than those who did not to:

  • give birth spontaneously (with neither cesarean nor vacuum extraction nor forceps);

  • have a shorter labor

Postpartum doulas offer support after birth and into the “fourth trimester”. The transition into parenthood can be be overwhelming for a new couple. Postpartum doulas are trained in emotional support, active listening and encouraging new parents to follow their own hearts.
With a postpartum doula, you’ll receive:

  • evidence based information and support;

  • practical support to care for yourself, your partner and your new baby;

  • partner and sibling support.

All families benefit with a postpartum doula on their team!