• The doula provides you with continuous labor support and encourages you during this massive life change that is pregnancy, birth and becoming a parent.

• Physical support: position changes, massage, soothing touch, calming atmosphere, assists with getting into shower/ tub and staying nourished eating and drinking.

• Emotional support: encourages and praises you, assists with positive thinking, holds space for you to feel exactly how you need to, advocates for you to feel in control and confident, helps you debrief after the birth.

• A doula can assist with education and planning before birth so that in the birth room you are able to make informed decisions.

• Part of the doula’s role is to slow the decision-making process down and allow time for you to communicate with your provider about the risks and benefits of any new interventions.

• The doula goal is to maintain a safe, private and unobserved birth environment.

• A doula does not provide any medical interventions (i.e. cervical checks, blood pressures, heart tones) or medical advice but supports you in asking questions and investigating to come to your own conclusions.

• The doula’s role is not to speak for you but to empower you to self-educate and speak up for yourself.

Research has shown that having a trained doula to support the birthing mother continuously during birth leads to

• more likely to have a normal vaginal birth (no forceps or vacuum)

• use fewer pain medications

• fewer negative feelings about birth

• fewer cesarean births

• shorter labors

• babies had fewer complications

  *Source: Dekker, Rebecca PhD, RN and Sara Alishire, MA. (2024). Evidence on: Doulas. EvidenceBasedBirth.com/doulas

• Ideally the partner and the doula work together as a team to support the birthing mother's needs.

• The birthing mother will likely feel most comfortable, loved and safe with the partner, so the doula is there to support them as a couple.

• The doula is able to step in and give the partner breaks especially during a long labor so that the partner is able to: eat, sleep or use to the bathroom while the birthing mother still maintains a continuous support person.

• I believe birth is a normal physiological process that sometimes needs a medical intervention, NOT a medical event that sometimes works physiologically.

• “Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers. Strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.” ~Barbara Katz Rothman

• Women's bodies are made to birth. Your body knows how and when to birth just like it knew how to grow the baby

• Birth pains aren't happening to you, they are part of you, so they can't be stronger than you are

• The pains you are feeling can't compare to the joy that is coming. Romans 8:18