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 Doula Services
"Doula" refers to a supportive companion (other than a friend or loved one) who is professionally trained to provide labor support. She performs no clinical tasks. "Doula" also refers to lay women who are trained or experienced in providing postpartum care - mother and newborn care, breastfeeding support and advice, cooking, child care, errands, and light cleaning - for the family. To distinguish between the two types of doulas, one may refer to birth doulas and postpartum doulas.
Assistance with your child after childbirth is traditionally provided by baby nurses.
Birth Doulas
A birth doula provides:
- physical, emotional, and informational support to women and their partners during labor and birth;
- help and advice on comfort measures such as breathing, relaxation, massage and positioning;
- assistance to families in gathering information about the course of their labor and their options;
- continuous emotional reassurance and comfort;
- non-medical skills such as massage and other non-pharmacological pain relief measures;
- assistance to partners who want to play an active support role;
- help so the woman has a safe and satisfying childbirth as the woman defines it.
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Postpartum Doulas
A Postpartum Doula is an experienced woman who is skilled in caring for women and their families in the postpartum period. She provides moral, physical, educational and emotional support at a time when women need ''mothering''. The new mother is the primary focus of the postpartum doula. A postpartum doula is trained in newborn assessment, mother/baby care, breast and/or bottle feeding assistance, breast pump instruction, and sibling care. She provides loving support during an emotional and exhausting time. She is instrumental in making the transition from individual to parent.
Doulas do not provide medical care. They are, however, trained to recognize potential problems in both mother and baby and advise new parents on notifying their physician or pediatrician.
Most of them also have firsthand experience with childcare as mothers or grandmothers themselves.
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Baby Nurses
Baby nurses are professional RNs, LPNs, or an experienced woman who is skilled in caring for newborns. While she provides moral, physical, educational, and emotional support for the new mom, the newborn is her primary focus. A baby nurse is trained in newborn assessment, baby care, breast and/or bottle feeding assistance.
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