Everyone knows the answer to what is a doula, but not everyone understands what exactly it is that they do. While a doula is there to provide support to the mother, they are also there to ensure that labor is safe, a little easier and sometimes faster. This can be attributed to the continual emotional, physical and informational support that they provide during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

So, what exactly does that mean in terms of what the doula can do? Below is a list of things that doulas can do to provide support for expectant mothers.

• Answer any questions you might have
• Provide different solutions or positions that can help you to find a comfortable position to try and get some sleep toward the end of pregnancy
• Follows up after your doctor or midwife appointments, and discusses any new information and how it plays into your labor plan
• Shares referrals on the best prenatal yoga classes, birth classes and other professional services
• Talks to you when your contractions start to help you determine if labor is starting or if you are experience Braxton-Hicks contractions
• Suggests different ideas throughout labor to help your labor progress and you to be the most comfortable you possibly can
• Keeps the environment and everyone around you calm
• Makes sure that lights are turned down, or off, door is shut and curtains are pulled every time someone comes in or out of your room
• Rubs your back during labor to help you relax
• Reminds you of your preferences for labor when labor starts to get extra challenging
• Supports you in getting what you need
• Feeds you ice chips between pushes, or during recovery following a cesarean birth
• Provides friends and family members in the waiting room updates on how things are progressing
• Helps you to get your baby to latch on in the first hour, and learn how to nurse
• Comes to your house after giving birth to check up and see how your birth experience was

While this is not a complete list of all the things that a doula does, it does help to better answer the question as to what is a doula! To learn more about what doulas do and how they can help you to have a pleasant birthing experience, visit International Doula Institute today!

There are typically three different phases of labor—early labor, active labor and transition. But in some instances, often for first time labors, there is a fourth phase: prodromal labor. While this phase doesn’t happen often, when it does it can cause a lot of confusion, especially for first time moms unless they have a certified doula who can help them understand what is going on.

In medicine, the word “prodrome” or “prodromal phase” means an early symptom or set of symptoms that indicates the onset of a condition. So, in the instance of labor, prodromal labor is the earliest sign that your body is preparing for labor, and that labor is beginning.

Some women will only experience vague symptoms, such as loose stools, loss of the mucous plug, or even have a strong nesting instinct. Contractions won’t start for a few hours or even days, and will progress slowly. Only in hindsight will you be able to tell that these were all signs of the start of labor.  

Other women will experience contractions early on, with their contractions coming regularly, but not progressing. Typically, the prodromal phase can last anywhere from 24-72 hours, although in some cases it can come and go. Moms who are expecting their second, third, or later baby may experience prodromal labor that comes on at night, and fades by the next morning. As a result of the contractions, some women may experience some cervical changes, (softening of the cervix, changing from a posterior position to a more anterior position), but these changes won’t result in much cervical dilation.

So, how do you know if you are experiencing prodromal labor or are in the early stages of labor? The best advice is to try and ignore your labor until it is impossible to continue ignoring. This means that you should continue to do what you normally would do.

• Eat well, stay hydrated, use the restroom often, and keep yourself focused on other things, besides the contractions.
• If you would normally be working, try to get some work done to keep yourself busy.
• If you would normally be sleeping or resting, try to get some sleep or rest as you are going to need it.
• Try to watch a funny or romantic movie to get your hormones going.
• If it helps, use a hot pack on your lower back, or right about your pubic bone for a little bit. Perhaps you’d prefer to rest and soak in a nice warm bath.

Women who experience prodromal labor for longer periods of time may find relief in the fact that once things start to move along, and labor starts, things move quite quickly! Other women who are unable to find any sort of relief due to prodromal labor, may find it a good time to contact their certified doula. Your doula will be able to help you try some different techniques that can help to get your body and the baby ready for a smooth labor. Aside from the physical assistance that your doula can provide, they also provide emotional support that proves to be invaluable.

The best thing to remember is to pace yourself. Stay hydrated, get plenty of rest, and make sure that you are eating. Labor will eventually resolve itself in a more regular pattern over time, try to remain patient. Don’t exhaust your energy by trying to force labor to progress along before your body and your baby are ready. It is common during prodromal labor for contractions to either stop or slow down when you lay down, change positions, or start to relax. Don’t be upset if your contractions stop, it just means that it isn’t time for your baby to come just yet.

Expectant mothers have probably seen enough movies and television shows that depict labor that they know how important breathing is to help them focus during labor. Lamaze breathing used to be quite popular as it taught mothers patterned breathing, such as hee-hee-hoo. While Lamaze has moved away from patterned breathing, focusing on the breath and using breath as a tool for labor has been found to be very beneficial. Below are some simple breathing exercises that your birth doula can teach that may be beneficial and helpful during labor.

General Breathing Tips:

• Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth
• If you find that you are getting dizzy or lightheaded, change your breathing. Change the pace or depth, focus on the exhales until you no longer feel dizzy or lightheaded.

Cleansing Breaths

Deep cleansing breaths are good indications for your birth team that a contraction is starting and ending. Take a deep filling breath through your nose when you feel a contraction starting, and exhale completely through your mouth, letting your body relax. When your contraction is ending, take in another deep breath in through the nose, and fully exhaling out your mouth, letting go of the contraction at the same time. Deep cleansing breaths at the beginning and ending of each contraction helps with your mental focus.

Slow Breathing

Slow, deliberate, full breaths complete with a pause at the top of each inhale and bottom of each exhale. This style of breathing will help you to remain focused and calm your mind. Slow breathing is especially useful when you are no longer able to walk or talk through contractions with ease.

Light Breathing

As labor progresses it may be necessary to switch from slow breathing to quicker, lighter breathing. Light breathing is the practice of breathing in and out through your mouth, at about one breath per second. To prevent yourself from getting lightheaded, focus on the exhales more than your inhales.

Breathing to Avoid Pushing

Sometimes during labor, you might get the urge to push before you are fully dilated, or you are advised to not push as to protect your perineum as your baby is crowning. Here are a few tips to avoid pushing:

• Don’t hold your breath—keep breathing!
• Mix it up with a longer exhale every few breaths
• It might be helpful to keep your chin up as well
• Pay attention to your exhales instead of your inhales

Breathing During Pushing

When you are ready to start pushing, use your breath to help deliver your baby. Be sure to conserve your energy for the peak of your contractions when the urge to push and bear down in unbearable! Let your contraction build, breathing slowly, until you have to bear down! Take a big breath in, tuck your chin down, and bear down. Some women might find it more helpful to hold their breath for a few seconds, while others might not.

During labor, your birth doula can help you with your breathing to ensure that you are comfortable and using your breath to help with labor and delivery. Remember that your breath is a useful tool for relaxation and to helps you focus. There is no right or wrong way to breath during labor, do what makes you feel the most comfortable.

Chances are if you are an expectant mother, you’ve heard the term “doula” before. In case you haven’t, a certified doula is a hired professional who is there to provide physical and emotional support, and information before, during, and after birth to both the expectant mother and the father. Besides providing support, what other reasons are there for hiring a doula to be a part of your birthing team? Below are some of the top reasons to invest in a doula for your labor and delivery!

Helps Mother through the intensity of birth

Chances are that labor is going to be more intense that you can imagine. That is why hiring a doula can be very beneficial, is because most expectant mothers are surprised by exactly how intense labor is. A doula will be able to provide a calm and encouraging presence which can help to mitigate the mother’s fears, therefore, decreasing her pain.

Another aspect where doulas can prove to be very helpful in an intense birthing experience is that a doula will have either given birth herself or attended a live birth as part of her training. Therefore, a doula will be able to remind the mother that what she is experiencing and going through is normal, and a good thing! The more intense labor gets, the closer she is getting to meet her baby!  

Takes some of the pressure off of Dad

Until recently, dads were not allowed in the delivery room, or even expected to assist with delivery. Nowadays things are the complete opposite! It is uncommon to hear of a dad not being present in the delivery room. In a lot of instances, the dad is expected to act as though they are a doula. This is often difficult for dads to accomplish as they most likely have never attended a birth before!

Having an actual doula present can help to relieve some of the pressure off of dad. This will then allow for the dad to fill the loving partner role for the laboring mother, rather than acting as the doula. As a result, dads tend to be more present during labor and can prove to be more useful to their partners.

Accessible for support, before, during, and after birth

One of the biggest reasons that expectant mothers want to hire doulas, is that they are available 24/7 by phone, text, email, or in person to answer any questions and provide support. Often times, first time mothers will have questions that they might not feel comfortable asking their primary care physician or midwife, but are more comfortable asking their doula.

Sample questions that mothers ask their doula include:

• “My contractions are around 5 minutes apart, what should I do?”
• “I’m having trouble sleeping, do you have any suggestions on things that I could try that might help?”
• “Do you have suggestions on places that offer good childbirth classes?”

By having a support system that you can turn to at any time to offer reassurance and support, a birthing mother can feel more confident going into labor. The support of your doula doesn’t necessarily have to stop as soon as the baby arrives, most doulas will continue to offer support when needed after birth.

Provides legit encouragement

Chances are your doula has given birth herself, or attended several births. Therefore, doulas are experts in giving support and encouragement during labor; that can mean a lot to the expectant mother. Hearing things like, “you’re doing great” from your doula is very encouraging, because chances are she knows what she is talking about. When your partner makes the same comment, it can potentially be distracting as they have no idea what you are experiencing.

Offers unbiased support

When you have a doula as a member of your birthing team, you know that you will have their undivided attention. Your doula is there for you and nobody else, which means that they only answer to you and your needs. Because doulas aren’t trained in the medical aspects of child birth, they are able to provide unconditional physical and emotional support throughout the whole process.

Provides nourishment to the parents

Believe it or not, during labor and delivery most parents often forget to take care of themselves due to the high intensity of birth. A doula will remind parents to take care of themselves, eat, drink, change positions, use the restroom, etc. as needed. It is important to remember that a doula is there to not only support the mom, but to also provide support to the dad as well.

Statistically Doulas are supported

Statistics show that having a doula that provides continual support during labor is a vital part of providing the outcome that mothers want for themselves and their babies. Studies have shown that mothers who have the support of a doula for labor were:

• Less likely to have a caesarean delivery
• Less likely to use pain medications
• More likely to give birth spontaneously
• Had slightly shorter labors

Another advantage that studies have found, is that labors that consist of a doula resulted in babies having a low five-minute Apgar score!

Home Labor

Many women prefer to labor at home for as long as possible before heading to the hospital or birthing center. When laboring at home, mothers hope to arrive at the hospital or birthing center at the right time during transition, just before it is time to start pushing. With a doula present, parents will be able to more accurately determine when it is time to leave for the hospital and when they can afford to wait a little bit longer. Most parents who don’t have a doula head to the hospital too soon, or sometimes, regrettably, too late. A doula is one more person to help parents make an informed, educated decision about when the time has come to transport to the hospital or birthing center.

Walking, Talking Birth Plan

When it comes to giving birth, there is no guarantee that it will go 100% according to plan! Birth has a mind of its own, and keeps its own time schedule. Because birth can be unpredictable, this is another good reason to have a doula on your birth team, who can serve as your walking, talking birth plan.

Often times, written birth plans are not given a second glance in a hospital setting, which can evoke negative feelings or energy from care providers. Doulas are great at helping mothers have the courage to make their wishes known as situations arise during labor. This allows for mothers to focus on giving birth to their baby! When plans change, and the unexpected arises, as it inevitably will, doulas are a valuable resource to help navigate these changes.

Doula serves as a Gate Keeper

In addition to everything else, doulas make great gate keepers! A gatekeeper ensures that only those who the expectant parents have decided on are allowed in the delivery room, and all others are kept out. Prior to birth, a doula will discuss with both parents who should be in the delivery room and who should be kept out. If those who should not be included are in the room, the doula can ask them to leave providing the parents the opportunity to focus on delivering their baby.

As you can see there are many advantages to hiring a certified doula to be a part of your birthing team. Whether you are looking for unconditional support during labor, or a friendly face who will help to ensure that you are having the birthing experience you want, a doula can help to make birth a pleasant experience for all!

When you earn your doula certification through the International Doula Institute, your clients will be so thankful for your support.

Happy Thanksgiving from the International Doula Institute!

Today is a day to remember what we are thankful for. You will, of course, have so many things to be thankful for when you earn your doula certification. But, more importantly, there will be so many new mothers who will be thankful for YOU! Your doula certification will benefit them in so many wonderful ways.

They’ll Have the Perfect Team

When you earn your doula certification, you’ll know how to work well with everyone in the labor and delivery room. Therefore, not only will your clients know that you have their best interests at heart, they can also rest easy knowing that you will work cooperatively with their doctors and nurses. Together, you’ll help them have the best birth possible. (The doctors will also be thankful that you are there!)

They’ll Have Support from Start to Finish

While doctors, midwives, and nurses need to split their attention between multiple patients, you will be with your clients the whole time they’re in labor. Earning your doula certification tells them that you know how to support them from early labor until after their baby is born. From the second she calls you, you be there keeping her comfortable, calm, and informed.

Their Birth Partner Will be Supported, Too

At the International Doula Institute, we pride ourselves on our whole family approach to doula certification. Your clients will be assured that you will not take the place of their partner. Instead, you will all work together. Not only will you show the birth partner ways to support her during labor, you can also allow them the space to step out of the room for a few minutes if they need a breather.

They Have Their Own Personal Information Source

If your client has a question about labor and birth, they know that you’ll have the answer. During your doula certification, you’ll receive a comprehensive education on labor and birth basics. Your clients will value that knowledge, and the fact that you’re only a phone call or text message away.

You Are with Them No Matter Where or How They Birth

During your doula certification process, you’ll learn that doulas support every type of birth and they do it without judgement. Your clients will know that they can count on you to offer unbiased information about common interventions and that you will support them in any birth setting they choose. Whether they plan to have their baby at home, in a birth center, or in a hospital, you’ll be there.

You’ll Help Make the Unknown Less Scary

First time mothers, especially, will be thankful to have you with them during birth. It doesn’t matter how many books they read about labor and birth, there’s no way to prepare 100% for how it’s going to feel or how they’re going to react. And, let’s face, even if you’ve had a baby before, birth is still pretty mysterious. Having your doula certification will tell your clients that you understand the birth process and you know how to comfort them every step of the way. They’ll be thankful for your expertise, your validation, and your encouragement.

Lastly, when your clients know that you earned your doula certification from the International Doula Institute, they will be thankful that they are working with someone who received the most comprehensive training available.

Becoming a new mom can sometimes be overwhelming. Whether it’s your first baby or your fifth, every new mom needs a helping hand to get through labor and delivery, and adjusting to having a newborn at home. Luckily, for every mom there are two different experts who she can turn to for help in transitioning from pregnancy to motherhood. Doulas and midwives are trained professionals who serve in different capacities to help a mother make the transition.

While a common misconception is that both professions perform similar duties, doulas and midwives actually aren’t that similar as they have different training, duties to carry out, and certifications.

What is a doula?

A doula is someone who acts essentially as the expectant mother’s best friend. Both the expectant mother and the doula will develop a bond long before the baby is expected, and plan how the expectant mother would like her birthing experience to go. The expectant mother will also be able to ask her doula, any questions about labor and delivery that she might have.

There are two different types of doulas: birth doulas and postpartum doulas. While both types of doulas are meant to act as support, they have different roles that they play. A birth doula, also known as a labor doula, will be by your side offering nonmedical advice and techniques. A birth doula is trained in helping a laboring mother with breathing, providing massages, and helping to move you into different body positions to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible. Birth doulas can also provide emotional support and act as an advocate on your behalf to ensure that you have the birthing experience that you want and have previously discussed.

No matter what type of birth you have, your doula will be there to help you feel safe and empowered. Your doula will support you in whatever decisions that you make surrounding your birthing experience. If you decide to have a natural birth or use the assistance of medication to help you through, your doula will be there to support you. If you end up having an unplanned cesarean, your doula can help to comfort you and give you the extra attention that you’ll need to alleviate your fears and anxieties about the procedure.

Reports have shown that expectant mothers who have the assistance of a doula report less need for medical intervention during the course of labor and delivery. It is important to note that a doula is not a substitute for a doctor or a midwife since they do not receive the same in-depth medical training.

Having a postpartum doula can be a valuable addition, especially if there are other children in the home. A postpartum doula can help a new mother as she is recovering from the birthing process. A doula assists by caring for the newborn and guiding a new mother through the breast-feeding process.

To become a doula, all must go through a certification process. The certification process will include didactic training, and assisting during live births. Certification requirements will vary from state to state and can be obtained through International Doula Institute.

What is a midwife?

A midwife is a man or woman who has received professional medical training. A certified nurse-midwife can do many of the same things that a doctor can do, such as, perform gynecological exams, provide prenatal care, administer pain medications, give labor inducing drugs, monitor the fetus using electronic equipment, perform episiotomies and stitch tears.

Midwife care centers promote natural births, while detecting complications during labor, and use emergency measures when needed. A certified midwife is authorized to work in a variety of settings, including health clinics, hospitals or in the home for home births.

Similar to doulas, a midwife’s certification requirements will vary from state to state. All midwives must go through specific education and training, have supervised clinical experience, and complete all the requirements for certification that are set forth by the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council.

In the United States, a midwife must be certified through the North American Registry of Midwives and the American Midwifery Certification Board. Many midwives in the United States are also registered nurses, and are called Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM), and have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution as well as certification from the American College of Nurse Midwives.

Because a doula and a midwife are two different professions that offer different benefits to expectant mothers, you don’t have to choose to only have one to help you during the process of labor and delivery. If you are wanting to have a home birth, you’ll want to have at least a midwife there for their medical training.

Speak to your delivery team to learn more about what is a doula and if you should include one as part of your birthing team. A doula can prove to be a valuable addition to your birthing team if you are a new mother, or if you are wanting to have additional emotional support throughout the process.