WHAT IS A DOULA? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A DOULA?

What is a doula? A doula is someone that is professionally trained to offer physical, emotional and informational support to a woman during labor, birth and postpartum.

Studies have shown that having continuous labor support by a Doula reduces: • Cesarean Sections • Length of Labors • Epidural Requests • Oxytocin (pitocin) Use • Pain Medication Requests • Forceps Use Source - Mothering the Mother: How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter Easier and Healthier Birth, Klaus, Kennell, and Klaus (1993).

Benefits of having a Postpartum Doula: • Encourages appropriate well-baby and mother care • Increases success of breastfeeding • Facilitates parent-infant bonding • Increases parents’ confidence in their parenting skills • Decreases incidence of postpartum depression Source – Nurturing Beginnings, by Debra Pascali_Bonaro

Doulas of North America Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association Doulas Association of Southern California Doula Network